Revival Evangelism
By: B. G.
That there is a real field for revival evangelism in our large Adventist centers has been well demonstrated by the blessing that has attended the series of meetings which were held in the Sligo church in Takoma Park, Maryland, the past winter and spring. We use the term "revival evangelism," for approximately 25 percent of those baptized in this evangelistic endeavor were former Adventists who were reclaimed to the church.
George E. Vandeman and his associates opened this series on Sunday night, January 14, continuing until April 29, when his duties as one of the associate secretaries of the Ministerial Association called him to India. Up to this time 143 people had been baptized. W. John Cannon, formerly of England, then took over the meetings until the time of the local camp meeting in June. The form of the meetings was changed from regular evangelistic preaching services to a special Bible-marking class. The people entered enthusiastically into these services, and during this time another 43 were baptized.
Among the 186 baptized it was a real joy to see 25 couples go forward unitedly, with an entire family following one father and mother. The new members joined 23 different S.D.A. churches.
Matters of general interest regarding these meetings were reported in the Review and Herald of May 24. The features reported here will be of more particular interest to workers.
We all rejoice that during this series two former workers in the cause were reclaimed. One of them, who had drifted out because of serious discouragement, said, "It takes only one step to leave God's people, but there are many steps on the road back."
The special Know- Your - Bible - Better classes conducted by Mary Walsh of the Columbia Union helped prepare candidates for baptism. Special mention should also be made of the pastors of this area who cooperated wholeheartedly and who officiated at the baptisms, baptizing the candidates who were joining their churches.
Meetings were held Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Sunday afternoons at 3:30 a meeting identical with the regular evening meeting was conducted. This was done to counteract the pull of television programs, which keep many at home during evening hours. It also accommodated some older people and others who dislike going out after dark. The Sunday afternoon audience usually contained the largest percentage of non-Adventists. Because of the large number of church members vin this area, we also conducted two identical meetings on Friday evenings. The choir members and the Ambassador Male Quartet, which we organized, stayed by nobly in this heavy schedule of meetings.
Experience is proving more and more the wisdom of working up a special mailing list of prospective interests prior to an evangelistic endeavor. General newspaper advertising and handbill distribution have their place, but when one thinks of the hundreds of thousands in a metropolitan area who read the papers and the very small number who actually respond to advertising in this medium, we see the additional benefits of having some sort of specialized list to appeal to.
To meet this need, special 3 by 5 inch "Interest Information" cards (see page 26) were printed and distributed among our laity and workers in this area. From the cards that were turned in during the weeks preceding the opening night and the early weeks of the effort, a mailing list of more than four thousand was made up, to whom announcements of the meetings were sent.
Since our denominational status was identified, we made strong appeals to our people to personally invite and bring their neighbors and friends to the meetings to learn what Adventists really believe. An advertising poll later conducted showed that 381 had responded to personal invitations by friends, 46 to invitations by our doctors, and 402 to mailings directly to their homes, making a total of 829 as against 572 who responded to newspaper advertising. This points up the great pulling power of the "personal touch" in building our evangelistic audience. The poll of advertising broke down in this way:
309 Newspaper ad in the Star
81 Neivspaper ad in the Post
99 Newspaper ad in the Times-Herald
34 Newspaper ad in the News
45 Newspaper ad in the Takoma Journal
4 Newspaper ad in the Maryland News
381 Personal invitation by friend
46 Personal letter or invitation by doctor
64 Streetcar and bus ads
402 Post card or folder mailed to home
60 Good News radio program
99 Heralds of Hope television program
Medical Evangelism Helped Too
The public is impressed by the work of our medical institutions. Many of the people who attended these meetings had been at the Washington Sanitarium and knew what we believed but did not know why. To capitalize on these contacts, our faithful doctors, dentists, and nurses handed in large lists of names- and personally invited these people to the meetings. The doctors and dentists sent personal letters to their entire patient list. Here is a sample of the letter sent:
DEAR MRS. BROWN:
This little note is to let you know that you have not been forgotten in our busy program, and also to invite you to attend an important meeting to be held next Sunday at 7:30 P.M. in the Sligo Auditorium at the corner of Carroll and Flower avenues in Takoma Park.
I feel sure that you will enjoy this program. The speaker, George Vandeman, is a personal friend of mine. He is a very widely traveled and broad- minded speaker. His subject is "World Peace or Atomic Pieces." Excellent music will also be featured. Other interesting programs will follow.
Hoping to see you there, and with kindest personal regards,
Very sincerely yours, [Signed by doctor.]
Of course when the time came for the medical discussion panels, which were featured at some of the public meetings, and later when the Better Health Cooking School was con ducted, these patients and former patients had a special interest in coming out to hear their doctors answer questions and give health talks. You will notice by the foregoing advertising poll that at least forty-six responded to the personal appeal on the part of our medical evangelists, and a number of these were baptized. The cooking school is reported by Elder Cannon on page 27.
To the list that had been prepared before the meetings began we added the names that came in from those requesting literature at the meetings. Thus a good, live mailing list was built up in the early days of the evangelistic series, and after a time the newspaper and other advertising was cut down considerably, and we relied heavily on the humble little Government penny post card. This we sent each week to this special mailing list, which was constantly growing. The people came to expect the little card and seemed to respond to it just as well as to more elaborate and expensive advertising.
Evangelism and revival evangelism will continue to be a challenge as long as time lasts, and we need to keep our minds open to the leadings of the Lord in the direction of newer and more efficient methods of working. Deeper consecration and a more fervent devotion to His cause, however, are the secrets of success, and we praise God for the privilege we have had, with Elder Vandeman and his corps of evangelistic workers, to witness for Him in this important national and denominational center.
We are convinced that a great work for God is waiting to be done in all our larger denominational centers, and such revival-evangelism endeavors will be signally blessed if undertaken in a spirit of earnest prayer and genuine seeking after the Holy Spirit.
Better Health Cooking School
W. JOHN CANNON Evangelist, Potomac Conference
Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom and healed all manner of disease among the people. This matter of combating disease is a vital part of our message. In the planning of every campaign a definite place should be allotted to the correct presentation of the health message. The people should be taught not only to discard unhealthful -foods but also to use even healthful articles of diet wisely.
"Cooking schools, conducted by wise instructors, are to be held in America and in other lands. Everything that we can do should be done to show the people the value of the reform diet." Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 126.
After a forceful and clear exposition of Bible truth in matters of eating and drinking, Elder Vandeman invited a panel of doctors to answer questions in the large public meetings. Following the above counsel of the Lord's messenger, a cooking school was organized in connection with the Sligo campaign. A willingness to live in harmony with healthful standards created a sincere desire for knowledge regarding the preparation of a balanced diet. Six classes were conducted, covering a program of lectures, practical demonstrations, and the answering of questions.
The Washington Gas Light Company installed two automatic ranges, a refrigerator, and backdrops. It also brought in a gas line of over one hundred feet, all free of charge. At every turn we were made conscious that the presence of the Lord was with us. As the crowds came to each session the hall was filled to capacity. We were encouraged by the interest taken in the cooking school by some of the prominent personages of Washington.
At each meeting Elder Vandeman was chairman, and thus the school was very definitely tied to the evangelistic meetings. The whole presentation, though being extremely practical, had a wholesome spiritual background. Doctors Clifford Anderson and Wayne McFarland gave lectures on the reasons for the deficiency in the average diet. Grace Neil, Hettie Jemison, Ada Dean, Ruth Osborne, Myrta Cornor, and others demonstrated how attractive and tasty a well- balanced meal can be. After one class an eleven- year-old boy went home and baked some fine whole-wheat bread.
The subjects covered during the school were:
1. A Good Breakfast.
2. A Balanced Meal.
3. Proteins.
4. Vitamins.
5. Minerals.
6. Energy Needs and Energy Foods.
The notes and recipes on each lesson were mimeographed and handed to each one present. The lessons were punched so they could be preserved for future reference in loose-leaf note books.
We know that God wonderfully blessed our endeavors as we followed the instruction given by the Lord's messenger.
"Nook and Corner" Evangelism
W. A. TOWNEND Press Relations and Home Missionary Secretary South New Zealand Conference
I was stuffing newspapers into the firebox in the tiny kitchen in our holiday cabin situated at an out-of-the-way seaside village. While I was preparing the fire for the morning meal, my eye lighted on an item in the paper that drove home an important lesson to my mind.
There it was an Adventist news story-^ given a prominent place in a large city daily. Doubtless the previous occupants of the cabin had read that paper and like many folks on vacation, they had read all of it, including the Adventist story. It was a good story too, for it told of the record contributions Adventists had made the previous year to the work of their church.
"Hmm," I said to myself, "here is an object lesson in 'nook and corner' evangelism. One never knows just where a news story he writes will go." And how true! Every item about Seventh-day Adventists published in a newspaper has a variety of excellent prospects of getting into the "nooks and corners" of a county, town, or city, where even the most diligent minister or layman would probably never reach. So here is at least one reason why we ought to use the public press in building an informed public. And this is exactly what God wants us to do.
A statement in The Great Controversy, page 616, places Adventist press work in an important setting:
"Jacob's company, unarmed and defenseless, seemed about to fall helpless victims of violence and slaughter. . . . His only hope was in the mercy of God. . . . Yet he leaves nothing undone on his own part ... to avert the threatened danger. So should the followers of Christ, as they approach the time of trouble, make every exertion to place themselves in a proper light before the people, to disarm prejudice, and to avert the danger which threatens liberty of conscience." (Italics supplied.)
Then, too, in Evangelism, page 129, we are told:
"Workers with clear minds are needed to devise methods for reaching the people. Something must be done to break down the prejudice existing in the world against the truth." (Italics supplied.)
And mark this well: correct information properly presented is a potent antidote for preju dice.
"Nook and corner" evangelism is an open field of service. This challenging work is today beckoning to more and more ministers and laymen who believe that God's messenger meant exactly what she said when she declared:
"The name Seventh-day Adventist carries the true features of our faith in front, and will convict the inquiring mind. Like an arrow from the Lord's quiver, it will wound the transgressors of God's law, and will lead to repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 224.
And who knows what will prosper, this or that? The convicting arrow could come from the public press and through the powerful name "Seventh-day Adventist." Let us keep that name to the front.
All those diligent servants of God who accept the challenge of "nook and corner" evangelism by medium of the public press will, we believe, to that extent be measuring up to this standard set forth for the people of God by the Lord's messenger:
"God's servants should be minute men, ever ready to move as fast as His providence opens the way." Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 423.
God is going before us; then let us make use of every agency that will keep this work before the public. Newspaper evangelism can be made a vital and fruitful part of our soul-winning program.
