Born in the Heart of God

PUBLICITY

In 1975, the Home Mission Board (NAMB) recommended that vocational evangelists mail out at least 6,000 brochures twice a year to churches running two hundred or more in Sunday School. The brochure should include some biographical information and personal recommendations especially in the early years of an evangelist's ministry. One of the main things to remember in publicity is to put the evangelist's picture on the front of the brochure, with his name in large, bold letters. Also, a prayer should be said over the brochures before they are mailed out on a third class permit from the post office. It has been my experience from the first mailing of brochures until this one in year thirty four of evangelism, that a minimum of five to twelve men call and say, "I was in my office praying when I received your brochure, and God told me to call you. Even though I do not know you or anyone who recommended you, I was impressed by God to have you in for a revival meeting."

Upon finishing New Orleans Seminary in January 1975, I moved to Atlanta. God touched a pastor to give me some advice. That pastor sat down with me and told me to go to as many evangelism conferences as possible so that I could meet pastors and hand out my brochures. The Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina Evangelism Conferences proved to be fruitful places for making the necessary contacts with pastors.

Among the first men I went to see was a Associational Missionary to seek advice on entering vocational Evangelism. He said there is no such thing as an evangelist. That office ended with the passing of the Apostles in the first century. I just went on to another missionary who believed the Bible.

God put it on his heart to print 6,000 brochures for me. The only cost, which I had to pay, was the cost of the paper. God knew that I had very little money to spend in printing up a brochure. That missionary's name was Harold Graham. God also knew that I needed the opportunity to work at what He had called me to do. That same missionary personally encouraged six pastors in his association to use me that first year. Without the help and encouragement of that dear associational missionary, I might have not survived that first year in evangelism.

Bobby Sunderland of the Home Mission Board (1975) said that if a man had at least twelve revivals his first year in evangelism, then he should stay in the work for a second year. I would like to add to that statement that he should have at least twenty to twenty five meetings the second year, and he should have more than thirty meetings per year thereafter. This is indeed a confirmation of God's gift (evangelist) to the church. If the pattern of twelve meetings does not grow to thirty meetings or more a year, it is a good indication that a man needs to be something besides an itinerant, revival evangelist in the Southern Baptist Convention. (The exception being, if like Billy Graham, you held meetings on such a large scale that preparation and financing would allow you to do less meetings and be an evangelist to entire cities, states, and countries.)

In my first year, I held 17 meetings. In the second year, I had 26 revivals, and I have had anywhere from 30 to 43 revival meetings every year thereafter, not including Bible studies, retreats, and camps.

I recommend that ads be purchased and placed in several of the state papers. Your picture, the fact you are an evangelist, how to contact you and find your website should all be placed in the ad, Your phone numbers office and/or cell phone and your home phone should be listed. Your e-mail address should be prominent as well.

Your website should contain all the above information as well as sermons, songs and videos depending on your ministry. You CANNOT HAVE YOUR NAME OUT ENOUGH!

ORGANIZATION

There are at least two types of organizations. Both have strengths and weaknesses. The first is "no organization," and the second is an evangelistic association.

NO ORGANIZATION

What is meant by "no organization?" It means that the evangelist has only his personal bank account. He is paid after all expenses are met from all the church offerings that are received. He has no organized prayer chain. He has feasting one week and famine the next. He has no financial base to supplement the church love offerings.

STRENGTHS OF NO ORGANIZATION

The strength of this kind of ministry is manifold. First, there is no annual CPA audit of an association, and there are no fees that go with it. Secondly, a timely offering can be used to pay off debts. Thirdly, office expense is less. Fourthly, a man who launches out of a successful pastorate may have more than thirty revivals his first year and may have an even higher salary than he did as pastor. (The reason for this is that the love offerings establish his salary). Fifthly, having fewer tax forms to file is a blessing.

WEAKNESSES OF NO ORGANIZATION

The weaknesses are manifold. A man who may be tempted to mishandle his money, for instance, might spend his money during times of revival (March through the first three weeks of May; the second week of July up through the week before Labor Day weekend; and the second week of September through the week before Thanksgiving), and not have any money to provide for his family's needs from Thanksgiving through February, and also for the month of June. Secondly, because he is not accountable to anyone, he may be accused of mishandling funds. Thirdly, he cannot make plans for ministry as easily with no base of support. Fourthly, he will tend to be less organized and prepared. Fifthly, he will be less likely to incur prayer support. Sixthly, he can give no tax exempt credit for gifts received from individuals, unless it is done through a church. This gives rise to another weakness, relating to the home church. If people desire tax exempt credit for their contributions, then it will be necessary for gifts to the evangelist to be funneled through his home church. This should not be a problem, but on occasion some home churches will not want to handle this money. If the evangelist had a tax exempt, non profit organization, the funds would not have to go through a church treasury.

One example of this difficulty occurred in a Georgia church. The evangelist had an annual banquet; pledges were made to the evangelist during this January meeting. Since he was out of funds and the pledges were given directly to the local church, the evangelist drew funds out of the church's account on the pledges that had been made, but which had not yet been given. Needless to say, a mild furor ensued. The difficulty was ironed out when the church placed these funds in a separate special bank account. Consequently, funds could not be drawn out if they did not yet exist, and no strain was placed on the church budget.

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