Evangelism was given impetus in the Christian witness of the White Memorial Church on the Los Angeles campus of the College of Medical Evangelists during the recently concluded six week Flight of Time series, conducted by the writer and his team.
This was the first full-scale endeavor of this type to be held on the campus. Arthur Bietz, pastor of the church, plans for a continuous program of public evangelism at the center. Other evangelistic groups are to be invited to assist in this phase of the church missionary program.
During the present series a different approach in church and evangelistic advertising was employed under the direction of advertising consultant Arthur Sutton and the ministerial staff of the White Memorial church, and with the cooperation of R. R. Bietz, then president, and A. G. Munson, treasurer, of the Southern California Conference.
Concurrent with display ads and news stories in the metropolitan newspapers, a full center spread appeared in TV Guide which reached the entire area. All advertising copy prepared by Dr. Jack Provonsha was slanted to provide readers with a glimpse of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its doctrines.
Each advertisement urged all to attend the series of lectures on Adventist beliefs, and offered a free booklet further describing the basic tenets of our faith. Hundreds of requests poured in for this publication prepared by Brother Sutton and David Cotton. The booklet was outlined by a picture of the "Christ Window," which graces Olivet Chapel, and was reproduced as a full-color cover for the publication.
The public reaction to this approach has been very good. Many commendatory letters have been received. There was none of the usual reproach such as is evoked by the noninstitutional methods of advertising. While it did not have the crowd-getting appeal of the more conventional approach, it is believed there will be lasting and continuing benefit from the money expended.
Several baptismal services were conducted during the series by Chester Brooks, evangelism representative of the White Memorial ministerial staff, who is planning intensive follow-up work with the many interested people. R. M. Turner and Viola Brooks, members of the evangelistic team, are currently assisting in this work.
It is expected that many of these interested people will accept our wonderful message during the next series of meetings by the Flight of Time team. These are being held in Temple City only a few miles from the White Memorial church.
Following the Temple City series, the writer and his team are scheduled to hold meetings in Belize, British Honduras, Bonacca Island, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, after which they will hold an autumn series on the San Francisco peninsula.
The earnest and united prayers of God's people are solicited on behalf of the needy souls who must find Christ before the door of mercy shall forever close.
