The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-10-27
Baseball Evangelist

ulCJlOn mas been maze Ireely IudI III
that instance Mr.. Sunday or his
method OF operation would fail. Yet
time after time b. hak, emerged at the
end of a six or seven weeks campaign
with flying colors and with new laurels
added to those which already marked
phenomenal achievements. When un-
expected obstacles have presented
themselves the genius Of the evangel-
LIST always has proved sufficient to
overcome them.
For this work Mr. Sunday takes no
credit to himself. Uniformly he gives
to Almighty God the honor Of what
ever success has attended his labors.
He does not believe, however, In leav-
ing anything to chance. nor in impos-
ing on Divine Goodness by anything
which even remotely resembles shirk-
ing. As a result he and his associates
work with prodigious vigor and energy
through every minute of the campaign.
thing short of miracle like the part
ing of the Red Sea, would account for
the success attendant upon all the
Sunday REVEALS If 1t did not begin
before the arrival of the evangelist.
1t is in the preliminary campaign
and In the mastery handling of details
that Mr.. Sunday demonstrates his SUI
periority over all other workers in his
field. For years the demands upon Mr..
Sundays time have been such that II
he accepted all invitations he would
be booked at least ten years in ad-
vance. Obviously this gives him an
opportunity to pick and choose.
Here then is the first note Of the
scale which must be,sounded in order
to realize the full harmony Of the
results obtained. The mere invitation
to come to a city has no great weight
with the evangelist. The city not only
must want him, but. must want him
with a consummate fervor. A fine
instinct resident in the evangelist, and
largely enjoyed by his wife, enables
him to sense to q nicely the real
anxiety of any community to entertain
him.
Committees which call upon him
during campaigns beholding the phe-
nomenal results. obtained are not slow
to make almost any promise exacted
of them. Realizing that not more
than one out ofifour invitations can be
accepted they press forward with
renewed eagerness which naturally
places them enirapport with the evan
gelist and his work. Thus there Ia
established in the inviting committee
the nucleus ofithe necessary local or.
| ganization.
Next comesethe unity Of evangelical
churches and the abandoning of all
conflicting services In the community
during the campaign. The larger the
city the more this demand meets with
resistance, but since resistance in nc
wise effects the evangelist and since
compliance with his request is an In
acknowledgement to a campaign
the second force for cooperation ano
interest is set In motion.
Next comes the campaign for incl
dental expenses. 1t Is one of the Sun
day doctrines that religion in all its
phases should be self-supporting. and
he will start upon no revival service
the full expenses of which have not
been guaranteed in advance A pecu
liar aspect of this rule is, that never
in his career has the guarantee beer
invoked-always during the progress:
of the meeting Mr.. Sunday raises By
collections more money than Is needed
to cover the entire cost of the series.
The preliminary underwriting of
guarantee fund. however. furnishes
the third force which draws people to
gether, arouses their activity and com
pals their coopeeation- Where
mans treasure n there II his hear
ALSO" and the man who have signet
their names to q guarantee aggregat
Ing from $4,000 to 5000 are yer.
apt to work to make q success of tn
meetings for which their money i
pledged. even though there Is a mora
certainty that they never will have u
pay a cent Of what they guarantee.
At this point or even before the ele
ment of extensive publicity enters int
the campaign. Newspapers in an,
community whether large or small
must necessarily pay attention to al
enterprise which the business men o
the town or city are backing to tn
extent Of thousands and thousands O
dollars. The element Of publicity cor
dnues with Increasing vigor to tn
!. very end Of all campaigns. and on
! Of the remarkable features In conne<
] ton with 1t Ia the fact that this put
licity Is never sought by any direc
or overt act-it comes naturally, a
most spontaneously and is easily tn
| fourth factor t0vard pronorin0 m