Should altar calls be continued? They don't seem to be biblical.
Let me explain what an altar call is for those who may be unfamiliar. It is an invitation made by the pastor at the close of the sermon for seekers to come to the front of the church and either to kneel at the platform or a "mourners bench", or to stand in the front to be prayed for. Sometimes there are "altar workers" in the front that will pray with the seekers. The seeker is encouraged to repent of their sins and accept Jesus as their savior.
The altar call was intiated around 1800 by Charles Finney and was promoted by the camp meeting movements. The church got by without altar calls for 1800 years. Is there a better way of making invitations without taking up 15 minutes after each service to make an altar call?
Ken
Let me explain what an altar call is for those who may be unfamiliar. It is an invitation made by the pastor at the close of the sermon for seekers to come to the front of the church and either to kneel at the platform or a "mourners bench", or to stand in the front to be prayed for. Sometimes there are "altar workers" in the front that will pray with the seekers. The seeker is encouraged to repent of their sins and accept Jesus as their savior.
The altar call was intiated around 1800 by Charles Finney and was promoted by the camp meeting movements. The church got by without altar calls for 1800 years. Is there a better way of making invitations without taking up 15 minutes after each service to make an altar call?
Ken