The church at this time is challenged with but one great commission—that of carrying the last gospel message to all the world in the shortest possible time. The church has no other task! Every activity and department of the church must contribute to this one grand objective.
The two greatest avenues for accomplishing this task are through evangelism and education. These two terms are used here in their broadest meaning and application. The obligation of the church toward these two responsibilities must not be neglected if it is to accomplish its great objective. The great resources of the church should be directed into these two channels. These two tasks are inseparable. If either is neglected, the church must die.
The church's two great commands were to "preach" and to "teach"; to evangelize and to educate. These are the two great theaters of operation of the church. If one is neglected, the other suffers; if either one is neglected, the church suffers. The educational program of the church and the evangelistic program of the church must go hand in hand. Evangelism is a world task. Christian education is a world task.
In a recent conference meeting an evangelist was appealing for greater support for public evangelism. As a climax he declared, "I am against this expensive Christian education. I am for evangelism." In another conference meeting an educational worker was appealing for more support for Christian education. As a climax to his remarks, he declared: "The class rooms of our schools are the greatest evangelistic halls in this denomination. I am opposed to these expensive evangelistic efforts. I am for Christian education." These two unfortunate and extreme viewpoints are sometimes ex pressed. Both avenues of endeavor have been ordained of God for the one purpose of the salvation of souls.
The program of public evangelism should have the strongest support of every worker and layman in the conference. It is God's method of spreading the gospel. It is one of the greatest agencies for bringing souls to the saving knowledge of the gospel. It can be neglected only at the peril of the church. It has long since been discovered that the Christian school is a most effective method of evangelism—certainly an indispensable method in saving our own boys and girls within the church.
It has been aptly stated that "the church that cannot save its own children and youth can never save the world." We have only begun to warn the world for Christ. The schools must train more evangelistic workers. The assets of the church must be focused behind both these two programs. Over these two great theaters of operation should be the word advance.
The imperative obligation resting heavily upon the Christian church is to push the work of evangelism into ever expanding fields, and to strengthen the home base through Christian education. There is an inescapable challenge before the ministry to warn the world and save the youth.
There is an imperative need at this hour to weigh these two great operation theaters within the power of the church, and to carry forward an aggressive, balanced program on both fronts. If the army of the Lord is to make advancement, there must be greater attention and planning given to the evangelism operations on the front line, and also equal thought to the source of supply—the recruiting and training of the youth. If the latter is neglected, there will soon be no one to carry on in the front lines.
If the church is to have an uninterrupted flow of young missionary evangelists, there must be no neglect to provide for their education, which should be thoroughgoing in its training of evangelistic workers. More evangelistic efforts must be conducted, more educational institutions must be established, if the church is to grow and expand. It is a dying or static church that calls for a curtailing of its evangelistic and educational endeavors.
"Push the work into foreign fields, and neglect not the education of the youth," should be the aim or motto of a militant church. As one engaged in educational work; I am convinced that there can be no marked growth or advancement in the field of education unless a greater emphasis is placed on evangelism than is seen at the present. I quote from one of our evangelists: "I see no hope for a greater evangelistic program unless our schools give greater emphasis to the educating and training of evangelistic workers."
Our educational work must be evangelical in nature; our evangelistic work must be educational in nature, both having one and only one objective—the salvation of souls. The period of our greatest expansion will be when the church is convinced that God through His Spirit has ordained that the great gospel commission must move forward to a speedy completion.
