LEIGHTON FORD'S opening remarks at the recent U.S. Congress on Evangelism have particular bearing on the Advent Movement. Fie tells of the inscription found on a huge granite pillar erected over the grave of Karl Marx, the father of Communism. It declares, "The philosophers have interpreted the world. The point is to change it."
Adventists have been known as interpreters of times as related to Bible prophecies. We rightly emphasize doomsday. So does everybody else, now. Our stance is no longer unique. It is in the area of changing the world where focus is needed. Comparatively speaking, what Adventists are doing today to persuade the world in favor of Christ, as compared to our formative days, seems to be seriously reduced.
In the June issue we started an editorial with the same title as the above. We pointed out that in spite of our statistical gains, the world's vast majority still sit in ignorance, if not of Christianity, certainly of God's special message for this hour.
We are happy to note that our church leadership recognizes the problem and there are movements on foot which, if fully developed, will redirect some of the church's financial and physical energies into avenues of more direct communication of our message to the masses.
Our editorial invited responses of ideas, concepts, and plans that will help the church fulfill its evangelistic mission.
Names of contributors have been with held from the following responses, since there has been duplication of suggestions.
Surprisingly Simple Means
"Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. . . . God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use"— Testimonies to Ministers, p. 300. (Italics supplied.)
The above well-known paragraph was called to our attention. In connection with it one correspondent asked: "In view of such counsel and the fact that your editorial admits that the multitudinous plans of men have produced mostly treadmill exercises, is it not about time that we plead with the Lord to verily take the reins into His own hands, and that we especially plead for revival and reformation in our own hearts so that we may be fit vessels to be used by Him as His plans shall be revealed? Why propose or ask for more man-made methods, ideas, and plans?"
The writer pointed out that revival and reformation cannot come until we meet the conditions so clearly outlined by the Spirit of Prophecy. The writer asks and answers, "How can the teachers of the people, whether lay or conference-paid, expect wisdom in laying their plans when so many are knowingly going contrary to God's instructions in regard to health reform? Why ask for such power while we deliberately ignore God's own stated conditions? Is it not mockery of God to do so? May we not be like the heavenly cherub of whom it is written, 'Lucifer desired God's power, but not His character.'—The Faith I Live By, p. 68."
We readily confess that the concerned individual who made these remarks has put a finger on one of the most important factors related to the Advent Movement's advance.
Since this magazine goes principally to our ministerial brethren, we in the Ministerial Association make a plea that deep heart searching will take place on the part of all of us.
Are we overrating our spiritual condition? Or are we clinging to some pet sin and indulging desires that separate us from Christ? Has love of the world gained a foot hold in our hearts? Are we daily locking the door to Satan and his friends with the keys of prayer and Bible study? Do we sense that our individual actions prevent the outpouring of God's Spirit?
Youth Respond
We had several excellent responses from college young people. You didn't have to read between the lines to get the message. Among other things there was a plea for letting youth participate in every phase and level of the church program. For instance, Why can't some of our responsible, dedicated young people be included in our church board meetings? Let them see the planning and organization of a church. In church business meetings, couldn't we encourage our young people to attend and let them express their ideas and concepts of how we can reach the world with our message?
One person made a strong plea for planning a program where youth could participate. Someone must take the lead in these plans. Neither Creation nor evangelization comes via evolution. We truly have an army of youth, but just holding conventions and preaching to them is not enough. There must be definite planning and definite approaches made to groups of young people in order to win their action and support.
Handfuls to Hundreds
It was suggested that we greatly expand our student-missionary program from a mere handful to hundreds. I can testify to the importance of this suggestion. A few years ago, while I was conducting meetings in Hong Kong, the Mormons were an unknown entity. Five years later I was again assigned to Hong Kong. Shortly before my meetings opened, the Mormons sent in scores of young people who literally blanketed the city with their doctrines. We did not visit a single home the Mormons had not already visited. The amazing thing is these youth, do this on a missionary basis with little or no support from their church. Are our youth any less dedicated? Never! They need leadership! We have hundreds, yes thousands, of young people in this movement who if trained and equipped could make an impact for Christ both at home and overseas. Proper plans and execution of those plans are the necessary ingredient.
ACT
One young man sent in an excellent document diagramming a strategy for reaching the world. He pointed out that a group of students decided to get serious about their responsibility of finishing the work. They read every book they could get their hands on concerning evangelism and missions. It was not until they delved into Ellen G. White's writings that they found the answers. They took a rather dim view of our present evangelistic textbooks and literature from departmental programs. They felt these productions weren't really serious about getting the job done. But in the perceptive writings of Ellen G. White they found strategies that are being adopted by the most advanced opinion molders and social-change experts in the world.
It was pointed out that the Adventist Collegiate Taskforce (ACT) is doing a job of research in the area of evangelism. Reports of their findings will be made available in the near future.
I was interested in the comment of this writer relative to some dangers in developing a new strategy. He is for a new strategy, but he stated it would be "terribly unscientific and plain stupid" to declare that evangelistic meetings are out of date, et cetera. He went on to explain that there is a crucial role for every method of evangelism we now possess. But there is an equally crucial role for many new methods of evangelism the church seems to shy away from at the present.
In conclusion he stated that our problems are not really with methods, but with strategy. "Armies—God's or man's—cannot simply tell every person in each detachment to go and 'do his own thing.' Picture an army that has all artillery and no infantry. Picture an army where each company decides to spend all of its fighting resources on one kind of weapon all the time. The nation that army is defending would soon fall. We must (1) introduce strategy as an element in our evangelism; (2) improve all areas of our methodology, but especially some new areas we have shied away from in the past; (3) get all our programs coordinated toward one goal—giving the whole world's population (3.5 billion souls) a chance to say Yes or No to Jesus Christ; and (4) be quick to utilize the latest information available to the human race to our advantage." His concluding paragraph gave me courage. "I am proud to say that SDA young people are on the edge of a research revolution that may show us how to finish the work. This is the remnant church! We will be the last generation!" How can you lose when you have young people with a spirit like this?
Mass Communications
The average pastor-evangelist—and the vast majority of us are average—quickly admits that it is difficult to get a hearing. For this reason there is a school of thought that believes our message should be given in a more direct manner and on an unprecedented, undreamed-of mass basis. Another reason for this suggestion is that inspiration declares that many will turn away from hearing the truth. "The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: 'The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.' . . . That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the descriptions which they love." —The Great Controversy, pp. 594, 595. (Italics supplied.)
If the time has fully come when people will not endure sound doctrine, then we need to devise means and methods of reaching the remnant in these masses who are willing to listen to truth. It is suggested that we have a giant seed-sowing campaign so that, when public meetings are conducted, we will at least get a decent hearing.
True, our church is using a number of methods, but we are doing so on a fragmented, limited basis. There is a growing number of dedicated ministers among us who feel that the church is not doing a tithe of what it could and ought to be doing in placing the everlasting gospel before the public. Let's consider several suggestions.
International Evangelistic Journal
I admire the enthusiasm and vision of the creators and promoters of The Plain Truth magazine. Many of their doctrines are contrary to Scripture, but the efficiency of their organization in producing two multilanguage international journals, plus their radio program that saturates the nation with a pull-no-punches approach is making a terrific impact on the world.
Their creationism articles, complete with four-color pictures, make some of us sit up and think. It seems we may be spending time and money looking for problems and answers while Mr. Armstrong repeatedly affirms belief in a God who is the Creator and backs up this belief with unique evidence and articles that sound convincing.
Their four-color, fifty-page monthly journal, beautifully illustrated and vividly written, has now passed 2-million circulation. And the journal is free for the asking! They started a second journal similar in format but with a direct religious approach. In three months the circulation jumped from 125,000 to a quarter of a million. This is nearly half the circulation of our three American evangelistic magazines.
Think of what could be done in this area if our movement subsidized a program whereby an international journal could be directed, not to 600,000 homes a month, but to 3 or 4 million. Think of the greater welcomed response to our public meetings in a city where five hundred people instead of fifty are receiving our journal!
A giant project of this sort would require planning and support, but if we claim to have the final message for the world we will stand condemned in the judgment unless we do far more in this direction than we have ever done before.
Radio and TV Programs
Non-Adventist-owned-and-operated religious radio stations generally refuse to broadcast our programs, even for pay. China, the most populous nation on earth, desperately needs to hear the Advent message. Think of the tremendous possibilities of the church's building or acquiring at least one high-powered, short-wave station to beam our message to vast segments of the human race who are walking the lanes and paths carrying transistor radios but who, because of political barriers, are totally deprived of the personal witness of Adventists.
These are just a few suggestions that have come in. We urge our ministry around the world to pray earnestly that God will impress our church leadership to make those plans that will be best suited to carry the gospel to the vast multitudes around the earth. This will require a vision and faith commensurate with the importance of our message. May God grant the wisdom and determination necessary to place men and means into those channels whereby the greatest benefit in terms of souls won will be reaped.