Evening star., 1943-10-22
Continuous Program
OF Evangelism Urged
For District Churches

INCcu lOl COllIllluOuS piOSl dIIl
of evangelism in each church was
stressed by DR.. William Ward Aver,
pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church
OF New York, as pastors and visit
ing evangelists today held another
breakfast seminar to discuss plans
and progress in the current Wash
lngton-Wide Baptist evangelist cam
paign.
At the same time the Rev. James
P. Rodgers Of the Petworth Baptist
Church, general chairman of the
Steering Committee, announced that
members of the % churches COOP
Grating in the campaign plan to
make personal visits Sunday to the
homes of total of 5000 nonchurch
members.
Ihlrty-one persons were received
into Baptist church membership
here last night, DR.. Rodgers re-
ported. Seventeen of these were
converts, while the remaining IA
joined by letters from other
churches. A total of 3,6lO persons
attended the services last night in
the cooperating churches.
Survey Made Public.
| DR., Frederick E. Reissig, executive
secretary of the Washington Fed
Ieratlon OF Churches, guest at to-
days breakfast seminar, made pub
lie a recent survey showing that
Baptist churches in the District led
all other denominations here in the
| percentage of increase in their
membership between 1880 and 1910.
The local Baptist churches re-
corded a gain of 448 per cent in
membership. Dr. Reissig said, fol-
lowed by the Lutherans with 444 per
cent. The general average for
churcnes here was between 20 and
IS per cent.
The religious level of WASHINGTON
is below the Nations average" DR..
RelsSlg said. emphasizing that "it is
our responsibility to lift that level"
He praised the current evengelist
campaign of the BaptistS, and added
that his only regret is that all re-
lglous groups here are not conduct
ing similar drives to bring addi-
tlonal members into their churches.
Urges Balanced Program.
AS the main speaker on the break
fast program, which was held in the
YWCA at GA E street NV. DR..
Aver discussed the need for every
church to have a Well-balanced pro-
gram that includes strong emphasis
on evangelism.
He reviewed the experience of his
Calvary Church. which is regarded
as the Bible teaching and evangeliz-
ing center for the Baptist faith in
New York. Fifty to so visiting
preachers occupy the pulpit of CAL
vary Church each year, he sdio. On
only two occasions in Dr.. Ayers
eight years of ministry has the
church failed to bring at least one
new member into the fold.
DR.. Aver said he hoped to see an
other great Nation wide evangelistic
program, such as that conducted by
the late Billy Sunday, but added
that while they are waiting for an
other such movement of mass evan
gellsm, the individual churches
should make a continuous effort to
convert persons to the faith. Local
church evangelism perhaps is even
more valuable than a mass move
ment. and should not be just a spas
modic effort, he said.
10000 Attend Services.
DR.. Aver further declared that
souls should be joining the church
every Sunday in every church in
America The condemning of sin,
the upholding of Christ as the
Saviour, and the encouragement of
prayer among the congregations are
necessary if this is to be accom-
plished, he said.
The Rev. R. @. Leavel of Tampa,
Fla, director for the special two
week evangelist campaign here, pre-
sided at today's meeting.
AS the first week of the campaign
drew near a close, records showed
total of nearly 10000 persons have
attended the special services, which
began Sunday.