The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1914-05-07
GREATEVANGELISTIC AGENCY

That denomination only will grow
rapidly which recognizes its obliga-
ton to evangelize the vast multitudes
of unsaved men and women. That
denomination must die which makes no
serious and persistent effort to secure
recruits.
What is the most effective kind of
evangelism? mean what kind Of
evangelism can reach the great multi
tude of the lost in the most efficient
way and bring them both into the
church and enlist them for active
Christian service? The experience of
the past has clearly shown that the
independent evangelist cannot do this.
Most of these cannot eliminate the
temptation to make a show, for fu-
ture engagements may depend upon
doing this. Some of these independ-
ent evangelists we're of the wildcat
order, responsible to nobody, and the
breath Of their nostrils being sensa-
ton.
When great Christian body UNI
dertakes to make evangelism part OF
it's program in its missionary endeay-
or, and selects men Of standing, who
have proven their devotion and depend
ability in religious service, the
churches may rest assured that their
evangelistic efforts will be Of con-
structive and lasting character. They
will become expert in evangelism, but
their vision will not be narrowed down
merely to that work.
The growth of denominations evan
gelism accounts for the fact that there
are very few Of the oldtime wildcat" /
evangelists left. The independent
evangelists who have survived this
wise and dependable standard are
themselves responsible men.
The Home Mission Board Of the
Southern Baptist Convention has the
distinction Of having the only distinct-
i've evangelistic department Of any de-
nomination in the world. From its
small beginnings of eight years ago,
it has grown into body of twenty
five evangelists and singers, which
number will probably soon be increas-
ed to forty. These men are trained
to work singly, two by two, OF in larg-
er groups, as no other body of men,
SO that they are prepared to touch
every phase Of spiritual need, wheth-
err it be the rural districts, the noun
tains, villages or cities.
In order to do this efficiently the
Board has an evangelist who works.
among the thirty-four mountain mis-
sion schools. Another works in
schools and colleges, for the college
life period is the most important for
religious decision on the part Of the
young.
There is a Negro evangelist who
gives his entire time TO eyangelizing
his race. In the great city simultane-
GUS campaigns, he organizes the Ne
gro churches similarly to the organi-
cation Of the white churches. There
are 10000 deaf mutes in the South.
To these Evangelist J. w Micheals
of the Home Board ministers. He has
classes in more than thirty
Southern cities In several places he
has organized churches for the silent
people and in Louisville, Kentucky and
Fort Worth, Texas, churches for the
mutes have been built. No feature Of
the eyangelistic work is more needed
or honored than this. The need Is
acute, and the work has been long
neglected.
To meet the great variety Of needs
in the South, the evangelists go to
the country and the villages, one by
one, and then gather in a large group
in our cities for city campaign.
The most novel and startling feature
of this great evangelistic enginery, is
the statewide campaign, which was
inaugurated last winter in Florida. It
has been done on larger scale this
winter throughout Louisiana, where
there are $500 additions when the
campaign is only half over. An even
larger and more significant campaign
is being planned in the old State Of
South Carolina for next fall, and
Evangelistic Secretary Dr. Weston
Bruner looks forward to south-wide
campaign among the $4,000 white Bap-
fist churches and the 10000 Negro
churches.