Should We Use Altar-Calls in Our Evangelism? (presbyterian, church, preacher)

[Fundamentalist]

YouTube - Should We Use Altar-Calls in Our Evangelism?

[ForHimByHim]

This video exhorts a genuine salvation experience, which is a right thing.

But it also seems to fail to mentioned, that even the most simple minded persons can be saved with the work of the HOLY SPIRIT, even though they at the time, don't have an elaborate understanding of the scriptures.

The Church would be blessed to have meetings as ordered in 1st Cor., by two, or at the most by three in prophecy. But instead, most church groups have one preacher at the meeting who dominates the pulpit.

As far as the alter call.... Well there must be communication in some way between the clergy and new converts. Should they phone the elders and say hey, I've been saved? Or maybe they could just press a little button on the pew and an electronic board would light up, indicating that the person in seat # whatever just got saved.

The greater question is did the individual truely experience grace? Secondly, if the person is then qualified by grace, they should be properly water baptized, and they should also recieve the baptizm of the HOLY SPIRIT, if they are truely a believer in the LORD JESUS. But sadly, so many clergy don't understand fully these things, so the question of alter calls seems way back on the list of needed things to understand.

[kdbrich]

Originally Posted by Fundamentalist

YouTube - Should We Use Altar-Calls in Our Evangelism?

I have been trained in and have participated in training people in use of the Evangelism Explosion method. It's basically an outline to memorize and present to a non-believer. At the end of it, you lead a person in a "sinner's prayer".

I cannot tell you how many times I "led" a person to Christ and the new convert seemed as happy as could be....but when it came to following up with them a day or two, or a week later they wouldn't even answer the phone.

I question if altar calls are giving real conversions. We've all heard of people that have been "saved" 3-4-5-10 times. They keep going forth in these altar calls, but it never really hits home with them. Just like the "convert" that I prayed with....when they get home to think about it...they don't maintain their faith.

[juj]

Originally Posted by kdbrich

I have been trained in and have participated in training people in use of the Evangelism Explosion method. It's basically an outline to memorize and present to a non-believer. At the end of it, you lead a person in a "sinner's prayer".

I cannot tell you how many times I "led" a person to Christ and the new convert seemed as happy as could be....but when it came to following up with them a day or two, or a week later they wouldn't even answer the phone.

I question if altar calls are giving real conversions. We've all heard of people that have been "saved" 3-4-5-10 times. They keep going forth in these altar calls, but it never really hits home with them. Just like the "convert" that I prayed with....when they get home to think about it...they don't maintain their faith.

Sounds like evangelism to an extreme. Why don't you let the Holy Spirit percolate for a little while in these folks. Feed them when they are ready to eat. Sounds like brain washing to me. Sounds like pushing instead of leading. We should be facilatators, not hard sellers. It's a good thing I wasn't near this kind of evangelization. It would have freaked me out and sent me running. Or I would done what the person you mentioned did. Said all the right things just to please you and then went running.

[kdbrich]

Originally Posted by juj

Sounds like evangelism to an extreme. Why don't you let the Holy Spirit percolate for a little while in these folks. Feed them when they are ready to eat. Sounds like brain washing to me. Sounds like pushing instead of leading. We should be facilatators, not hard sellers. It's a good thing I wasn't near this kind of evangelization. It would have freaked me out and sent me running. Or I would done what the person you mentioned did. Said all the right things just to please you and then went running.

The point that I was making is that altar calls, like this type of evangelism, tend to "lead" a person to a commitment when they are otherwise not ready to do so.

I do believe that we should do evangelism, but I'm not sure anymore that we should be leading people in prayers.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by kdbrich

I have been trained in and have participated in training people in use of the Evangelism Explosion method. It's basically an outline to memorize and present to a non-believer. At the end of it, you lead a person in a "sinner's prayer".

I cannot tell you how many times I "led" a person to Christ and the new convert seemed as happy as could be....but when it came to following up with them a day or two, or a week later they wouldn't even answer the phone.

I question if altar calls are giving real conversions. We've all heard of people that have been "saved" 3-4-5-10 times. They keep going forth in these altar calls, but it never really hits home with them. Just like the "convert" that I prayed with....when they get home to think about it...they don't maintain their faith.

Probably because they just got caught up in an emotional moment. My church doesn't do "altar calls". In the Presbyterian church, you go to confirmation classes and learn about the church and Christianity before becoming confirmed (or "saved").