Does mass evangelism really work?

[JimB]

Are organized and promoted mass meetings the pattern of evangelism that is pictured in the NT? I know Jesus drew large crowds but they were not “organized and promoted”, they just happened because, well, Jesus is Jesus. And Pentecost was a large gathering but it was neither organized or promoted (at least by men) but was spontaneous in the Temple on a High Holy Day.

No where else in the NT do we find the Apostles organizing mass crusades to win the lost and we are discovering that there is a very small percentage of those who “make decisions for Christ” at these meetings that are really genuine, lasting, life-changing conversions. One figure I read this week (and I can’t locate where I found it online) was that the average retention rate of “first-time converts” at mass crusades was around 1%. Billy Graham only claimed, at best, less than 10%.


Here are some figures I have compiled …

· Charles E. Hackett, the division of home missions national director for the Assemblies of God in the U.S. said, “A soul at the altar does not generate much excitement in some circles because we realize approximately ninety-five out of every hundred will not become integrated into the church. In fact, most of them will not return for a second visit.”​

· In his book Today’s Evangelism, Ernest C. Reisinger said of one outreach event, “It lasted eight days, and there were sixty-eight supposed conversions.” A month later, not one of the “converts” could be found.​

· In 1991, organizers of a Salt Lake City concert encouraged follow-up. They said, “Less then 5 percent of those who respond to an altar call during a public crusade . . . are living a Christian life one year later.” In other words, more than 95 percent proved to be false converts.​

· A pastor in Boulder, Colorado, sent a team to Russia in 1991 and obtained 2,500 decisions. The next year, the team found only thirty continuing in their faith. That’s a retention rate of 1.2 percent.​

· In November 1970, a number of churches combined for a convention in Fort Worth, Texas, and secured 30,000 decisions. Six months later, the follow-up committee could only find thirty continuing in their faith.​

· A mass crusade reported 18,000 decisions—yet, according to Church Growth magazine, 94 percent failed to become incorporated into a local church.​

· In Sacramento, California, a combined crusade yielded more than 2,000 commitments. One church followed up on fifty-two of those decisions and couldn’t find one true convert.​

· A leading U.S. denomination reported that during 1995 they secured 384,057 decisions but retained only 22,983 in fellowship. They couldn’t account for 361,074 supposed conversions. That’s a 6% retention rate (or, to put it another way, a 94 percent fall-away rate).​

· In the March/April 1993 issue of American Horizon, the national director of home missions of a major U.S. denomination disclosed that in 1991, 11,500 churches had obtained 294,784 decisions for Christ. Unfortunately, they could find only 14,337 in fellowship. That means that despite the usual intense follow-up, they couldn’t account for approximately 280,000 of their “converts.”​

As a pastor, I gave up on these methods a long time ago for the very reasons expressed above—they just didn’t work the way they appeared to work (superficially).

Makes me wonder if we are doing evangelism right? Do mass rallies really accomplish what we imagine they do and, most importantly,

Are we doing evangelism the right way, the biblical way?

~Jim

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[flyingsum0]

Im really not sure but the all the girls scouts in my area got toegther and had a mass rally about stingy people not buying their cookies...

This year teh newspaper reported sales had quadrupled...

I cant even eat all the darn cookies....they're everywhere...

 

[LivingByFaith]

Even if people aren't integrated in church, etc. was there a seed planted in their hearts? Something that they may eventually act upon. Just a thought.

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

Is there at least one person saved at any one of these events? Then yes, it works. Why worry about the numbers? Instead rejoice for the decisions, and pray them and more to follow. And don't forget the seed that is planted. Water it and pray for it.

 

[he4rty]

Is there at least one person saved at any one of these events? Then yes, it works. Why worry about the numbers? Instead rejoice for the decisions, and pray them and more to follow. And don't forget the seed that is planted. Water it and pray for it.

Its great that some people are saved but what damage is done to the ones who are just caught up on the emotional rollercoaster, also I don't know how involved the local churches are but they could provide support and fellowship to people once the circus has left town.

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

You're always going to have people with the emotional rollercoaster. Whether it is a "mass evangelism event" or a church event. And yes, the local churches should be actively involved in the event, both leading up to and following it. People will fall through the cracks, yes. That is unfortunate, but what are we doing to try to keep that from happening when an event is in our area?

 

[JimB]

Is there at least one person saved at any one of these events? Then yes, it works. Why worry about the numbers? Instead rejoice for the decisions, and pray them and more to follow. And don't forget the seed that is planted. Water it and pray for it.

But, is it worth all the expense and energy plus the false hopes it creates in people? As, he4rty indicates, maybe the damage it does to raise peoples’ hopes beyond what is real does more damage than good. For the person responding emotionally to an evangelist’s or singer’s touching appeal, coming forward because of the moving call to the altar and not because the Spirit (as opposed to the speaker's heart-wrenching story) is truly dealing with them, only to become disillusioned and perhaps hardened to future conviction is scary. It appears that for every “one” who truly repents for walking the aisle, 99 are potentially further alienated from Christ.

Then, you could say, that mass crusades are, at best, counterproductive and, at worst, evil.

Surely there is a better way.

~Jim

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[JimB]

You're always going to have people with the emotional rollercoaster. Whether it is a "mass evangelism event" or a church event. And yes, the local churches should be actively involved in the event, both leading up to and following it. People will fall through the cracks, yes. That is unfortunate, but what are we doing to try to keep that from happening when an event is in our area?

But, where do you find programmed event evangelism, even at a local church level, in the NT?

~Jim

​

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[churchlady]

Are organized and promoted mass meetings the pattern of evangelism that is pictured in the NT?
As a pastor, I gave up on these methods a long time ago for the very reasons expressed above—they just didn’t work the way they appeared to work (superficially).

Makes me wonder if we are doing evangelism right? Do mass rallies really accomplish what we imagine they do and, most importantly,

Are we doing evangelism the right way, the biblical way?

I believe that the 5-fold ministry is supposed to train and equip us, the saints to do the work of the ministry.

That doesn't mean they can't preach too, but their main job is to multiply themselves by imparting to us that annointing.

That is what is happening in the church that I go to. Our pastor's main calling is evangelizing, and he is both modeling how to do it, to the congregation, and is training us how to do it too.

 

[JimB]

I believe that the 5-fold ministry is supposed to train and equip us, the saints to do the work of the ministry.

That doesn't mean they can't preach too, but their main job is to multiply themselves by imparting to us that annointing.

That is what is happening in the church that I go to. Our pastor's main calling is evangelizing, and he is both modeling how to do it, to the congregation, and is training us how to do it too.

 

[geetrue]

Thanks for going to all of that work Jimbeaux ... I often wondered what happened to all of the people that got saved in our little church revival two years ago.

Never saw them again ... this is a small town. I can drive by the other two churches on the way to mine, but the cars that were at our revival aren't there either.

Out of about at least 100 people getting saved only three stuck around.

Plus I think that the sermon on the mount was like an altar call and we all still need that sermon.

"Blessed is he that sticks around"

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

But, where do you find programmed event evangelism, even at a local church level, in the NT?

~Jim

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

Peter, at Pentecost, stood up and addressed the multitudes that were in the region. Many were saved that day.

Paul, as he traveled on his missionary journeys went into large amphitheaters, temples, and other areas where masses of people congregate, and preached the Gospel. Many were saved, and churches were started.

Are those the same type of preparation and planning today? No, but that doesn't mean it is any less valid. Mass evangelistic events are a valid tool that God does use. It just doesn't end there, and unfortunately it often does. Follow-up is key after this type of event, or else the enemy will swoop down and snatch them back up.

 

[lismore]

Are organized and promoted mass meetings the pattern of evangelism that is pictured in the NT?

No.

Jesus was accused of hanging out with tax collectors and prostitutes, not of hiring a hall and putting on a speaker. Not saying that having a speaker is a bad thing, but the focus of these meetings can be off. Trying to get people to make a decision when their decision doesnt count for anything . Salvation is God's gift not someone's decision.

From my experience of these evangelising meetings, most of the people who go are Christians already, they are looking for a night out. And the same altar addicts go out for salvation time after time after time. They make a million decisions but God hasnt made a decision for them because they ask amiss.

I think often the focus of these meetings is wrong!
God does not want people to give him their heart or their lives, he's not interested. He doesnt want people's stinky, miserable lives. God wants to give you his life~the life of Christ~ and he wants to give you a new heart.

 

[lismore]

But, where do you find programmed event evangelism, even at a local church level, in the NT?
~.

Nowhere.

You still find people in the highways and the byways.

Paul found them in the market squares. Jesus found them in the boozer and the place where prostitutes congregated. Peter even went to the home of a gentile!
Philip got a ride from someone and gave him the gospel.

 

[lismore]

"Blessed is he that sticks around"

Hi there

This verse is relevant I think:

1 Cor 2:
4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

Some 'evangelists' have the gift of the gab and could bring eskimos to a meeting, then get them to buy icecubes in winter time.

But when you get outside and you realise it was all the wisdom of a very very articulate man?

The message must rest on the power of the SPirit. Nothing of man.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Are organized and promoted mass meetings the pattern of evangelism that is pictured in the NT?

No where else in the NT do we find the Apostles organizing mass crusades to win the lost

Please note: Acts 4 - approximately three years after Pentecost:

Acts 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Hardley a home fellowship group when many of the equaled 5,000 men.

There no reference until the first persecution that these mass meetings ended. So, there is reference of a type of mass crusades as it were - from the Apostles age and past Pentecost.

I think effective evangelism is a combination of things, and not just centered on one event or style.

An example being:

Every Easter, I church I was formerly on staff with, would hold a drama in a local theater for several days. After the third year or so, it became a civic event and attendance went into the thousands over a five day period.

The Gospel story would be dramatized and an altar call would be at the end. We had people fill out cards for our follow up.

If they were already in a church, by their words. The very next day, they would get a thank you visit from one of our teams. Not proselytizing, just a quick face to face thank you for coming. The visit lasted minutes.

If they did not have a church, by their words, the very next day, they would also get a thank you visit along with a personal invitation to join us for Easter service and a free breakfast following. Our teams also took prayer requests.

When we started doing this, we were 145 people in three years we were over 900. Many people saying it was the concern and personal touch that drew them.

So, I thinks it's a combination of things to become effective in touching people.

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

I think lis made a valid point.

Salvation is God's gift not someone's decision.

We cannot make a person follow Christ, no matter what we say. This applies to both the small church gathering and the large evangelical outreach. But what some people aren't acknowledging is that some people won't hear the Gospel completely except at these outreaches.

Yes, there are both good and bad outcomes of these events. But that can be the case even at small church events. To just throw it out just because few are saved from it is a mistake, because of those few. Remember, God said he wouldn't destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if even 10 were found. A lot more than 10 people find Christ through the mass evangelical events, evidence of the fruits.

Unless, of course, you are saying that Billy Graham wasted his time with all his mass evangelical outreaches, in which thousands have come to the Lord and remained with the Lord. Yes, thousands more didn't, but let's rejoice in those who have been saved, instead of complaining about those that didn't stay.

 

[JimB]

Peter, at Pentecost, stood up and addressed the multitudes that were in the region. Many were saved that day.

Paul, as he traveled on his missionary journeys went into large amphitheaters, temples, and other areas where masses of people congregate, and preached the Gospel. Many were saved, and churches were started.

Are those the same type of preparation and planning today? No, but that doesn't mean it is any less valid. Mass evangelistic events are a valid tool that God does use. It just doesn't end there, and unfortunately it often does. Follow-up is key after this type of event, or else the enemy will swoop down and snatch them back up.

Maybe you did not read the OP closely.

Pentecost was hardly “programmed mass evangelism”, it was a spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit that happened to be in a large crowd gathered at the Temple on a High Holy Day. It was not a planned/programmed thing.

Paul may have debated in synagogues and preached to small crowds of Christians wherever they gathered but he did not plan programmed mass meetings as a method of “reaching the lost for Christ,” nor did any other Apostle. Mass crusades are a relatively modern (and surprisingly ineffective) invention of men (e.g., D.L. Moody)

Mass evangelism is not valid if it doesn’t work. I think we substitute mass evangelism for simply being the light-salt influence that Christ has called us to be. Jesus did not say that when the Holy Spirit comes to us we will go out and DO witnessing (much less organize mass meetings)—He said we would BE witnesses.

~Jim

​

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

Jim, you should have read my post more closely.

I already admitted it wasn't the same. All I said is that it was no less valid. I don't think we should substitute anything, but use them in conjunction with. God uses mass evangelism events and he uses us as individuals.

Peter and Paul preached to the multitudes. Phillip preached to the single Ethiopian.

Jesus preached to and fed the 5,000. And Jesus met the woman at the well where she was at.

The point is, both are useful and have their purposes. Both have their benefits, and both have their shortcomings. Both are used by God and the Holy Spirit to bring about Salvation. It isn't by our works, but by God and the moving of His Spirit.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Mass evangelism is not valid if it doesn’t work. I think we substitute mass evangelism for simply being the light-salt influence that Christ has called us to be.

.​

There we go agreeing again!

Mass evangelism is not valid if it doesn’t work

Home cell groups are not valid if they don’t work

Your favorite sermon is not valid if it doesn’t work

Prayers are not valid if they don’t work

Intercession is not valid if it doesn’t work

Theology is not valid if it doesn’t work

Faith is not valid if it doesn’t work

I thought I'd add a few to your list.

Now - share with us the other side -

What have you found that does work?