Preaching God’s Word to large crowds is nothing new. Moses and Joshua did it; so did Ezra and Ezekiel, John and the Lord Jesus, Peter and Paul. Through the centuries faithful men have given Christ to the masses. In the last century and a half, under Finney, Moody, Sunday, Graham and their colleagues, large evangelistic campaigns have become a rather standard technique.
Today’s campaign is a united witness by many churches. Through the preaching of a gifted evangelist and mobilization of many Christians, it penetrates a whole area with the Gospel in many ways, as part of a continuing strategy of evangelism.
a. It is a “united witness.” Does not the Holy Spirit seem to bless in a special way when all that believe are together (Acts 2:44)? Evangelistic campaigns give opportunity to witness together; a true, scriptural ecumenism is often a by-product.
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b. It is a witness “by many churches.” Large united crusades are sometimes opposed by those who say “Evangelism should be the work of the church.” But what is the church? Wherever Christians meet in Jesus’ name, there is he and there is the Church. The united campaign thus combines rather than bypasses local fellowships.
c. It uses “the preaching of a gifted evangelist.” Proclamation remains central, for “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.”
d. It aims at the “mobilization of many Christians.” The evangelistic campaign provides opportunity to stir average Christians to evangelism. Public interest makes it easier for Christians to talk of their faith.
e. It seeks to “penetrate a whole area in many ways.” Mass meetings in themselves may not be penetration, for, at worst, they may represent the “convinced convincing the convinced.” A public mass meeting, however, creates a spiritual beachhead through which the infantry can infiltrate.
In depth, the campaign must be planned to penetrate people’s little “worlds” — their homes, schools, businesses.
f. Finally, the campaign operates as “part of the continuing strategy of evangelism.” Evangelical churches in each area need to coordinate evangelistic plans so that campaigns are strategically timed to link with other facets of evangelism, to gather in harvests when the time is ripe, and to avoid duplication of ministry. The old evangelistic campaign pattern of inviting a visiting preacher, renting a hall, putting up a poster and expecting the unconverted to pour in is not feasible today. Under God’s direction, we need united Church involvement, proclamation, mobilization of believers, penetration, and continuing strategy to carry out our unfinished task.
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Excerpted from One Race, One Gospel, One Task; Vol. 2. Minneapolis, MN: World Wide Publications. Copyright 1967. Used with permission.