Does mass evangelism really work?

[Tamara224]

I think the main difference between the biblical accounts of "mass gatherings" and the modern evangelistic efforts is in the answer to these questions:

Are you taking the Gospel to where the people already are?

Or are you asking the people to come to the Gospel?


If someone were to stand up and start preaching at a football game....That would be like Peter preaching on Pentecost.

The evangelism events are not really the same thing.


IMO, the events are largely a waste of time and money. However, if even one person out of 5000 was a true convert, then we rejoice (I know all of us agree with that). Like Paul who recognized that people were preaching Christ out of spite and envy but didn't care because Christ was being proclaimed.

Still.... there is probably a better way: namely, Go find them, don't expect them to come to you.

 

[dawnsday]

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.

except maybe if that money was put into rebuilding a neighborhood or starting an after school program for inner city kids, with no 'agenda', something productive and charitable would have been done, while EXEMPLIFYING Christ's message...instead of Preaching it. Preaching doesn't work on most people IMO

 

[JeCrois]

I think lis made a valid point.



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.

Thank you...I was looking for someone to make this point.

We are not responsible to force someone to be faithful in their walk with God. We cannot control what they do. It is our job to witness, and show them the Gospel and God's love for them...simple enough. Whether they choose to believe it and apply or not is out of our hands. We can't discredit mass events even if only one person came to know the Lord. What if it was that person's one and only opportunity to hear the truth? And who's to say that the many thousands in the NT that heard the apostles followed up on what they heard? Were they traced one year later to see where they stand? The Bible doesn't focus on those that retained nothing but rejoiced for those who did and we should do the same.

Can you imagine what things would be like is we were to have an unprogramed/unscheduled event nowadays. Things would go amuk and Satan would show himself by bringing about frustration and confusion. Things are a lot different than they were back in the days Jesus, Paul, Peter, and all those others preached. Obviously. So different things have to be done to retain the order described in 1 Cor. 14.

 

[JimB]

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.

*****

But this passage does not say that 5,000 came to Christ in a single meeting or even in a single day. It says, “many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” The way I read this is that between Pentecost and Acts 4 more than 5,000 additional people “came to be” believers in Christ, most likely IMO from the personal testimony of the original 3,000.


I do agree that it is a "combination of things" that bring people to Christ but mass evangelism, for all is pizzazz, is among the least effective.




~Jim

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[JimB]

*****

What have you found that does work?

What works (for us) is simply being Christian always and in all places wherever we are (salt and light) and, as Peter said, being ready at all time to give anyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Pt. 3.15). Most if not all on of the one-on-one encounters with prebelievers in the NT were a response to questions like “What must I do to be saved?” They seem to be less proactive and more reactive.

This week we viewed a video entitled “An Interview With Three ‘Lost’ People” that showed the reaction of nonbelievers to “born-agains” who tried to force the Good News on them in the traditional “sales-pitch-then-close-the-sale” fashion—which is just about as ineffective as the old Hoover door-to-door sales pitch. It turned them off. But, they said, an encounter with Christians who listened as well as preached, who respected them and their views as much as they expected theirs to be respected and whose aim was conversation as much as conversion, dialog as much as decision. My conclusion was that we live our lives before the eyes of the world, as living epistles known and read of all men, and when the time is ready (not when I am ready), the Holy Spirit will open the door and I can tell them “the reason for the hope that is in us.”

~Jim

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

I do agree that it is a "combination of things" that bring people to Christ but mass evangelism, for all is pizzazz, is among the least effective.

Well, I don't know about that. You had statistics posted in your first thread, but only as they pertained to mass evangelistic outreaches, not as they pertain to other outreaches, church groups, or one-on-one efforts. I just think that it is easier to measure results based on this, then it is based on the other methods. I don't think there is any easy way to compare its success rate as compared to any other methods. For all we know, they could be about the same.

The sad fact is that many will not accept Christ. Many others will say they accept Christ, but never truly be converted nor "born again." It doesn't matter the "method" being used, it is just the sinful nature of man. That is why we need to use all the methods that God has given for us to use, from the simple one-on-one street evangelism, to the home fellowships, to the church, to the mass evangelical outreaches. And in each step of the way, we need to make sure that we continue to come along side those who make decisions, to the best of our ability. Many will prove to be false, but there will be many that will truly turn their lives over to the Lord. For both the saved and the unsaved, we need to pray. We need to work the harvest. We need to be out there, supporting the efforts of the local outreaches, and letting ourselves be used by the Spirit to bring others to Salvation.

 

[SharonL]

We cannot judge what is in the heart - just because they did not go back to that church does not mean that the seed will not grow.

It only takes one person sometimes to make changes in thousands of lives.

Look at the person that went to Billy Graham and invited him to the alter - because of that one person - look at the millions who have come to Jesus because of that one invitation.

There is just no way to measure how effective the conversions were - the Bible says that God's Word will not go out void.

There is no way to measure a heart that is for God.

 

[charityagape]

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.”
​

Why are we rejoicing for the five?

​

· 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​

AGain awesome five percent.

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.

And everything was worth those thirty.

· 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.

Those thirty are worth it.

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

That's 1080 and that's certainly worth REJOICING over.

· 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).

22,983 !!!!!!!

​

· 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.”​

14,337!!!!!

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.​

Over 40,000 confirmed converts in the examples you gave above and you don't think much was accomplished?


How many times in your life have you given the gospel?

100, 200, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000?

With how many confirmed? 10, 20, 50?


Even one for the kingdom would be worth 1 million you told.

 

[TasManOfGod]

I think if people did the "evangelising" like they were called to there would be no need for mass crusades. As it is God is interested in seeing the lost come to repentance and will use whoever is willing to do it. So what if they are "combined harvesters" There is always the side bits that you can tackle. As for calling them "circus's and "repairing the damage after they leave" -I am sorry but we are obviously not on the same page.
Really I think the problem lies with the lack of discipleship -which is not the role of the evangelist but of the pastor and the teacher

 

[TasManOfGod]

Without the efforts of "mass evangelism" a lot of seed sowing may well get wasted and the "harvest " may rot in the ground

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

Here's a statistic. The Harvest Crusades is a massive evangelical outreach that happens in stadiums and on the Internet. It began in 1991. here is a quote from http://www.harvestcrusades.com/

More than 3.4 million people have attended Harvest Crusades in person, and more than 238,000 have viewed the live webcasts. As of September 2006, more than 269,000 people have registered decisions of faith in Jesus Christ!

Over 269,000 registered decisions in 15 years. Even if only 5% of those decisions were true conversions that is still over 13,450 decisions for Christ. That is 13,450 souls that are going to be rejoicing with us in Heaven. And that is only one of many different evangelical outreaches. I don't know, but that sounds like something to rejoice over.

In addition, what if one of those people that gets saved turns out to be the next pastor, the next preacher, or even the next Billy Graham? To say that mass evangelism doesn't work I think is a mistake. You may not be called to that mission field, but there are others that are, and I praise God for them.

 

[dawnsday]

Here's a statistic. The Harvest Crusades is a massive evangelical outreach that happens in stadiums and on the Internet. It began in 1991. here is a quote from http://www.harvestcrusades.com/



Over 269,000 registered decisions in 15 years. Even if only 5% of those decisions were true conversions that is still over 13,450 decisions for Christ. That is 13,450 souls that are going to be rejoicing with us in Heaven. And that is only one of many different evangelical outreaches. I don't know, but that sounds like something to rejoice over.

In addition, what if one of those people that gets saved turns out to be the next pastor, the next preacher, or even the next Billy Graham? To say that mass evangelism doesn't work I think is a mistake. You may not be called to that mission field, but there are others that are, and I praise God for them.

And what if 50,000 people walk away saying...I was looking for hope, charity, and heart, but see only greed, wastefulness and decadence...

as Ghandi said "I would become a Christian, if I ever met one"

 

[TasManOfGod]

Ghandi needed to be told that the only one they needed to meet is the one that everybody else had

 

[JimB]

What works (for us) is simply being Christian always and in all places wherever we are (salt and light) and, as Peter said, being ready at all time to give anyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Pt. 3.15). Most if not all on of the one-on-one encounters with prebelievers in the NT were a response to questions like “What must I do to be saved?” They seem to be less proactive and more reactive.

This week we viewed a video entitled “An Interview With Three ‘Lost’ People” that showed the reaction of nonbelievers to “born-agains” who tried to force the Good News on them in the traditional “sales-pitch-then-close-the-sale” fashion—which is just about as ineffective as the old Hoover door-to-door sales pitch. It turned them off. But, they said, an encounter with Christians who listened as well as preached, who respected them and their views as much as they expected theirs to be respected and whose aim was conversation as much as conversion, dialog as much as decision. My conclusion was that we live our lives before the eyes of the world, as living epistles known and read of all men, and when the time is ready (not when I am ready), the Holy Spirit will open the door and I can tell them “the reason for the hope that is in us.”

~Jim

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

You can watch the “Interview With Three ‘Lost’ People” video here: Watch Video.

~Jim

​

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[geetrue]

Ghandi needed to be told that the only one they needed to meet is the one that everybody else had

That's good Tas ... I'd rep you, but your hand isn't out.

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

And what if 50,000 people walk away saying...I was looking for hope, charity, and heart, but see only greed, wastefulness and decadence...

You're always going to have that happen, no matter the size of the event. You're going to have that even with one-on-one conversations. That is why I say it is one of the tools used to bring others to Christ, and it does work.

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

Ghandi needed to be told that the only one they needed to meet is the one that everybody else had

 

[JimB]

Why are we rejoicing for the five?



Over 40,000 confirmed converts in the examples you gave above and you don't think much was accomplished?


How many times in your life have you given the gospel?

100, 200, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000?

With how many confirmed? 10, 20, 50?


Even one for the kingdom would be worth 1 million you told.

And are you saying that, despite the disillusionment and unfulfilled hopes of those many thousands more that mass evangelism produces (something like 95% of the reported “successes”) that will hinder them in a time when the Holy Spirit does speak to them, that this is something to be applauded, that this is good!?!

To hell with the collateral damage at least we roped in a few.

There is a better way, you know.

~Jim

​

People with nothing to hide hide nothing.​

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

Jim, I'm not saying that you are wrong about how we are to act. I'm just directing this at the original point you were trying to make. The bottom line is that it is one of the many tools that exist, and no one tool is necessarily better than the other, because it isn't us, but the Holy Spirit working through us. If we try to do it on our own, we're going to be like the people mentioned in that video. It just won't work.

 

[dawnsday]

You're always going to have that happen, no matter the size of the event. You're going to have that even with one-on-one conversations. That is why I say it is one of the tools used to bring others to Christ, and it does work.

As long as it is done exemplifying Christ. If it is done in the spirit and example of our Lord and not one converts, then we can be satisfied that our efforts were pure...and go back and try to fix our mistakes for the next time...

...but if it is a bad example, if it is done claiming Christ, but goes against His will...then that is flat wrong, because how many of those so-called converts are not actually converts but just have some warped idea of christianity that has nothing to do with Christ/God at all? Then it becomes leading people to Idols.

In my opinion, that is.