"Not by resolutions alone will a worldwide revival and reformation be experienced. It must become the burden of prayer and study on division, union, and local conference [mission] committees. . . .
"Let the chief burden of administrative officers, departmental secretaries, pastors, and church officers be focused on the winning of souls."
From the 1966 Fall Council this message went out on the wings of prayer around the world. The response has been electrifying. Indeed, division, union, local conferences, and local missions have responded. Officers, departmental secretaries, pastors, and church officers by the scores have written pledging not only to sound the cry in their areas but to keep the notes of revival and evangelism sounding loud and clear until every corner of their territory has heard the message of present truth. I want to share excerpts from some of these letters with you.
P. H. Eldridge, president of the Far East, writes, "The spirit of the Autumn Council was reflected in our division council that has just closed. I have never seen our workers in the Far East more enthusiastic or determined to push on with a program designed to finish the work. The resolution of the worldwide revival and evangelistic thrust was accepted with great enthusiasm."
"You will be very happy to learn, I am sure," writes the Australasian Division president, L. C. Naden, "that wherever we have brought to the attention of our leaders and workers the aims and objectives of the coming quadrennium, they have been received most enthusiastically, and I know that when these plans reach down to the conference level that our people will respond to the lead that has been given from the General Conference."
In North America there is "the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees." This great homeland base, under the leadership of Neal C. Wilson and his dedicated union and local conference officers and departmental leaders, are laying soul-winning plans that thrill my heart. "The response from the Fall Council program here in our union is tremendous. The spirits of our people are looking up. Our people believe in the program and they are looking forward to great days of victory just ahead," writes one North American union president.
Evangelize Both "Dark" and "Light" Areas
Florida, Georgia-Cumberland, Chesapeake, Texas, Southeastern California, South Central, Oregon, Washington, as well as many other conferences, have laid strong plans for, and are engaged in, great evangelistic advance in 1967. Revival meetings and reaping efforts have been held in scores of churches, as well as full-scale evangelistic meetings in tents, halls, theaters, "bubble tabernacles," and other places in both "dark" and "lighted" areas. Thousands upon thousands of gift Bibles are being distributed as an aroused laity swings into action across North America. Workers and members alike are moving forward in this great home base. Some of the greatest victories of God will be witnessed right here in North America.
"I Want to Move Away From My Smallness"
I was impressed with this heartening note from one of our city pastors, "We in the ________ district wish to join with you in the worldwide fellowship of prayer and in a greater consecration. I want to move away from my smallness and make larger plans. With my board of elders and my church board, plans include two hundred new believers baptized by year's end. We are planning big, praying long, and working hard. We accept your challenge. Our watchwords are Revival and Evangelism!"
. . . God Could Not Be Satisfied"
"The good spirit that was manifest at the Fall Council has flowed out to the Middle Fast," writes F. C. Webster, president of the Middle East Division. "We feel that God could not be satisfied unless we plan for something unusual during the quadrennium that is beginning. We feel that the breakthrough God would effect in this field demands a larger vision and a more dedicated effort than we have ever exerted in the past. We are convinced that the spirit of Pentecost must be repeated in the Middle East."
President C. L. Powers speaks for Inter-America: "Sincerely believing that the most glorious revelation of His power is just before us, we accept the challenge of this hour and pledge our full support of division-wide advance in all soul-winning activities of the coming quadrennium."
Merle Mills, president of Trans-Africa, and his leaders are fully behind the program: "The call to revival and reformation, it seems to me, was the most important action taken by our recent division council. As leaders of the Lord's work in Trans-Africa we must give first place to this work."
"With the Lord's help we shall step forward and work according to the plans which have been outlined during our division council at Basel—of general revival among our workers and members and of total evangelism throughout the territory of Southern Europe." In these words M. Fridlin, president of the Southern European Division, responds to the Fall Council challenge.
R. A. Wilcox, who heads the large South American Division, passes on this encouraging word: "We have just completed a swing through the various union fields. I was pleased to witness the favorable reaction on the part of our leaders to a great program of advance in soul winning. In most of the fields the brethren were not willing to accept the division council's recommendation of soul-winning objectives. They wanted to go beyond our suggested goals. . . . The Spirit of the Lord is being poured out upon our people, and we believe our leaders and people are enjoying a rich spiritual experience."
"Cover Every Corner"
I must not fail to share with you this paragraph from a stirring letter written by one of our union presidents across the seas: "We are moving forward in a strong way, emphasizing revival and evangelism. We are busily engaged in working out plans of evangelism so that our entire country will be covered. With the Lord's help we plan to cover every corner of our nation this year with the message of the Lord's soon return. The call for revival has caught on like fire in the stubble, spreading from district to district, and I believe with all my heart that we will have the greatest year of the_________ Union Mission that we have ever had." With this letter were enclosed detailed plans aimed at fulfilling the desires of this earnest leader.
In sending along to his local field leaders a comprehensive program of revival and evangelism, another union president challenges his fellow workers with these stirring words: "As members of God's remnant church, commissioned to carry God's last message to a distraught world, we have looked and longed and prayed for the Pentecostal outpouring of God's Spirit to give us power to finish His work. A new sense of urgency has now possessed the world leaders of God's church, and this sense of urgency is sweeping around the world. We are on the threshold of great and wonderful days for God's church. The enclosed resolution was adopted by our division and our union committees. I appeal to you to study this resolution carefully and prayerfully and give it your wholehearted support."
These are samples of letters that have come pouring in from division, union, local conference, and mission church leaders from around the world. From presidents, from departmental leaders, from pastors and evangelists, and from church members the response has been the same: "We believe this is the work that should be done in the church and in the world about us at this time. We are with you brethren in the General Conference."
Brethren, what a day in which to be living and leading! Now is the time! This is the hour! Ours is the message! You and I are the men! Let us move forward and lead our people into a richer, fuller experience in Christ Jesus and a revitalized soul-winning endeavor that will turn the world upside down for Christ!
"Not by resolutions alone will a worldwide revival and reformation be experienced. It must become the burden of prayer and study on division, union, and local conference [mission] committees. . . .
"Let the chief burden of administrative officers, departmental secretaries, pastors, and church officers be focused on the winning of souls."
