MODERN NEED FOR EVANGELISM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 266, 10 November 1945, Page 4

MODERN NEED FOR EVANGELISM

PRESBYTERIANS’ CALL TO CHRISTIAN DUTY

Invercargill, Nov. 9 Every year that passes I become more concerned about the state of the church. I sometimes think that m all the.e years we have been living on the spiritual capital of the Great Disruption, and that we have never really had any spiritual capital of our own,” said the Rev. C. J. Tocker at the meeting of the Presby.erian Genera] Assembly, when seconding the adoption of the following deliverance from the Life and Work committee: "That the Moderator, in the name of the Assembly, be asked to summon the members of the church to prepare themselves, by earnest and prayerful effort, for the discharge of the duty of evangelism through humble Christian witness.”

Mr. Tocker added that great masses of the people had drifted from the church. There were whole domains of the life of the people which were not only under the sway of Christ, but were unaware that any such sway existed.

"What is the state of mind and the state of heart of the church about this position?" Mr. Tocker asked. "It is not too much to say that the church is facing it with apathy. It you speak of evangelism in the church, all the scholars at once become suspicious and frightened that they will be asked to do something uncomfortable. Why should we leave evangelism to the cranks, for that is what we are doing? Our church is missionary-minded. If the mission budget is in danger there is no difficulty about stirring up support within the church, but when we look at areas where Christ would have looked before He looked al church members, I don't see anything that suggests a pas. ion for souls. As I grow older I become more than ever convinced that evangelism is the only thing worth striving for. It is lhe only raison d’etre of the church. This generation must find its soul or perish. We want a John Wesley to awaken the souls of the people and begin a new epoch.” BEGINNING WITH CHILDREN The opinion that evangelism should begin with the children was expressed by the Rev. R. G. McDowall (Auckland). "If we want to change the face of lhe country we must influence the boys and girls," Mr. McDowall said. "We cannot produce Christian men and women if we do not till the soil of youth. That is where we should be evangelising. It is a fruitful soil. Hitler changed the face of Germany bv capturing the boys and girls. Are we too foolish to learn something from Hitler?" The Rev. J. A. Tnomson, convener of the Life and Work Committee said that the Committee, was convinced that there was a deepening interest

in and a growing sense of the urgency of, the need for evangelism, not only among the leaders of the church, but also among the rank and file. The committee was also convinced that there was a deepening sense of urgency among the young people ol the church. A recommendation of the Sessional Committee, that a full time agent for the work of evangelism he appointed, was referred to the presbyteries for consideration. The committee suggested that the person appointed tothis position should be a man who would appreciate and develop all possible methods of effective evangelism.?—