AS MORE and more of our ministers specialize in certain fields, the tendency on the part of many pastors seems to be to think that public evangelism is for specialists only. Therefore, they do little if any public preaching for conversions, waiting for the conference or union evangelistic team to arrive at their district. Needless to say, this is a mistaken attitude. It is fatal to both pastor and churches, for churches thrive with life and activity when the members are united in presenting God's message of warning to the lost.
Emphasis on public evangelism on the college level can inspire future ministers to determine that their ministry will be one of continual soul winning. If the young men can be shown how to hold meetings, if they can catch the spirit of evangelism, if they can share in bringing people to a decision for the Lord Jesus, it will point the way and set the pace for their future work. Therefore, field activity in conjunction with class work is imperative.
At Antillian College we have public and field evangelism classes in the second semester and in the summer session. (Our plans for a large campaign in Santo Domingo this summer were halted by the revolution.)
Last year, one of the junior students, after having participated in field activities, felt impressed to return to his home town in the Dominican Republic for a three-week series at the end of the summer. The meetings were financed by the local church. The Lord blessed this dedicated young man in his preaching and visitation from the very start. Nearly sixty people were baptized the last Sunday night of the effort, and within a few weeks of follow-up work more than one hundred souls had been baptized. Many of these were outstanding conversions. One can imagine how eager this brother is to get out into the field to work now and what a large place public evangelism will play in his ministry.
At the date of writing this article, one of our sophomore students is leading out in a campaign in one of the churches near the college. He comes to my home almost every day to tell me how the meetings are progressing. He is bubbling over with enthusiasm. He has about sixty interested people and feels confident that the Lord will give him a good harvest of souls.
As I think of these future ministers and others like them who are doing a similar work, the words come to my mind, "With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come—the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!"—Education, p. 271.
May the Lord help us to "stir up the gift" that is in us by the laying on of hands and "not keep silent day or night," preaching, teaching, and training young men for the termination of our appointed task, that of proclaiming the coming of the Saviour.
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