LAST year, 1972, the Holy Spirit ignited a spiritual evangelistic revolution in Inter-America. This fire was first kindled at Atlantic City when our division committee set a goal of 200,000 baptisms and a membership of 400,000 by 1975.
With the prophet Isaiah we declared: For Zion's sake we will not keep silence or hold our peace. For Jerusalem's sake we will preach as never before. We will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and salvation thereof as a lamp or torch that burneth (see Isa. 62:1).
A fire was lighted that would unite ministers, all workers, and laity in a great evangelistic thrust that would shake the division a fire that would bring down the walls of coldness, indifference, and mediocrity.
A fire that would send us forth to attack and take the towns and cities for Christ. A fire that would impress each church member, each young person, that he was saved to save. A fire that would always burn in Inter-America, that would become a way of life. A fire that would remind each minister and each leader that he was ordained first of all to preach that no one was ordained to be a president, a secretary, a treasurer, an auditor, a departmental secretary, an institutional head, but to preach salvation to the lost and that every worker is to be a soul winner.
Everyone knew what was expected of him. We decided to test the dedication and faith of the division personnel.
We set the following goal for EVANGELISM '72: 39,000 baptisms, 10,000 more than were baptized the best former year, which was 1971; 20,000 baptisms for the first six months.
We began to take seriously what Sister White said in Evangelism, page 694: "The work is years behind. While men [preachers] have slept, Satan has stolen a march upon us."
Previous years seemed to have been characterized by a minimum, normal amount of evangelistic activity. We felt that 1972 in particular should see the Holy Spirit work in a marvelous way. We set 1972 as the Year of the Great Leap Forward.
What happened as a result of the EVANGELISM '72 "great leap forward"?
Closed doors were opened. The Holy Spirit began to pull honest hearts out of the Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostal churches, et cetera. One pastor wrote that an entire village in his district accepted the third angel's mes sage and all were baptized. Eighteen ministers and preachers from popular churches, including one Catholic priest, joined the commandment-keeping people of God. Now some of them are preaching the message of Revelation 14.
In Puerto Rico, workers and members caught fire, and went all out in soul-winning evangelism. As a result, an average of two new churches were organized each month of the year.
Total division baptisms for EVANGELISM '72 numbered 42,973 a church of nearly 118 members every day of the year 1972. Such was the spirit of EVANGELISM '72 in the Inter-American Division.
The picture accompanying this article shows those present at our recent double-centurion retreat at Camp Kulaqua in Florida. Every pastor-evangelist and departmental secretary present, and some presidents, have won and baptized at least 200 souls during 1971 and 1972.
3 baptized between 800 and 1,000
4 baptized between 500 and 799
8 baptized between 400 and 499
24 baptized between 300 and 399
91 baptized between 199 and 299
We are seeing the climax of the ages. We are seeing the day of power in Inter-America. We are seeing the miracles of God's redeeming grace. A most glorious day lies just ahead for the church. What an hour of glory, of wonder, and of power awaits us.