Evangelism Ellen G. White 1946 Copyright © 2014 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. Information about this Book Overview This eBook is provided by the Ellen G. White Estate. It is included in the larger free Online Books collection on the Ellen G. White Estate Web site. About the Author Ellen G. White (1827-1915) is considered the most widely translated American author, her works having been published in more than 160 languages. She wrote more than 100,000 pages on a wide variety of spiritual and practical topics. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she exalted Jesus and pointed to the Scriptures as the basis of one’s faith. Further Links A Brief Biography of Ellen G. White About the Ellen G. White Estate End User License Agreement The viewing, printing or downloading of this book grants you only a limited, nonexclusive and nontransferable license for use solely by you for your own personal use. This license does not permit republication, distribution, assignment, sublicense, sale, preparation of derivative works, or other use. Any unauthorized use of this book terminates the license granted hereby. Further Information For more information about the author, publishers, or how you can support this service, please contact the Ellen G. White Estate at [email protected]. We are thankful for your interest and feedback and wish you God’s blessing as you read. i ii Preface Evangelism, the very heart of Christianity, is the theme of pri- mary importance to those called to herald God’s last warning to a doomed world. We are in time’s closing hours, and the Advent message, proclaimed to make ready a people prepared for our Lord’s return, must swell to a loud cry reaching the uttermost parts of the earth. Since the early days of the work of Seventh-day Adventists, the Spirit of prophecy instruction placing special emphasis upon the principles and practice of soul winning has been given to guide in an expanding work. Some phases of evangelism have been delineated in nearly all the Ellen G. White books. Through the years, in the Review and Herald, Signs of the Times, and other journals, articles from the Lord’s messenger have given impetus to a growing evange- listic ministry. Individual evangelists were also, from time to time, favored in receiving instruction and warning regarding methods that should characterize their labor. Occasionally groups of evangelists and denominational administrators were addressed by Mrs. White, and these addresses often embodied much helpful counsel. But these periodical articles, special testimonies, personal coun- sels, and addresses are not generally available today. It is to make this full body of timely instruction accessible to our present greatly enlarged Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic force that there is now issued this comprehensive, topically arranged compilation. Devoted [6] exclusively to the all-important subject of evangelism. This volume not only sets forth the well-established guiding principles which should mold the work of the evangelist and Bible instructor but also presents a wealth of minute counsel regarding the application of those principles. As a compilation of the precious instruction which the Lord has given all through the years, it is a veritable handbook of evangelism for the Advent movement. In bringing together and arranging in logical order many state- ments from various sources, it was found that certain general lines of iii instruction were repeatedly set forth. In the effort to place before the reader all that contributed to the subject, without presenting undue repetition, only paragraphs or groups of paragraphs were selected. In some cases repetitious sentences were dropped from even the brief excerpts used, and in each case the deletion is indicated. Great care has been exercised, however, to present statements of sufficient length to give the correct setting for the counsel. An endeavor has been made to make each section a complete treatment of the subject presented. In so doing there accrues a cer- tain degree of unavoidable repetition of thought which emphasizes the instruction. As an aid in making ready reference to the key statements in this volume, side headings appearing in bold type have been supplied by the compilers. A source credit appears at the close of each excerpt, and as a further aid to the reader, there is given the date of writing, in case of the manuscript quotations, or the date of first publication in the case of other reference. [7] A knowledge of the time of the utterance sometimes serves as a helpful guide to the application of the counsel, for our work must be conducted under changing conditions. And although in some instances it may not be possible to employ in minute detail methods advocated in earlier years, yet the basic principles enunciated or illustrated in these earlier counsels will today be a guide to safe and fruitful methods. Principle is changeless, though its application may call for an adjustment and adaptation to meet present conditions. We present a concrete illustration of this point. The reader will find frequent mention of the camp meeting, and counsel as to its conduct. In the seventies Seventh-day Adventist camp meetings attracted very large non-Adventist week-end atten- dance, with congregations ranging from half church members and half non-Adventists to the unusual ratio of fifteen non-Adventists to one church member. In the nineties very successful evangelistic camp meetings held in the suburbs of large cities lasted from two weeks to a month. Such meetings were of large soul-winning po- tentiality. Many statements commending such meetings and giving instruction regarding their successful conduct were penned through those years. But times have changed; the camp meeting has become a gather- ing almost exclusively for an enlarging church group. The non-Ad- ventist throngs attracted in earlier years by the camp meeting are now reached more effectively through the tent or hall meeting. Neverthe- less, the principles guiding to successful methods in the evangelistic camp meetings serve safely and well in leading to fruitful methods in present-day evangelism. The instruction in this book is restricted almost entirely to the evangelistic work of the minister and the Bible instructor. The volu- minous counsel in regard to lay evangelism, set forth so fully in other [8] E. G. White productions, also guidance on literature evangelism which fills such an important place in our work, are not repeated here because of space limitations. Likewise, medical evangelism, treated so fully and well in Ministry of Healing, Medical Ministry, and Counsels on Health, is not dwelt upon except as it relates to the public presentation of the message. Much more might be included on the qualifications of the evangelist, but the quotations onthis topic are here limited to such points as have a direct bearing on his special work. This volume is now sent into the field with the conviction that its appearance will mark a definite advance in methods of evangelism. Its constructive, up-to-date counsel, its timely cautions, its views of the triumph of the message, will, we believe, constitute a “blueprint,” guiding an evangelism that will reach its glorious climax under the loud cry of the third angel. The Trustees of the Ellen G. White Publications. [9] Contents Information about this Book . .i Preface . iii Section 1—The Challenge to Evangelism . 13 Proclaiming the Message . 14 Ever-Widening Influence of the Gospel . 18 The Need of Evangelistic Workers . 21 Section 2—The Metropolitan Masses . 25 In the Shadow of Impending Doom . 26 Increasing Difficulties . 30 The Call for a Speedy Work . 33 Special Opportunities for Evangelism . 35 Surveying the Needs of the Large Cities. 36 Problems Peculiar to Metropolitan Evangelism . 38 The Promise of an Abundant Harvest . 42 Section 3—Smaller Communities and Rural Areas . 45 The Highways and Byways . 46 Rural Workers . 49 Section 4—Planning for the Public Campaign . 53 Patterning After the Master Evangelist . 54 Planning an Expanding Evangelism . 59 Moving Forward by Faith . 61 Evangelism of the Highest Type . 65 The Evangelist and His Team . 68 Advantages of Two and Two . 70 The Evangelistic Site . 72 The Outpost Centers . 74 Planning Sectional and Suburban Meetings . 76 Planning for a Permanent Work . 78 Finance and the Budget . 83 The Business Management of the Campaign . 88 Section 5—Organizing for Evangelistic Meetings . 91 Methods and Organization . 92 The Evangelistic Company . 95 Importance of Prayerful Counseling . 96 vi Contents vii Unity in Diversity . 98 Allowing for More Than One Man’s Method . 102 The City Field Training School . 106 Reviving and Organizing the Church for Service . 109 Relationship of Evangelist and Pastor . 114 Guarding Against Overorganization . 115 Section 6—The Public Effort . 117 Our Present Truth Message . 118 Arresting Public Attention . 121 Successful and Impressive Advertising Methods . 126 The Evangelist in Publicity . 129 Avoiding Display and the Sensational. 133 Guarding Proper Approaches . 136 Platform Decorum, Announcements, and Preliminaries . 140 Interest-Holding Features . 143 Inquiry and Question Meetings . 146 Getting Acquainted With the People . 150 Printed Sermons And Literature . 153 The Debate . 156 Section 7—The Message and its Presentation . 161 Spirit and Manner of Presenting the Message . 162 The Evangelistic Sermon . 168 Christ the Center of the Message . 176 Prophetic Preaching that Arrests Attention . 183 Restraining Without Obscuring Truth . 188 Truth-Teaching Devices . 191 Stories, Anecdotes, Jesting, and Joking . 194 False Tests and Man-Made Standards . 198 Section 8—Preaching the Distinctive Truths . 203 Heralding the Second Advent . 204 The Sanctuary Truth . 208 Presenting the Law and the Sabbath . 211 Meeting Sabbathkeeping Problems . 220 Preaching on Nonimmortality . 227 The Message of Christian Stewardship . 230 Presentation of the Spirit of Prophecy. 235 Presenting Health and Christian Standards . 239 The Ordinances .