By Evangelist L. W. Munhall, M. A., D.D., Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
First of all, What constitutes Successful Evangelism? Some will answer, “Great audiences, eloquent preaching and soul-stirring music.” But I reply, “We may have all these and not have real evangelism; as we may have successful evangelism without them.”
Others will answer, “Any movement that will add large numbers to the membership of the churches.” I reply, “We may have successful evangelism and not many be added to the churches; and, we may have large numbers added to the churches’ membership without successful evangelism.”
Yet others will answer, “A work or effort that will bring into the church people who will be steadfast.” I reply, “We may have members added to the church who will hold out, and the work, evangelistically, be unsuccessful; and we may have a highly successful evangelistic work and the accessions to the churches from it not hold out for any great length of time.” Let us briefly consider three points:
First, No matter how great the multitude, eloquent the preaching and soul-stirring the singing, if the God-ordained conditions are not fully met, failure is inevitable. While these things are of value they are dispensable. Great successes have been achieved without them.
Second, I have known not a few evangelistic campaigns to be successful, as such, in a marked degree, and one or more churches identified with it, professedly, received but a few members, or none, from the movement. They united in the movement from wrong motives. They were not prepared for the work; were formal, worldly and unspiritual; were without faith. Putting nothing of value into the work, they got nothing out of it. Or the work was not properly followed up.
Also, I have known not a few widely advertised and thoroughly organized evangelistic campaigns, in which mere sentiment was far more conspicuous than the Holy Spirit, and the lachrymals more frequently appealed to than the intellect and conscience; and large numbers were added to the membership of the co-operating churches, who knew nothing whatever of the regenerating work of the Holy Ghost.
Third, I have known not a few persons who have been faithful members of the church for many years and never been born again - “had a name to live and were dead.” There are many churches full of life, and apparently great successes, because of humanitarian, educational and socialistic matters in which they are engaged, and entertainments that they give from time to time; and some of the members who give most time and money to these things, and take most pride in them, are spiritually dead.
Also, I have known persons, who were, without doubt, saved and sincere, to unite with the church as a result of an evangelistic campaign, to run well for a season and then fall away; and the falling away was unjustly charged to the campaign. The real cause of it may have been one or more of the following reasons: First, The atmosphere of the church was not congenial, being unspiritual and cold. This is of vital importance to “babes in Christ.” Second, In not a few instances the pastors, instead of “feeding the church of God,” with “the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,” were like those mentioned in the twenty-third chapter of Jeremiah; or have turned their pulpits into lecture platforms, and the members going for bread received a stone; and in many cases were off after false teachers who promised them what they needed, and what they should have received at home. Third, The positively bad example set by a large majority of the members of most churches, in that they conspicuously fail to meet their solemn obligations to God and the church.
And there are yet other reasons for the falling away of the weak and inexperienced.
But again it is asked, “What constitutes successful evangelism?” I answer, “Preaching the Gospel according to Divine conditions and directions.” In the great commission, as given by Matthew, Jesus said, “Teach all nations.” Make disciples, is what the word “teach” here means. Mark puts it in these words, “Preach the Gospel to every creature.” Luke states it thus, “Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations.” And in Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
THE CONDITIONS
What are the conditions?
First, Discipleship. Jesus commissioned only such. One must know, experimentally, the power and joy of the Gospel before he is competent to tell it out.
Second, Power. The disciples were told to “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.” Since the apostles and disciples of our Lord, who waited personally upon His wonderful ministry and witnessed His marvelous doings, were not qualified for testimony and service without power from on high, we, most surely, must have Divine help. “Without Me ye can do nothing.”
Third, Faith, - since the Almighty One has said, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it,” the proclaimer need have no misgiving as to the result, knowing full well that “He is faithful that promised.”