A Trend of Great Significance

Laymen will take charge of worship services in more than 10,000 churches next month throughout the United States and Canada and in military chapels all over the world.

"Observed annually by Prot­estant churches on the third Sunday in October, this year's laymen's Sunday will also be marked by a special address on the Columbia Broadcasting System's Church of the Air."

That was the cheering news released by the Office of Information of the National Council of Churches on the nineteenth of September.

Seventh-day Adventists rejoice to see lay­men restored to their rightful place in the work of proclaiming the gospel. The apos­tolic church was largely made up of dy­namic laymen who "went every where preaching the word." From the early be­ginnings of the Seventh-day Adventist movement the laymen have played an im­portant role. The history of our denomina­tion in nearly every country around the globe is replete with the same inspiring story of the fruitful work of dedicated lay­men.

And now while the angels are holding the four winds of strife how can we quickly finish the work? We do not have enough ordained ministers to complete the task that must be done prior to the second com­ing of Christ. We must call upon the "re­serves" in this crisis hour of earth. And what a host of men and women we have in the church waiting to be trained and as­signed to the greatest work in the world.

Every pastor of every church should look upon every member of the church as an assistant in his ministry. If every member were inspired and set to work, only eter­nity could reveal the marvelous results that would follow. Brethren, if we don't get our people busy with God's business, the devil will soon get them busy with his.

The "harnessing" of this latent power-- this mighty reserve army of laymen—de­pends largely upon us as leaders. One man was often heard remarking that he "had been in the harness for twenty years." At last someone spoke up and said, "You may have been in the harness for twenty years, but have you ever been hitched to anything?" It is time for everyone to get hitched to something! It is not enough to be merely in the harness.

Laymen's Sunday occurs once a year in many Protestant churches of North Amer­ica. Seventh-day Adventists by contrast are utilizing the power of laymen all the year. Every Sabbath laymen occupy the pulpits of many Seventh-day Adventist churches throughout the world.

Restoring the layman to his rightful place in the church is a significant trend. For our church it is most vital! "The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work, and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers."—Christian Service, p. 68.

Our denomination has always recognized the importance of the laymen, but now it is imperative that we take full advantage of the present trend and call upon the vast reserve army waiting to help us complete our God-given task. In this connection we are given this divinely inspired counsel: "Time is short, and our forces must be or­ganized to do a larger work."—Ibid., p. 72.

The How

In view of the urgency of enlisting the laymen as participators and not merely spectators in this final drama of the ages, we naturally are seeking for the how of accomplishing this task. In a recent re­gional advisory council the following ac­tion was taken on lay evangelism:

"WHEREAS, In other parts of the world, South America and Africa, and Korea, the program of lay evangelism is being vigor­ously prosecuted and with telling results, and

"WHEREAS, One of the essential features of this program is the pledging of the in­dividual member to specific hours of per­sonal evangelism per week, and weekly pas­toral supervision and promotion, and

"WHEREAS, We are told by the servant of the Lord that the work will never be fin­ished until the laity is actively engaged in the work of soul saving,

"We recommend, That our pastors be encouraged to pledge each member to at least three hours per week in personal evan­gelistic activity utilizing any or all of the methods and materials provided by the Home Missionary Department of the church. And that by the same method, or a more effective one, that other vital pro­grams of the church have become central, this program be given priority."

Here are some practical suggestions that could be carried out in every church. What a difference it would make if this recom­mendation were followed throughout the North American Division! "If set to work, the despondent will soon forget their de­spondency; the weak will become strong, the ignorant intelligent, and all will be pre­pared to present the truth as it is in Jesus." —Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 82. There is more —much more—in this same paragraph. Anyone who will take the time to turn to that page and read it carefully will be richly rewarded. Among other good things you will find this important statement: "'The best help that ministers can give the members of our churches is not ser­monizing, but planning work for them. Give each one something to do for others.'"

Spurgeon in his day saw this point clearly. When asked the secret of his suc­cess as a minister, we are told that he said, "I have five hundred of my members who are practicing all week what I preach in church on Sunday."

Let us rejoice in the present significant trend toward utilizing the talents of the lay­men of the church. We need an army of lay preachers. Actually a layman very often can do a work that an ordained minister cannot do. When a minister preaches, often the worldling is inclined to say, "Oh, he is paid to say that!" That cannot be said about the layman. He is not paid to say it. He says it because he has a message from God that must be delivered. And every church member is to be a living epistle, "known and read of all men."

The Lord will "finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness." How? "The final movements will be rapid ones" because the Holy Spirit will be poured out not just upon one man, the preacher, but upon an entire church, organized, spiritualized, and deputized for the holy task of complet­ing God's great work upon the earth.

Fellow minister, What are you doing with the laymen of your church? What is the trend in your congregation? The new year is just upon us. And 1963 will be the Golden Anniversary of the Home Mission­ary Department of the church. Why not take advantage of this golden opportunity to call for a larger, yes, a vastly stronger, layman's movement in your church in this anniversary year?