"They say all the people you baptized in Crusadeville have backslidden."
"All of them?" I question in dismay.
"They say almost all of them have fallen out" is the reply.
There was an article in Reader's Digest not long ago about the dubious veracity of this ambiguous authority "They say." But such a report is unsettling to say the least. Too frequently, I suppose, the evangelist retreats to the equally doubtful shelter of classifying all such tales as malicious criticism or slander, inspired by the devil to discourage the winner of souls. There may be an element of truth in some of this, but it is too obviously defensive to provide much persuasion to the brethren or solace to the evangelist himself.
Spurred by such gossip, we have at times taken our list of converts for the Crusadeville campaign from the file and paid a Sabbath visit there, making an accurate head count of the "backsliders" who showed up at the Sabbath school and church service. This proved reassuring. On one occasion the conference treasurer, understandably concerned by such a story from a local elder, no less, did the same with satisfying results. Yet, a few such cases successfully challenged and defended do little to bury what at times seems to be a popular opinion, i.e. that the results of public evangelism, especially short-term evangelism, are very transient or shallow. Is this view myth or fact?
It seemed that a worth-while study could be made to actually investigate the stability of converts over a reasonable period of time, and covering a wide enough range to see what was really happening to the people we had baptized. What were the facts? If we really believed we could discount these tales we should not be fearful of thorough research.
So we went to our file marked "converts" and took the list of all the people baptized in our meetings during 1961 and 1962. This involved 12 campaigns and 51 cooperating churches. The total number of converts for those two years was 671. (There had been quite a large group of Regional converts in addition, but we had no way to include them in the study for lack of records in our files.)
The names of all the converts were entered on a form we had prepared for the survey. After each name were spaces to be checked, evaluating the condition of the convert as "doing all right" or "discouraged" or "disfellowshiped." We sent these forms to all the pastors of the 51 churches and a duplicate to the church clerk, asking them to check the present status of each one. We felt this would provide an objective evaluation in that it would be the answer of the pastors themselves, covering a year to eighteen months after we had gone. We received a report from every church. There were few discrepancies between the pastor's evaluation and the clerk's. The pastors were just a shade more optimistic. The facts revealed follow:
Of 671 converts only 23 were considered apostasies. There were 540 judged all right, leaving 108 in the doubtful class. Certainly, most of the discouraged ones eventually will be in one of the other two groups. I know personally of some who, since the survey, have been strengthened and are now faithful. Others, of course, are now apostasies. It should be noted that according to a study made by Prof. Bruce Johnston, the majority of those few who drop out after a crusade do so after only a matter of weeks. It is in the first few weeks of church membership that the convert is most severely tried. It is then that the former habits are the most alluring and the weak succumb. The pressures of relatives, friends, and/or employers is the greatest and most disturbing. Very few lose their way after the first few months.
Returning to the figures, we find that only 5 per cent had apostatized. Eighty per cent were doing all right. It would be reasonable to assume that when the discouraged ones have been worked with, 15 per cent would be counted out. But that leaves 85 per cent faithful. While we are all deeply concerned about the 15 per cent, it is encouraging to know that so large a number actually stay with us. Of course, we were eager to get the whole picture. We have been here in Michigan three years, and projecting these percentages on the total number of converts for the three years, which was nearly 1,000, about 800 are with us in the church today. This would make a sizable congregation in itself! In our very worthy efforts to analyze the reasons for backsliding we must not lose sight of the beautiful flock in the fold. It seems to be the tendency to magnify the few who have dropped out and take for granted the ones who remain, just as if they would have been there anyway, had the campaign never been held!
Some of the 85 per cent, of course, will be weak, as we would expect from any cross section of church members; on the other hand, many are holding responsible offices in the church. It was thrilling to read the different notations by pastors and clerks as to the active part many are now taking in the work.
Some Significant Indications
The results we have noted are perhaps the least significant indications of the survey. Some observations worth much meditation are:
1. The percentage of loss varied a great deal from one church to another. About half the churches reported almost 100 per cent stability of the converts. Six churches had a high rate of fallouts. In these six only 58 per cent were faithful. Yet, the same evangelist and team had labored in each of these churches. The same methods were used, and the same short period of time comprised the length of the campaign. Surely in the light of these facts it would not be valid to blame the method or the shortness of the series, or for that matter the team, for the high percentage of loss in a few of the churches. However, as every worker knows, the atmosphere of love and encouragement in some churches is a great contrast to the bickering, factious spirit seen in others. I realize it is a personal evaluation, but after 60 evangelistic campaigns one cannot help sensing the influences that make this difference, and quite accurately predict what a few months will do to a group of new converts. At times we would be forced to admit the weakness as seen in the pastor, but probably more often, it is the climate and character of the church body.
2. One might think, as another old myth goes, that the larger, so-called impersonal churches are the most trying for the new convert. The facts of the survey show that this is not so. The larger churches show a better average record. It is not hard to see the reasons for this good record. Here, of course, we had some of our largest baptisms. The program is usually more absorbing and complete. And if there are contentions, they are not so obvious when lost in the larger group.
3. At the risk of seeming to repeat the lessons obvious in the foregoing—backsliding of evangelistic converts is not so prevalent as supposed. But in those few cases where the rate is alarming, it would seem that the great cause of backsliding is not poor evangelistic methods. Adventist evangelists as a rule are about as thoroughgoing in the presentation of doctrine as any would ever want. And no church has ever required more conformity as a prerequisite to membership. This is as it should be. But perhaps even because of this, the need of the new member for love, understanding, sympathy, fellowship, and encouragement is multiplied. When we fail to provide these stabilizing fundamental necessities of the soul, we starve the infant spiritual personality and cruelly desert our spiritual parental responsibilities, leaving as orphans the offspring God has granted the church family. It isn't that the souls were "stillborn"; it is apparent that the infant mortality rate occurs in the neglect of nursery care.
