OBVIOUSLY a General Conference president has plenty of demands on his time, and it is easy to understand his leaving to others the work of preaching the gospel. In the early part of this century, the Adventist Church faced a crisis in regard to evangelism and preaching. With great earnestness, Ellen G. White urged our leaders to lead out in preaching. Especially did she address the General Conference president, A. G. Daniells, urging him to get into evangelism personally. Daniells responded by putting into practice greater plans for preaching but was not personally involved.
On one occasion he went from Washington to California to call on Sister White. However, she refused to grant him an interview. She actually refused to talk to the General Conference president. Instead, she sent out word for him to go home and do that which he had been bidden of the Lord to do—to preach—and open up centers for evangelism.
Still he faltered. He failed to go out and hold a series of meetings he promised Ellen White he would hold. Then in the General. Conference of 1909, where he had pledged to lay larger plans for evangelism, he spent most of the time defending his theory of the "daily sacrifice" (see Dan. 8:11-13) that had been attacked.
Another message came from the Lord's messenger. "When the president of the General Conference is converted, he will know what to do with the messages God has sent to him" (Australasian Record, Aug. 13, 1928, p. 1.) You can imagine what a humbling blow this was to Daniells, who considered himself to be a converted man. But still he held back and did not take up the work of preaching. Finally, another message was sent to him, which suggested that if he didn't lead out in the work of evangelism and preaching personally, the leadership of the General Conference should be given to someone else who would do his duty.
This time the message got through. Canceling appointments for the next year, and sharing some of his administrative duties with associates, Daniells went into full-time evangelism with his whole heart and devoted a full year to leading the denomination in soul- winning preaching.
Probably no one other than Sister White would have ever had the courage to place the burden of soul winning so squarely on a General Conference president. But she knew that unless he led the way personally, those whom he was leading would not feel the burden of evangelism, either.
At a time when so many projects, promotions, plans, and programs proliferate, those of us called to a special work for this time must be especially selective in setting our priorities in such a way as to prevent our programs from being pulled to pieces. We can actually become involved in so many extra good causes that we fail to do the work the Lord wants us to do—the preaching of the gospel.
The Call to Preach
When Jesus began His ministry He "came . . . preaching" (Mark 3:14). The apostle Peter, later on in his ministry, looking back on that experience, testifies, "he commanded us to preach" (Acts 10:42).
After His ascension Jesus called a great rebel named Saul to the work of the gospel ministry along the Damascus Road. Writing of this experience to Timothy, Paul said, "I am ordained a preacher" (1 Tim. 2:7).
From the Mamertine dungeon Paul, perhaps knowing all the things that could take up a young preacher's time, urged, "Preach the word" (2 Tim. 4:2). "Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry" (verse 5), as though that were the one and only way possible to make full proof of his ministry.
As to the effectiveness of preaching, Paul adds, "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them" (1 Cor. 1:21). And so certain was the great apostle of his call to the ministry that he wrote, "Woe is unto me, if I preach not" (chap. 9:16).
The book of Acts pictures every Christian a witness. These eager first- century witnesses filled Jerusalem with their doctrine, both in private meetings and on the public platform, by the riverside and in the churches. The call for surrender made by Peter on the day of Pentecost was just a culmination of many and varied soul-winning endeavors on the part of the church.
The devil was unable to destroy the church as long as every one in the church was an active soulwinner. Even severe persecution didn't stay the work of the church, but rather advanced it. They went everywhere preaching the word.
Satan's Clever Plan
Finally, Satan dragged the program of evangelism to a halt by a very clever plan. He got the church divided into two groups. The laymen were trained to pay and to pray. The soul-winning witnessing was left up to the clergy. This is the program that ushered the church into what became known as the Dark Ages. Even today we hardly expect every layman to get involved in personally executed evangelistic witnessing. But have we come to the place where we don't expect that of the ordained-of- God ministry, either? Could it be that the ministry is divided into two groups—those who are preachers and soul winners, and those who support and ad minister the work of the church?
Some may see denominational disaster should everyone become involved in winning men and women to Christ. What would happen to the youth pro gram, the church schools, our magazine campaigns, Ingathering, and many more important functions of the church?
I spent several thrilling and happy years in a conference that developed a program called Crisis Hour Evangelism. The conference president led the way in holding four or five reaping series of evangelistic meetings each year. The coordinator of evangelism preached, and baptized large numbers. The youth leader held meetings, as well as the educational director. The leaders of the Sabbath school and lay activities departments got into the program with enthusiasm, holding several campaigns a year. Naturally, the men in the field began to get fired up to preach.
Did the program of the church go to pieces? More Ingathering funds came in in less time. New church schools were opened. Church buildings programs multiplied. The conference led the way in subscriptions to missionary journals. Radio work opened up and grew, along with Bible correspondence activities. The camping program expanded at an unprecedented rate. At one camp twenty-eight youth made decisions for baptism.
In addition to all of these activities a new academy was built and opened. And, naturally, with every department a soul-winning endeavor, the conference led the North American Division in percentage of baptisms.
Not only that—there was the happiest group of workers in this field I have ever known. The esprit de corps was unequaled. Others looking on from the outside were asking us how they could become a part of such a tremendous soul-winning adventure.
Ordained to Preach the Gospel
I can well recall the sacred occasion when holy hands were laid on my head, separating me for the work of the gospel ministry. This was without doubt one of the greatest moments of my life. What an honor I consider it to present the gospel of salvation to perishing thousands in behalf of our great Leader.
And yet, what a sad commentary on our sense of values when those who as young men were "dying" to be ordained to preach the gospel would later on rather "die" than to hold an evangelistic series in order to win men to Christ. And the farther up the ladder of "success" we climb, it seems that the less we take seriously the burden that was laid upon us when we were ordained to preach. But shouldn't our desire to preach escalate with our responsibilities of leader ship?
Suppose all who were ordained to preach the gospel were preaching the gospel. Maybe it couldn't be full time on the part of many. If every minister took seriously his ordination vows we would have the greatest wave of evangelism and baptisms ever experienced in this organization. And every other important branch of the Lord's program would surge forward. And no doubt the Lord would soon return. Preach, preacher, preach!
