Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-07-23

A distinguished correspondent of one
of the leading religious papers in our
country reports the results of meet
ing hold in his city by firm OF
'evaDFelists'' singer and talker
with a book-seIling annex to their
business) as follows: ~.
1T lasted six weeks and over
eighteen hundred converts were
counted. But so far as have been
able to learn the additions to the
Churches were small in comparison
TO: the number of converts count
ed. Our seven Churches received
about sixty or seventy members
far less than they have received
through their own work. l can
not speak for other denominations,
but my own deliberate judgment
is that our own Churches would
really be more prosperous today
had not their, work been inter-
rupted by meeting. which stirred
the city in somewhat sensational
way, without adding much strength
to the Kingdom of God. Saliva
ton by sensation is not. the best
way to advance the kingdom of
Christ. .'-.f
This brief paragraph points out
concisely and clearly some OF the
characteristics vi that commercialized
evangelism which has been all too
prevalent in our country during the
last twenty years.
ID The evangelist OF the thrifty
sort makes big counts OF his con-
Verts and publishes the padded CEN
sus of, meeting far and wide, But
when his meeting closes the results
he has claimed so loudly and conf
IDENTIFY are more difficult to find than
the healed persons whose names APP
pear In the certificates of cures which
patent-medicine vendors, publish. This
sort of advertising is a part of the
business; it is necessary to magnify
results In one place In order to Sc
cure an invitation to another place.
90 The small increase In the men,
bership of the churches reflects the
evangelistic habit of abusing all the
churches. The so-called converts,
made by such meeting, begin with
bitter antagonisTn to the churches
OF; at best, with a pronounced indif-
ference to all forms of organized
christianity. A preacher. who never
wearies Of berating the churches,
most naturally makes followers in his
own image and likeness; and the
commentaries evangelist Is OF this
sort. He minifes creeds, and de-
nounces the churches for holding any
definite beliefs; this he does In order
to escape expressing any clean-cut
convictions that would hinder his eff
fort to use all the churches. II is
a part of his plan to work all the
churches. and to draw TO himself
Fell =, q -, T.
censures the regular ministry, more
than iusinuating that most. II not
al of them, are back-slidden and in
efficient; like the vendors of patent
nostrums, he feels called upon to
depreciate the doctors" and parade
the cases which they have pro-
nounced incurable, but which have
been made sound and we'll by his
treatment. All these facts show why
the commercialized evangelist adds
next to nothing to the moral convic-
ton. religious life, and church MEM
bership OF the community in which
he talks and takes collections.
60 The method of commercia'ized
evangelist is feIicitously described as
salvation by sensation" His appeals
are to the superficial emotions rather
than to the conscience, and his words
are most effective with the stony
ground hearers of the parable of the
sower. HE that received the seed
in to stony places, the same Is he
that heareth the word, and quickly
with JOY recelveth It; yet hath he not
root in himself, but endureth for a
time; but when tribulation or persecu-
ton ariseth because of the word, he
is at once offended" These super
fetal hearers are the creatures of cir
cumstances;t always affected by what
is outside of them, always controlled
by circumstances rather than by con-