The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-07-07
THE OFFICE OF EVANGELIST.
(BY A Methodist Circuit Rider.)

Our heart has been to ache several
times of late by hearing men oppose or
ignore the plainly written, inspired
Word of God concerning the oftice OF
Evangelist.
According to Ephusians, Ali, the
Office of the Evangelist is one of FIVE
forms of ministry which Christ has
established in his church. We have no
more right to ignore the Office OF an
Evangelist than that OF an Apostle,
who under Christ founded the church,
| or that of prophet, who declared the
Will of God for the guidance OF the
church, or pastors. whose duty it WAS
to oversee the flock of Christ, and to
feed them, or that of a teacher, TO
to teach them the Word, and instruct
them in the Word. In giving these FIVE
forms OF ministry, Christ racks ranks
the Office OF Evangelist with the others
| mentioned above. BE sent them out to
carry the Word everywhere. Who
| would dare to belittle the Office of a
pastor? And yet his Office is Of no
greater i'm portance than that OF Evan
gelist. Il the Evangelist is not needed,
and there is 10 place for him in the
church, why did Christ send them oat?
And why did the last general confer
ence of our church (the Southern Meth
odist) make provision for them? Could
MT Christ see what was needed? Could
not the lawmaking body of our church
which is made up OF the most brainey
and best educated men of our church,
! with that of the college OF bishops,
could they not See what was needed?
Did not Christ 60 from place to place
preaching His own Gospel? Did he not
send out others the same way. saying,
| GAS the Father hath sent me, even so
have sent" Did not Paul tell Tim
othy to do the work of an Evangelist?
II Tim. As. Then again, have not the
greatest awakenings that ever come to
the church, to any city Or community.
come through the work Of an EVaD-
gelist?
The great revival of Philadelphia, of
recent date. was it brou5h1 about by
the pastors or an Evangelist? I sup
pose the Evangelist come through the
invitation of the pastors, hence the
need of both.
The Sumter revival OF last winter,
through the noted Evangelist OF South
Carolina, Rev. B. F. McLendon. was it
because the pastors were not men OF
God? Not in the least. If the Sumter
pastors are not men OF God, where
would we 60 find such men?
The Evangelist is a specialist. The
writer used TO work on machinery, and
when he would Strike problem that
he could not solve, he would get a
specialist. Il seems to me that it is
high time that some we're calling for
the specialist.
| Again, the revival in Sumter OF re-
cent date by Evangelist Bob Jones. I
only mention these, and could mention
hundreds of such, to show that they are
God-called men to the work of Evan.
eelist, and that the great head OF the
church is using them. While it is true,
some are going out as Evangelist that
get between the pastor and his flock,
and some itseems, are just out for the
money, yet that does not change The
| Word of God. They are not only among
the Evangelist. The God-called Evan
gelist is doing work that no other
man can do, and I am glad that the
time has come in our church when men
are being sent out to do this work, and
having the backing of the general con-
ference, and also the annual confer
ence. I hope that at our next meeting
of the conference in November, 1915,
in Charleston, S. c., several men who
feel called to this work will be put in