Colportage, the Vanguard of Evangelism
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H. M. S. RICHARDS N NOVEMBER, 1746, John Wesley for the first time published a vol I ume of sermons. The preface states that the sermons contain the sub stance of what Wesley had been preaching for the last eight years, and then he adds: "For I now write, as I generally speak ad popullum: to the bulk of mankind. ... I design plain truth for plain people: therefore, of set purpose, I abstain from all nice and philosophical speculations; from all perplexed and intricate reasonings; and, as far as possible, from even the showing of learning, unless in something citing the original Scripture. I have thought, I am a creature of a day. ... I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God. ... I want to know one thing, the way to heaven. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. He hath written it down in a book! Oh give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me." Should not this paragraph stir our hearts? Is it not good advice to us today? What a rebuke this is to fundamental error the age-long error that mere culture, logic, science, philosophy, psychology, or any other human accomplishment can win souls to God or do the work of God. As we read in Ministry of Healing, pages 214, 215: "The experience of the apostle Paul in meeting the philosophers of Athens has a lesson for us. In presenting the gospel before the court of the Areopagus, Paul met logic with logic, science with science, philosophy with philosophy. The wisest of his hearers were astonished and silenced. His words could not be controverted. But the effort bore little fruit. Few were led to accept the gospel. Henceforth Paul adopted a different manner of labor. He avoided elaborate arguments and discussion of theories, and in simplicity pointed men and women to Christ as the Saviour of sinners. Writing to the Corinthians of his work among them, he said: " ©I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man©s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.© " According to this statement, even the preaching of the true gospel in a philosophical setting, with elaborate arguments, had little power. Let us ever pray for "the simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Cor. 11:3. Page 2 THE MINISTRY Cover-Be re a Church, Baltimore, Md. THE members of the Third Sev enth-day Adventist church of Balti more, numbering less than a dozen, Official Organ of the were organized in 1914. Their first MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVEXTISTS pastor was Fred Seeney, and their first place of worship was over a Editor: stable. Later they worshiped over a ROY ALLAN ANDERSON laundry on Laurens Street. While there, G. P. Rodgers became their Associate Editors: pastor, and their membership con WILLIAM H. BRANSON, Louis K. DICKSON, LOUISE C. KLEUSER, GEORGE E. VANDEMAX tinued to grow. They purchased a building on ROBERT M. WHITSETT Druid Hill Avenue, where their number mounted to more than two hundred. M. C. Strachan, the third Office Editor; Advertising and Circulation Manager: pastor of this church, in order to relieve the over BEN GLANZER crowded condition, moved the congregation to a larger building about 1921. Elders Strachan, M. S. Banfield, F. C. Phipps, J. H. Wagner, and L. H. Bland all served as pastors and the membership con tinued to grow. During the pastorate of Elder Wag ner the congregation changed the name of the VOLUME XXVI NUMBER 3 church from the Third S.D.A. church to the Berea Temple S.D.A. church. I was called to this church in February, 1945. AT A GLANCE During my stay here, according to the records of the church clerk, more than four hundred have been FEATURES _____-______ added to the church by baptism. Again we were What Influences Lead to Decision? The Theme for overcrowded, and found it necessary to move to a the Assembly of the World Council of Churches larger building. Our present church building, into Other Voices Augment Swelling Advent Chorus which the congregation moved in November, 1951, (Part II) will seat 1,220 in its main auditorium. There is a EDITORIAL ................. ....... 11 smaller auditorium that will seat 500 or more, and The Greatest Translation of the Bible there are several large and medium-sized vestry NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS _____________ 13 rooms, which are being used for the pastor©s study PASTOR ..__..---------. .--- ......... 15 and for the departments of our Sabbath school. There is also a three-manual electric-action pipe Prayer for the Sick organ valued at thirty thousand dollars, which is re MUSIC .____.__--...--. -------- 18 ported to be one of the best in the city. The General The Message of Music (Part I) Classic Gospel Song Conference, in appraising the value of this church, Writer which was originally a Jewish synagogue, expressed RESEARCH ___________________............ 21 the opinion that the building could not be erected The Bible After Twenty Years of Archeology (Part II) for three quarters of a million dollars, and that EVANGELISM . __..__..__.-_............._-.... 24 today it is worth a quarter of a million dollars. Al Improving Decision Cards Applying Our Work of though other denominations were anxious to buy Education to Evangelism (Part I) Colportage, the this magnificent church, the Lord enabled us to Vanguard of Evangelism make the purchase for only $79,500. The present BOOKS -_-_.. --..___._-.-._..-.-.----.._...-...._ 29 membership is nearly eight hundred, and we solicit BIBLE INSTRUCTOR ........ ........... .... 31 your prayers for continual success in our efforts, that many more souls will be added. A Challenge to God©s Messengers Significance and Tragedy of Sin (Bible Study Outline) The Priest W. L. CHEATHAM, Pastor. hood of Christ (Bible Study Outline) SHEPHERDESS ......................... .. 34 Can Talents Be a Handicap? Finding Happiness HARVEST IS GREAT OUR world mission COUNSEL ........................_........ .. ............ 37 ary obligation is im Baptism of the Spirit and Times of Refreshing pressed on us when we recall that of the world©s OVERSEAS ORDINATIONS, 1952 ....................... 38 population of over 2,000,000,000 people, only NEWS ......................... ....... 40 742,000,000 are professing Christians (including POINTERS ..................... ...... ............ 48 Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox); 348,000,- 000 are Confucianists and Taoists; 316,000,000 Printed and published monthly for the Ministerial Association are Mohammedans; 256,000,000 are Hindus; of Seventh-day Adventists by the Review and Herald Publish 150,000,000 are Buddhists; 135,000,000 are Ana- ing Association, Washington. D.C., U.S.A., $2.50 a year; 25 cents a copy. Add 35 cents for yearly subscriptions to mists; 25,000,000, Shintoists; 12,000,000, Jews; countries requiring extra postage. Entered as second-class mat all others (or none), 350,000,000. How true the ter December 19, 1927, at the post office at Washington, Word of God: "The harvest truly is great, but D.C.. under the Act of Congress of March 3. 1879. the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth la borers." The Watchman-Examiner. MARCH, 1953 Pasre 3 What Influences Lead to Decision? M. V. CAMPBELL President, Central Union Conference years our denomina ences that led to his baptism. The questions tion has been using regarding background, in addition to in many agencies in an en quiry regarding age, were as follows: deavor to win souls, and has Yes No ever been eager to find some Was your father a Seventh-day Ad- new method that may be still ventist? more effective. As far as we Was your mother a Seventh-day Ad ventist? are aware, no one before 1950 Was your husband a Seventh-day Ad has ever tried in a systematic way, over a ventist? large territory, and by questioning hun Was your wife a Seventh-day Advent dreds of people, to learn just what force ist? Did you attend an Adventist church was most telling in leading people to the school? decision to be baptized and join the Sev Did you attend an Adventist academy? enth-day Adventist Church. Did you attend an Adventist college? Did you take a Bible correspondence The Central Union Conference decided course? to make this type of survey, and then gave If you took a Bible correspondence study to the problem of what group of peo course, to what city did you send ple would be best qualified to give the cor your lessons? _._.._...._______....... rect information. Some suggested that a Next the questionnaire dealt with the questionnaire be sent to all members in the influences that culminated in church mem union asking for the deciding influence that bership, and read as follows: led to their baptism. It was pointed out by To learn the comparative value of various meth others that quite a few years had elapsed ods of soul-winning work, and recognizing that most since the baptism of many of our members, people accept the truth as a result of more than one and that the accuracy of their memory of influence, we would appreciate it if you would read the list below, and if only one influence was re all influences brought to bear on them so sponsible for your becoming a Seventh-day Advent long ago might now be open to question.