Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-07
''Team Work. by Preachers May
Take Place of Evangelists
Southern Baptists and Episcopalians Successful With
Plan of Denominational Preaching Missions
(By Religious Rambler)

and their singers and their publicity
have moved on to the next city. In u
peculiar degree, the pastors are ade-
quately related to the scheme: for the
evangelists are accountable to them
both locally and denominationally.
The Team" Principle
The leader of this Southern Baptist
band of twenty-five preachers and
singers is the Rev. DR.. Weston Bruner
OF Atlanta, whose official title is 'Su-
perintendent of Evangelism" He is
the commanding general of every local
campaign; with the pastors as his war
board, in supreme command.
Cooperation is uniquely possible
with this force of diversified work
ers. Men of varying talents are sent
to different churches. according as the
temperament and need of both may in
ulcate. II there is weak spot in
the campaign, the necessary shifts
can be made to remedy it. AS for the
item OF expense, the entire team of
twenty-five costs less TO a community
than many an individual evangelist and
his helpers.
Big and little cities have been serv-
ed-Richmond, Louisville. Dallas. At
lanta, Petersburg, Hot Springs and re-
Gently, Washington, ID. e. Up to date
there have been nearly sixty thousand
additions to Baptist Churches as a re-
SUIT OIL this work, and more than forty
thousand baptiSms. Five thousand
volunteers for the ministry and for
the mission field have been enlisted;
Tor so does the evangelistic work CO.
ordlnate with the other activities of
the denomination.
Along with the work for the white
churches, there is special effort rem
uered the colored congregations. There
are TWO negro evangelists on the team
In Washington, recently, while the
additions to the white Baptist church.
es Went above seven hundred, the ne
gro churches reported fifteen hundred
new members.
Dr. Bruner, who is the inspirer and
director of the work. summarizes for
one its distinctive qualities thus:
Our work is quite different from
the work of DR.. Chapman and Mr..
sunday. They are doing great work
ana rejoice in the work they are do
ing, we get the ear of the city, though
not i'll so large a way as some others
DO, and then in addition to that, we
conserve the interest of each local
church and bring into the church
very large percentage of those who
make profession. For example, this
year so far, we have had about $4,000
professions and we have had $4,000
additions by baptism; 10000 additions
IN all, so you see that we largely string
the hSh that we catch and in addition
to this, where there are conversions,
who are not Baptists, but are Presby-
terians, Methodist or Lutherans, etc.
we do our utmost to have them to
unite with the church of their
choice"
How Presbytcrians Do 1t
The while drift of the denomina-
tlonal evangelism is toward a great use
OF pastors. The great preaching mis-
sion of the Episcopalians has been
wholly by pastors, usually an "eX-
change of pulpits being involved.
Now the Northern Presbyterians,
under the direction of its assembly
committee, of which the Rev. DIR.
George Mahy, is secretary, haYe be-
gun a plan of evangelistic campaigns
by presbyterial units.
AT Geneva, n. Y, there opens this
month the first of these new cam
paigns. DIR. Mahy will send into Cen
eva men of proved evangelistic gifts,
pastors from outside the community.
and so having all the appeal of nov
city. Five Philadelphia pastors will
go to Geneva for two weeks of special
preaching and conferences.
A conference of representatives of
seventy-two presbyteries is to be held
in Was hington this month to consider
this new form of denominational evan
gelism. All the signs pint to an in
creasing stress upon this form of ag-
gresSlVe recruiting, but. since there are
not enough successful professionals
like Billy Sunday TO go round. the
work is being done by regular pas
tors.
THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.