14-The Administration of Evangelism
CHAPTER XIV THE ADMINISTRATION OF EVANGELISM
1. THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON EVANGELISM should be composed of representatives of all the organizations which attempt definite evangelistic work in the local church, together with the pastor and one or two members of the official board. The committee will supervise and coordinate the evangelistic work of the several organizations^ Not later than October first it should present a unified program of evangelism for the succeeding twelve months.
2. PRINCIPLES OF EVANGELISM. There is no single term that will more accurately describe the total task of the church than the word “evangelism/’ provided it be interpreted ’broadly. In specifying the principles of evangelism we are only trying to define the idea in such a way as to include its larger meanings. a. Evangelism is not primarily a matter of delivering the Christian message^ as was represented in a widely circulated book some years ago called The Evangelization of the World in this Generation. Dr. John R. Mott, the author of this helpful volume, distinctly affirmed that by “evangelization” he did not mean the conversion of the world, but merely such a general proclamation of the gospel that every person in the world should have the opportunity to hear of Christ and so to accept him. Knowledge of Christ must precede devotion to him, but there must be no complacency over having proclaimed his gospel in a professional fashion*
?<? be saved is not identical with thinking, or acting, or deling a certain way. In its highest sense it means^ conscious fellowship between a man and the Infinite God. ^ To prevail upon others to establish that fellowship it is “necessary to live sacrificially as well as to speak eloquently and informmgly.
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EVANGELISM 143 b. Evangelism must be adequate in its motive. Some years ago a young minister at a camp meeting, in concluding a hearty sermon, invited any who would to confess publicly their discipleship. He had failed to note that few, if any, of those present were irreligious, and acted as though a considerable number were well outside the Kingdom. His invitation was earnest but perfunctory, and evoked no response. Nevertheless, he turned from section to section until he had completed the semicircle of pews; then, buttoning his coat about him, exclaimed, “Well, I have delivered my soul!” That statement revealed the motive which impelled him in his evangelistic work. Conscious of a certain duty, he went through what he conceived to be the appropriate motions, but with as much real enthusiasm as Jonah manifested in going to Nineveh. Not to save our own souls, not to add a certain number to the church, but the feeling that men are miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked if they do not walk in fellowship with God constitutes a motive really adequate for the work of evangelism.
“ c* Evangelism must not be identified exclusively with exceptional and irregular methods of work To many minds the term suggests only revivalism of the type so popular in recent years. Revivalism is, indeed, one highly accredited method of doing the work of evangelism. But a wise evangelist will not limit himself to a single method or time if there are other agencies and occasions that may be utilized to advantage. To regard the “special meeting” and the “special man” (the professional evangelist) as the instrumentsparexcellence for redeeming life, expecting little or nothing from the “regular services” and the customary ministrations of the pastor, is to fall into the error of believing that God is in the irregular in a way that he is not in the ordinary and the commonplace. It is beyond all question true that God has worked through “the revival” in a notable way. But he does not come to men exclusively through that channel. If one can have a revival, let him have it by all means! But do not be cast 144 THE PASTORAL OFFICE down if this is impossible. The primary matter is to do the work of evangelism, if not by one method, then by another. If one cannot utilize the revival, then try personal evangelism and religious education. The slower process may be less spectacular but is equally effective indeed, it is the only one that will be effective in dealing with certain groups. d. The scope of evangelistic endeavor should not be limited to a single phase of the evangelistic task. The program of evangelism will include all persons and classes that are in need of the spirit of God, and will have to do with the whole range of Christian experience.
(1) Evangelism will concern itself with young people and children. Here the problem will be rather preventing the contagion of sin than curing the disease after it has been.contracted, applying the prophylactic rather than the therapeutic power of the gospel. ’“In the nature of the case the revival method is not very valuable in this type of evangelism. Opportunity must be made, of course, for the child “to come definitely to spiritual consciousness, choosing for himself to follow Christ. And in the sense that such a decision should be made publicly, the revival meeting, frequently called “Decision Day,” in the Sunday school will be helpful. But even so, it will only supplement the better method of educational evangelism by which in the home and church, ideally at least, an atmosphere quickeningly religious has been created in which through months and years of training and oversight the decision made in the evangelistic meeting has been slowly ripening. In dealing with young life, the matter cannot be concluded once and for all. There must be the most careful instruction and nurture if the plant is to grow straight and strong to full maturity. ^Religious education rather than the revival will be our best reliance here.
(2) But the work of evangelism must be directed toward adult as well as child lifij It has been said conversions rarely occur after the age of twenty, and that the great EVANGELISM 145 opportunity for recruiting the membership of the church is to be found among the young rather than the older people. This emphasis has had an unfortunate effect in so far as if has made the church hopeless concerning the spiritual redemption of adult life. The gospel yet possesses curative as well as preventive value. The novelists, the poets, and the dramatists are ever asserting the fact of spiritual renewal for life that has become brutalized. 1 This is not an appropriate time, then, for the church to surrender its faith in the “recoverability of human nature at its worst.” We must seek to save lost men and women as well as to keep boys and girls from becoming lost. No pastor is discharging his full duty unless he includes both these classes in the scope of his evangelism. The revival method is more helpful in work with adults than in dealing with young people. But in most instances even here it must be supplemented by diligent personal evangelism and intelligent religious education.
X (3) Evangelism has to do with the whole range of Christian experience with later stages as well as with the beginnings of Christian living* It is here that the revival meeting seems to render its largest service to-day as an occasion for interpreting to people already religious in at least a formal sense the deeper significance of faith and trust in God. Few “outsiders” attend such meetings. Even the great tabernacle meetings in American cities attract chiefly persons who are already members of churches! Instead of complaining that this is so, one should seize gladly the opportunity to enrich and stabilize the faith of these believing ones by setting forth the doctrines of assurance, regeneration, and sanctification in wholesome terms and endeavoring to lead them into the reality for which these great words stand. What a pity that few except unreflective extremists are saying anything to the modern church about these vital matters! For this reason, if for Tor example^ Tolstoy’s Resurrection and Masefidd’s Everlasting Mercy.
146 THE PASTORAL OFFICE no other, special meetings should be held in every church every year.
(4) Evangelism must concern itself with the collective as well as the individual life of men. It must seek to accomplish a social as well as a personal redemption. This means specifically that the principles of Christian ethics must be recognized as binding upon groups as well as individuals, and that the divorce between morality, on the one hand, and business, industry, politics, and diplomacy on the other, shall be done away. The fact of current ethical dualism can hardly be denied. We have one standard of action for some relationships and another for others. Toward his own wife and children, a man will act generously and unselfishly as though nothing were of consequence but the great human values, never once thinking of exploiting them economically. But the same man, scarcely aware of what he does, may deliberately act according to very different principles toward other men’s wives and children who work for him. These have precisely the same fundamental right to human consideration as his family yet he regards their welfare and happiness as distinctly subordinate to his own personal profit. We have been told that religion cannot be mixed with business or politics. That only means that Christian principles of action cannot be applied to these matters. The object of social evangelism is to extend the authority of Christian ethics over all relationships, and exalt the same standard for public and social conduct as admittedly controls for private and individual action. It is primarily a problem in regeneration to transform the spirit of our collective life until it may be said that Christ dwells in the heart of the group as well as in the heart of the individual.
It is obvious that evangelism of this kind must employ the educational method. The ideal must be taught, patiently, kindly, but consistently, throughout the whole year, by every teaching agency in the church the pulpit, the Sunday-school class, and the brotherhood organization, etc,
EVANGELISM 147 not to the exclusion of other important matters, but according to its proper desert. e. Evangelism must not be set over against religious education, or social service, or scholarship in a false antithesis as though inherently antagonistic to them. Let it be said again that these are as certainly instruments for doing the work of evangelism as is the revival.: The aim of all true religious education is not primarily to” impart instruction but to produce the believing soul. The purpose of all true social service is to create an environment in which it will be easier to be good, an atmosphere more congenial to spirituality. The end of true scholarship is that the workman may be better furnished for his task of saving men not that he may be excused from it.
3. THE METHODS OF EVANGELISM. Wise pastors are using three agencies simultaneously to win men to Christ. a. The Revival. The features of the typical “revival meeting” are familiar to anyone who is identified with the work of the church.
(i) The time of the meetings should be adjusted to the convenience of the largest number in the congregation. In rural sections midwinter usually is opportune. In towns and cities the fall or the spring may be as suitable as the winter. Increasingly Protestant churches are taking advantage of the Lenten season for special meetings. This custom has much to commend it. Such services seldom continue more than three weeks, and often no more than two.
Palm Sunday, immediately preceding Easter, is usually set apart for Decision Day exercises in the Sunday school.
Easter is In-Gathering Day when members are received into the church, r^(2) The aim o the revival meetings, as stated above, should be kept clearly in mind. They are not the only, or even the chief agency, for recruiting the membership of the church*’ Probably their greatest value lies in providing an opportunity for emphasizing daily for a period the deeper aspects of religious experience to the membership of the I 4 8 THE PASTORAL OFFICE church, as we have already seen. Any pastor will have had a very “successful meeting” if he is able to secure the attendance of a great majority of his congregation at these services and awakens in them a desire for reality in religion. To this end he is warranted in asking certain classes and o~ ganizations to attend in a body on certain nights, and using other legitimate methods to stimulate interest on the part of the people already connected with the church. The quickest way to win the unchurched is to make the church membership dynamic. On the other hand one certainly should use the special meetings for anything they will do in reaching persons not identified with the church. Always in the Sunday school, the Ladies’ Aid Society, the Brotherhood, and other organizations, there are some who while sympathetic have never actually taken the vows of a Christian. These should be the special objects of prayerful endeavor during the meetings.
(3) The preaching is always an important element in special meetings. Frequently the pastor feels that he cannot do all the other things that must be done particularly the personal work and preach each evening in addition. It may appear that a good solution of his problem will be to employ a professional evangelist. Without reflecting upon this class of workers, one may offer a word of caution against their frequent use in the church. They are exceedingly costly. The same amount of money could be spent in other ways to greater profit,;JThey emphasize the extraordinary and the spectacular until the church tends to forget that God may come in quieter fashion and through less novel means. Often they are champions of extravagant doctrines which create trouble for the church after the evangelist has gone. And almost never do they possess social vision. A much safer plan every way, and generally quite as helpful in the long run, is to invite a brother pastor to assist one, offering one’s own service in exchange at another time.^ In this way the church secures as good preaching as it would get from an evangelist, and that from one who has the
EVANGELISM 149 pastor’s point of view. The meeting may be less spectacular, but the quality of work is likely to be finer. This will release the pastor himself for that indefatigable calling and earnest personal work without which no meeting can succeed.
(4) The music should have careful consideration. It may be well to employ a competent person to take charge of the singing. A good chorus may be organized. The better type of gospel song is generally preferred to the church hymn for congregational use in such services.
(5) Preparation for the meetings is exceedingly important.
Revivals have never broken out magically. Some one, consciously or unconsciously, has always made earnest and intelligent preparation for them. Cottage prayer meetings are usually helpful, provided the leadership is competent and the idea of the meetings is kept to the fore. The membership of the church should be urged to prepare personal prayer lists and undertake such personal work as they may feel impelled to do. At this time the organization for personal evangelism, to be described later, should be in perfect condition. The several societies of the church should be asked to lay aside all activities during the meetings which would prevent their members from attending the services. The object in all this is to induce a prayerful and expectant mood upon the church. The pastor himself will find it especially helpful to read, in the weeks preceding the meetings, the biographies of great evangelists, together with descriptive volumes on the subject of the revival. These will be very suggestive as to methods and his heart will be warmed to the task. Let him be assured that he will need all the enthusiasm he can muster, for a revival calls for an enormous expenditure of energy on his part. The fire must begin in his own heart before it spreads to the congregation. They will look to him for leadership in all things. However much personal work he may prevail upon others to do, he must do more than they all. A series of special meetings, however, that succeeds in i’S o THE PASTORAL OFFICE deepening the religious life of the church membership is worth the cost and remains a very precious memory.
(6) Union Meetings^ In recent years a union meeting of all the churches in the community in some central place, frequently a temporary tabernacle erected for the purpose, has become familiar in all parts of the country. ^ Such a meeting doubtless does some good. But experience is making the church critical of this method of evangelism, It does assemble great numbers of people for religious purposes and bring together the several denominations, cooperatively engaging in the performance of a common task. And possibly it touches an occasional person who will not go to church. But the tabernacle meeting does not cultivate the church-going habit, as Professor Hannan suggests in his excellent chapter on this subject. 2 Moreover, the work in such crowds must be impersonal and superficial to a high degree. Very frequently it appears that false names and addresses are registered on the declaration blanks; that the great majority, some say ninetypercent, of the audiences are composed of Christian people; that the statistics employed for advertising purposes are generally misleading, five hundred cards, for example, being reported as five hundred conversions, whereas four hundred of them may represent people already members of churches; that the manner in which the alleged “free-will offerings” are worked up is very disillusionizing for those on the inside of the organization. It is generally required that the cooperating churches suspend their regular activities for the period of the meeting. The resulting demoralization is too big a price to pay for the good accomplished. Better than one “Big Meeting” are meetings held simultaneously in all churches. Beyond all question the aggregate results usually are much greater. If a union meeting be desired let it be one conducted by the several pastors who take their turns at preaching, and who collectively retain authority over the service, J F. Watson Hannan, Evangelism, p. ioo.
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6:- Personal Evangelism. A second method of evangelism, and an indispensable aid to successful revivalism, is personal evangelism. Moreover, it is a method whereby evangelism may be made continuous throughout the year, bringing some people into Christian fellowship each month.
Many pastors who have no conspicuous success as revivalists are very successful in the more quiet and sustained work of personal evangelism. The name is highly fitting,. Religion in the Christian sense is the establishment and deepening of fellowship between two persons a man and God. Personal evangelism ideally means one person introducing another person to the Infinite Person. And that can be done every week in the year, not only in the service of public worship but any place two people can meet for quiet conference.
(i) This is preeminently the work of the pastor himself. With the same steady purpose that characterizes a life insurance agent in following up his prospects the minister should keep in mind particular individuals whom he covets for Jesus Christ.” Of course it is understood that his work will be intelligent. He will not “nag” them only keep his purpose steadily before him and be ready with suggestion when the opportunity shall open for conversation on religious subjects. On the other hand, he should not be too fearful of being tactless. Better a blundering attempt at personal evangelism than no attempt at all. The sincerity of purpose which shines through the awkward movement may redeem it and make it the power of God unto salvation.
^”(2) But the pastor done cannot do all that should be done. He should associate with himself in this work a group of persons in his church with whom he counsels frequently, providing them with names and addresses of men and women upon whom they are to call, and asking them to report the results of their visits. These personal workers should be selected with considerable care, for unhappily some who would most quickly volunteer for this service are least effective. It is unwise to give great publicity to the 152 THE PASTORAL OFFICE existence of this group of helpers. Their work may be more vital if unofficial. They should be especially active preceding and during special meetings, but their work should continue after the meetings have ended.
1 (3) The “Constituency Roll” is the list of prospective members and believers in whom the “Personal Workers” are interested., x The list is usually made up about as follows, (a) Contributors who are not members of the church; (b) husbands of wives who are members; (c) wives of husbands who are members; (d) members of the Sunday school and other organizations who are not members of the church; (e) attendants who are not members; (f) new people who may be members of our church elsewhere; (g) most of the people living in the community who do not belong to the membership or constituency of some other church. c. Educational Evangelism. In its true sense, educational evangelism, the third method generally accredited in doing the work of evangelism, would include the whole task of religious education. In this place, however, the meaning is deliberately restricted to the days of crisis in the educational work of the church when something like the revival method and atmosphere prevail, supplemented by special instruction in preparation for church membership.
We mean here what others mean by Sunday-school evangelism. The purpose is to supplement the work of teaching by giving the pupils in the Sunday school an opportunity to announce publicly their purpose to follow Christ. Sunday-school evangelism in this sense merely reaps the fruit of months and years of sowing and cultivating through the regular educational agencies of the church. The administrtatrvfe problem involves thorough planning for such special meetings usually called Decision-Day services as may be useful, and the organization of training classes later in preparation for church membership.
(i) Decision Days. At least two such days should have a place in the calendar of the Sunday-school year one in the
EVANGELISM 153 autumn, before Thanksgiving, and another in the spring, before Easter. They should never be held suddenly or with inadequate preparation. The; pastor and Sundayschool superintendent should take the whole force of teachers and officers into their confidence several weeks previous to each service, for the success of the enterprise turns more upon the cooperation of the teachers than upon any other single factor. Each teacher of a class above the Junior Division should concentrate upon the matter of winning every pupil for Christ and visit them personally to that end. On the day of the service, and on the Sabbath preceding, the pastor should meet the whole Sunday-School Board for prayer and conference that no detail shall be overlooked. When the hour has arrived the teachers and officers should be in their places promptly, that there be no needless delay in marking rolls and receiving the offerings. Special music may be helpful preceding the address likewise a good congregational hymn designed to induce the mood of worship. The address as a rule should not be more than fifteen or twenty minutes in length, and should conclude with an invitation to the pupils to make public their confessions of discipleship. Some pastors provide teachers with “Declaration Cards” which are distributed to their respective classes at this point, the declaration frequently being double, expressing (i) a desire to be known as a Christian, and (2) a wish to unite with the church. Others prefer to ask those who will do so to confess their newly formed purposes by coming to the platform to join them in a session of prayer, the names and addresses being taken at the close of the service by the teachers. The latter method has a touch of reality which the former seems to lack. The foregoing method is advisable in dealing with pupils in the Intermediate, Senior, and Adult Departments, collectively or by departments and classes. Something less formal and less intense is desirable for pupils in the Junior Department (nine to eleven years). A better plan here is for the pastor, on the Sabbath preceding Decision Day, to 154 THE PASTORAL OFFICE announce simply, but earnestly, that on the following Sunday he wishes to organize the children into classes preparatory to church membership, and urge each child who may wish to join the church to secure the consent of his parents to do so. There should be an understanding with the teachers of the department that they shall visit the parents during the week to explain clearly what is contemplated and ask their cooperation. For nothing is gained by opposing the parents in a matter of this kind. On Decision Day a brief service of prayer and consecration with this department to itself will suffice, in which the children who will join the preparatory classes make that fact known. The important problem will be found later in conducting the training classes in such fashion that the children come to reality in prayer and worship.
(2) Training Classes. No person should be received into full membership in the church who has not been personally instructed in the meaning of religion and church membership, whether young or old, whether won by the revival method or by personal work. In the work of such classes regard must be had for the principle of graded instruction.
It will seldom be possible to organize all probationers into a single class because of the great difference in ages. Moreover, it is desirable from an educational point of view to keep these classes small Thus the instruction may be adapted to the several types of understanding and made personal.
It cannot be emphasized too strongly that responsibility for this instruction rests squarely upon the pastor, whoever he may be, however large his congregation, and whatever other obligations he may feel. Nothing takes precedence in importance over this work. Any energetic minister can, and should, teach two classes besides his work of preaching and shepherding. They should be “The Teacher Training Class” and “The Probationers’ Class” Thus he can determine the type of instruction in his Sunday school and the beliefs qf those coming into church membership. In EVANGELISM 155 the event that it seems best to organize several groups to meet simultaneously, he must call to his help intelligent men and women his paid assistants, if there are such, otherwise volunteer workers. These classes should meet regularly throughout a period of several weeks, or even months. The constant aim of the teachers should be to bring candidates for church membership to the point of reality in Christian experience, interpret effectively the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, and explain the history and polity of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The materials for such instruction may be gathered from the Bible, church history, the more popular statements of Christian doctrine, the literature of missions and social service, and the Discipline. Several “Manuals” are available, but the teacher must work over for himself all the material he handles so that he may present it in his own way.
Besides instruction, there should be expression on the part of the several members of the class training in activity. This should consist In acts of devotion, teaching them to worship aloud through prayer and testimony. The value of attendance upon public worship should be inculcated. Suggestion should be made as to different ways in which service of a practical and humanitarian sort may be rendered to the church and the community. But above all else it should be made clear that an ethical life at home, on the playground, and in business is the greatest service which the Christian can render. Thus “church work” becomes identified with daily living.
4. A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM OF EVANGELISM. The unified program of evangelism which the committee will report to the official board for the church year might look somewhat as follows, I. October a. Revision of Constituency Roll and organization of Personal Workers’ Groups. b. Special evangelistic meetings of the Epworth League.
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2. November a. Decision Day in the Sunday school. b. Organization of Probationers’ Classes.
3. December a. Take advantage of Christmas season to create evangelistic atmosphere at some of the regular services. b. Watch Night Service.
4. January Week of Prayer for the church in all phases of its work.
5. February a. Utilize some of the regular services for evangelistic purposes. b. Plan for special Pre-Easter services, arranging for cottage prayer-meetings, etc.
6. March-April a. Pre-Easter meetings. b. Palm Sunday Decision Day in Sunday school. c. Easter (1) Reception of Probationers into full membership.
(2) Reception of new group of probationers.
7. May-June Organization of new Probationers’ Classes.
8. The first- Sunday of each month to be a special day for the reception of new members by transfer and on probation. This will give an objective which the Personal Workers group can keep in mind.
BOOKS RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER STUDY Charles L. Goodell, Pastoral and Personal Evangelism, Pastor and Evangelist, Heralds of a Passion.
F. Watson Hannan, Evangelism.
Edwin H. Hughes, Letters on Evangelism.
L. M. Edwards, Every Church Its Own Evangelist.
Washington Gladden, The Christian Pastor, Chapter XVII.
EVANGELISM 157 Henry C. Mabie, Method in Soul-Winning.
Harold Begbie, Twice Born Men.
H. W. Beecher, Yale Lectures, Second Series, Chapters VIII-XL Frederick L. Fagley, Parish Evangelism.
William S. Mitchell, Elements of Personal Christianity.
Fred B. Fisher, The Way to Win.
H. C. Trumbull, Individual Work for Individuals* John T. Stone, Recruiting for Christ.
W E. Biederwolf, Evangelism.
Bertha Conde, Human Element in the Making of a Christian.
J. H. Jowett, The Passion for Souls.
Frederick D. Leete, Every Day Evangelism.
C. G. Trumbull, Taking Men Alive.
John T. Faris, The Book of Personal Work.
Charles E. McKinley, Educational Evangelism.
W. H. Burgwin, Practical Evangelism.
A. W. Leonard, Evangelism in the Remaking of the World.