Early last September, our car loaded with books, notes, and other essentials, Mrs. Schubert and I set out from Washington, D.C., for Los Angeles, California, where, with Louise Kleuser, we were to assist in an all-out Spanish evangelistic campaign in the county of Los Angeles. The plan was to conduct three simultaneous efforts—one in East Los Angeles, one in Temple City, and one in Pacoima. I was to be the speaker for all three.
The budget, including hall rentals, necessary equipment, advertising, and literature, amounted to $13,900. The Southern California Conference contributed $11,000, and the church members promised $2,000. The total offerings of approximately $1,300 exceeded the $900 offering goal. The faithful tithes and offerings given by the new believers will soon more than recompense the conference for the investment made. The sympathetic understanding and cooperation received from R. R. Bietz, the president, and A. G. Munson, the treasurer, were most encouraging.
Organization of the Triple Effort
Eleven local conference workers were on the permanent staff of the evangelistic company. The enthusiastic leadership of our general administrator, Samuel Weiss, and the ability of our music director, E. Benavides, to lift the spirit of the audience heavenward with his solos added much to the meetings. Henry Fuss ably prepared the black-light charts and illustrations for the sermons, and Manuel Nestares offered his services without remuneration to be rostrum announcer, traveling many miles each night of the week to the meetings. Mrs. V. Vasquez gave efficient secretarial help to the evangelist. In addition ten ministers from neighboring conferences participated for some weeks in this campaign. They gave untiring help and received help and inspiration personally.
Three efforts were conducted simultaneously in order to demonstrate what can be done in different locations and circumstances. The three Los Angeles Spanish churches united in renting the Mexican Hall, with a seating capacity of about five hundred, for the East Los Angeles effort. Pastor Weiss, assisted by Pastor Vasquez and H. Fuss, was in charge. A group of consecrated and hard-working ministers and Bible instructors were at their command. The lectures were given every Thursday and Sunday night. On Thursday, thirty minutes prior to the lecture, Dr. McFarland gave a very helpful health lecture in his enthusiastic, simple, and gripping manner. His practical counsels were appreciated, and many adopted our principles of health reform. These talks were given in a cheerful setting and from a positive standpoint, emphasizing the benefits to be derived from good health—happiness and long life.
The next effort was held in the Temple City Spanish church. In reality it was a church effort. Manuel Lopez, assisted by three good Bible instructors, was in charge. With the Lord's help they labored hard to make the work of soul winning a success. These meetings were held every Wednesday and Saturday night.
The third effort was in the San Fernando Valley. The two small churches of San Fernando and Van Nuys united in renting a small, unpretentious hall in Pacoima. This effort was under the leadership of Daniel Chavez and his three Bible instructors, whose hearts overflow with a passion for souls. The, lectures were given every Tuesday and Friday night.
Because these meetings were designed to attract and hold the people of the dominant Latin-American faith, we eliminated at the beginning everything that would create suspicion and prejudice against the gospel presentation, such as congregational singing, public prayers, and offerings; striving rather to gain the implicit confidence of the people, and to sow the seed of dependence on God in the heart of every hearer.
Since people generally are not interested to return to subsequent lectures unless they are convinced that the speaker is sincerely interested in their welfare and wants to help them in solving their varied problems of life, we capitalized on that yearning of the human heart. These methods resulted in maintaining a good attendance, with a few exceptions, throughout the entire campaign.
The Bible Class
On Monday nights, beginning with the third week of the campaign, a Bible class was conducted for the public in the Mexican Hall. During the first twenty minutes the audience was familiarized with the Holy Scriptures. Bibles were loaned to those who did not bring their own to the class. The origin, history, and high lights of four books of the Bible were explained at each class meeting. All were encouraged to memorize the books of the Bible so as to facilitate study. The last forty minutes was dedicated to a Bible study by the evangelist.
Louise Kleuser, with her wealth of experience, conducted a similar English Bible class on Saturday nights in Pacoima for the benefit of those who did not understand the Bible too well in their mother tongue. Simultaneously Brother Chavez held a Spanish Bible class there.
We aimed to seat the students so that the help of a minister, Bible instructor, or lay member well versed in the Scriptures would be readily available to aid the people in finding the texts. Texts were read aloud by the entire class. This served to increase a desire to study the Word of God. The class was encouraged to ask questions regarding the study under consideration. This was much appreciated by those in attendance. As a result, those who later attended Sabbath school were able to study their lessons intelligently without any assistance.
Classification of All Interest
During the effort about six hundred names were turned in for visitation. They were classified weekly into the following five categories:
- Addresses: Persons who at the first call did not then manifest much interest in the message.
- Interested: Families or individuals who showed a deep interest.
- Promising: Persons whom the worker considered probable candidates for baptism.
- Sabbath: Persons who had already begun to observe the Sabbath.
- Baptism: Those who were ready for baptism.
At the weekly workers' meeting the progress and problems of the campaign were both discussed and prayed about. It was a thrilling experience to see the reactions as the workers from week to week brought in their reports with their various interests classified.
During the first week of our campaign there were ten interested people who were already keeping the Sabbath, and from week to week there were from five to fifteen additional Sabbathkeepers. This careful system of classification gave each worker an idea as to which of the interested people should receive priority attention; it also gave the worker a weekly index of the progress of his work in relation to his soul-winning goat
Prayer in Evangelism
The church members were asked to pray three times daily for the success of the campaign and for the attainment of the goal of at least two hundred souls for God's kingdom. Most of the church members faithfully complied with this request. As a result of these prayer seasons empowered by the Holy Spirit, many people came to the lectures night after night and were later convinced of the truth.
All the workers in their private daily devotions brought to the throne of grace, one by one, the names of those for whom they were working, interceding for the particular need of each. This prayer ministry of our conference and lay workers has been a tremendous factor in the success achieved thus far.
Intensive Visitation Program
Loving people and visiting them systematically with a sincere desire to help and counsel must be the motivating passion of every successful soul winner. Right from the start an intensive weekly visitation program was organized for all the participating workers. Each one was assigned specific territory, and the first thing he did was to deliver the handbills and invite the people to the lectures. Then on subsequent visits he explained Bible points the people did not understand from the lecture, and left some literature on that subject. The effect was marvelous. People like to feel wanted and loved, and as the workers visited the homes and established friendships, they found in them real men and women of God to lead into more truth. Due to this systematic visitation, the people responded and were regular at our meetings. To hold a consistent attendance during an effort, a systematic program of visitation is absolutely indispensable. After the first lecture it is worth more than all the newspaper advertising and posters put together. The workers found that the most convenient hours for calling at the homes were from 5:30 to 9:30 P.M. We emphasized to our ministers and Bible instructors that it paid to spend the morning hours in their homes for prayer and study, visiting in the afternoon, and in the evening when there were no public meetings.
Seminary Extension School
Simultaneously with this effort a Seminary Extension School was conducted by Louise Kleuser, of the Ministerial Association, and the writer. This course was available for all workers in the Southern California Conference. Four quarter hours' credit was granted by the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Fifty-five ministers and Bible instructors availed themselves of this opportunity. Leila F. Swanson, a Bible instructor, served efficiently as registrar. Classes were conducted every Tuesday and Thursday morning in one of the classrooms of the White Memorial church in Los Angeles. Louise Kleuser, associate secretary of the Ministerial Association of the General Conference, ably taught a class in Personal Evangelism. The writer dealt with Evangelistic Procedures. This plan provided the opportunity to study evangelism in theory in the classroom, and to witness the practical results at the meetings and in the visitation in the homes of the people. Many expressed the conviction that this experience will enable them to be better evangelists and more efficient Bible instructors—qualified to bring more souls to the Lord.
The Baptisms
Owing to the type of candidates, the baptismal services were very touching. Husbands of believers, who for years had been indifferent and had even rebelled at their wives' being Adventist Christians, now gave their hearts to the Lord. And what a transformation has taken place in their homes! Quite a number of former Adventists were rebaptized. It was especially thrilling to see men and women who had been steeped in superstition and fear—some of them practicing almost every known sin—transformed by the Holy Spirit into born-again Christians. It is marvelous how God can take a life that has been dominated by the enemy of God for many years, and by His grace completely change it. Some of the sick were healed. Many who were discouraged are now living a life of confidence in the Lord. So far, 112 have been baptized, and it is expected that at least 90 more will be added to the church in the following months. To make the ties strong between the new believer and his future minister, each local pastor administered baptism to those he would be serving. In this way the shepherd of the flock will naturally take a deep interest in these lambs of the fold.
Church Revival
The Spanish-speaking churches that participated in this evangelistic campaign experienced a great revival. A number of members on the brink of apostasy renewed their baptismal vows. The church in general was inspired to still greater missionary zeal in hastening the glorious day of Christ's second coming. One of the best ways of helping feeble churches to a higher plane of Christian living is to hold an evangelistic campaign in which members can attend the meetings and cooperate in service. This will heal a multitude of spiritual diseases.
We thank our great Evangelist, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the many blessings received during this campaign for the Spanish-speaking people of California. In addition to the baptisms, there are many valuable by-products that make evangelism worthwhile in any conference. May God give our conference leaders wisdom for developing a veritable host of consecrated soul winners.
