The Bible training school idea is not of modern origin. Several decades ago denominational leaders sensed a need for this type of training. Elder and Mrs. S. N. Haskell are credited with first launching this plan. There is sufficient evidence, however, that Mrs. White herself believed in training workers in this way, and her guidance in this respect is now valuable counsel. (See Evangelism, pp. 107-110.) Other leaders have made valuable contributions which still guide us in our training of workers.
The field training school plan has already developed many efficient personal workers and Bible instructors. This training has proved especially profitable for gospel work in our larger cities. Earlier in our history few workers were privileged to complete college courses, and this accelerated type of training was instrumental in developing laymen who showed aptitude for gospel service. Again, the field training school helped to start out many a good worker in our home-foreign evangelism. In America national, racial, and language problems suggested adaptations of this idea as it was first launched by the Haskells. Many overseas people in our American cities were first introduced to our message by humble workers developed in these local training schools.
With a definite message to give to the world, Seventh-day Adventist evangelism expanded rapidly at the home base as well as throughout the world field. Then more and more the field training school became eclipsed by our fast developing ministerial courses in our colleges. Soon a new vision for evangelistic preparation resulted in many youth entering our colleges and completing broader courses of training for the ministry and Bible work.
This was a step in the right direction. Even then, however, it had to be acknowledged that the colleges were handicapped in providing sufficient practice and experience in actual field evangelism. Too often graduates of these courses received their first practical contacts with souls after leaving school, and when thrust out on their own in conference work. As they then engaged in intensive evangelistic campaigns requiring skill and experience in soul winning, these youth keenly felt their inadequacy.
The directing evangelist of a series of public meetings was often too busy to give regular instruction in soul-winning methods to his associate workers, and too many beginners had to find their way through embarrassment and confusion resulting from a lack of experience. The pressure of work required that attention be focused on getting decisions. Although the harvest demands this emphasis, the learner must still know the full background of various techniques that lead to the decision experience. Right here the evangelistic field training school has helped to solve many a practical problem for workers, especially in our city evangelism. The plan, however, is broad enough to he applied to the smaller effort, with adaptation, of course.
Wherever the field training school idea has been successfully tried, our evangelistic workers have shown great enthusiasm. Needless to say, such a training course cannot be made an afterthought of the whole program for the public campaign; the training school should be well planned when evangelism in a city is first given study. It may be that the busy evangelist is not the one to lead out in its instruction. His well-trained and experienced Bible instructor may more often make a better leader. The main purpose of this type of training is not to provide a course in homiletics or apologetics; neither is it to train young interns in the skills of public evangelism. It is to develop personal workers and home Bible instructors. A conference may enlist some veteran worker experienced in personal evangelism to be its instructor. There is then wisdom in a plan that will call interns and beginners in Bible work from the entire field into the school. These workers should not merely attend the training school, but should be expected to tie into the public campaign and there apply the methods learned.
Whether or not the training school during the evangelistic series provides daily instruction to the workers will depend on local conditions. Perhaps three instruction periods a week is about all the time that can be allotted to it, especially when public interest begins to require much visitation. It is well to concentrate on it early in the effort so that when decisions must be followed up there are no extra responsibilities to absorb the workers' attention. The best time for this instruction is in the morning when the mind is still fresh. The directing evangelist must be thoroughly behind the plan, making it clear to the company that emergencies only should necessitate a worker's absenting himself. The school's morale is important for both teacher and students.
Instruction for the evangelistic group should be on a progressive basis, fitting into problems as they arise. The teacher should bear in mind the needs of the group as a whole, and not merely concentrate on some workers who may not have had previous training and may be but temporarily employed for the campaign. This work is decidedly ministerial in nature, and the type of instruction given should be a broader training than that given to lay workers. It should deal more definitely with the problems of a public campaign. Helping perplexed and busy mothers to find time for Bible study; leading younger children to Christ; appealing to restless adolescents; building interest in the health phase of our message; making the sick-room call the entering wedge into the home—all these are skills to be developed by an all-round personal worker.
The true results of the evangelistic field training school may best be measured by an increasing soul-winning zeal on the part of the entire corps. The school gives occasion for regular counseling, and provides an exchange of better techniques in Bible work. Workers become far more alert as they focus their attention on points of mutual concern for the class. Follow-up plans for public meetings may here be guided so that a soul harvest will be secured, and new converts will be well established in our message. Experienced Bible instructors can help in developing confidence in personal work by guiding younger workers into a more purposeful visitation program, and in skills in Bible teaching. The art of securing decisions must be learned by observation as well as by practice. Many a successful Bible instructor today admits that she received the right start in our evangelistic work through the field training school. If this plan were given more attention, especially in our large city campaigns, with adaptation to various local needs, our evangelism would become far more productive, and better Bible work would materially help check our apostasies.
