Soul Winning Survey

[Ernie]

Regarding this thread's topic of soul winning it would seem to me (and also only being under the teaching of one Anabaptist church who had a similar approach to becoming a Christian) that it appears the mindset of some Anabaptists is that the Evangelical approach to soul winning (altar calls, sinner's prayer, etc) are not NT methods but rather Jesus just calling people to come follow Him is more of the scriptural practise. So, by trying somehow to get the unsaved to start following Jesus teachings, they will eventually be born again. Would you say this is a basic difference or how would you express soul winning from an Anabaptist understanding ?

If the unsaved start following Jesus, they MAY someday trust Him for the free gift of salvation and become born again. However, they may begin following Jesus, but then quit before experiencing full salvation rich and free.

I think it is also possible for a person to receive the free gift of salvation at the same time someone begins following Jesus.

I think we see both paths in the NT.

[Sudsy]

Regarding this thread's topic of soul winning it would seem to me (and also only being under the teaching of one Anabaptist church who had a similar approach to becoming a Christian) that it appears the mindset of some Anabaptists is that the Evangelical approach to soul winning (altar calls, sinner's prayer, etc) are not NT methods but rather Jesus just calling people to come follow Him is more of the scriptural practise. So, by trying somehow to get the unsaved to start following Jesus teachings, they will eventually be born again. Would you say this is a basic difference or how would you express soul winning from an Anabaptist understanding ?

If the unsaved start following Jesus, they MAY someday trust Him for the free gift of salvation and become born again. However, they may begin following Jesus, but then quit before experiencing full salvation rich and free.

I think it is also possible for a person to receive the free gift of salvation at the same time someone begins following Jesus.

I think we see both paths in the NT.

I agree. What I was trying to get at though was that a popular Evangelical approach is that to begin following Jesus one needs to be born again. So, the initial requirement is that there is an initial belief about one's sin and about Jesus (as is stated in Romans 10:9-10) and when this occurs the Holy Spirit comes to live within the new believer and they are drawn by the Spirit to eagerly desire to know and follow Jesus. If this is just an emotional experience, which is the case for some or sometimes a way of using some formula to escape hell or to be part of a group or some other reason, then this will show up in what most interests that person. They may do what is required of them to be part of a local church but their heart has not been changed and they know it.

There is no scriptural support for this method which I think began with Charles Finney in his crusades in the 1830s where Finney would advise -

Preach to him, and at the moment he thinks he is willing to do anything . . . bring him to the test; call on him to do one thing, to make one step that shall identify him with the people of God. . . . If you say to him, “there is the anxious seat, come out and avow your determination to be on the Lord’s side,” and if he is not willing to do a small thing as that, then he is not willing to do anything for Christ.

And others followed with their own ways such as Billy Graham and others. And we know that for some this was a real turning point of conversion to live for Jesus. Others consider water baptism to be the way of public profession of their salvation.

However others did not agree with altar calls as was the case with Charles Spurgeon who said -

Sometimes we are inclined to think that a very great portion of modern revivalism has been more a curse than a blessing, because it has led thousands to a kind of peace before they have known their misery; restoring the prodigal to the Father’s house, and never making him say, ‘Father, I have sinned.’ How can he be healed who is not sick? or he be satisfied with the bread of life who is not hungry? The old-fashioned sense of sin is despised, and consequently a religion is run up before the foundations are dug out. Everything in this age is shallow. Deep-sea fishing is almost an extinct business so far as men’s souls are concerned. The consequence is that men leap into religion, and then leap out again. Unhumbled they come to the church, unhumbled they remained in it, and unhumbled they go from it.

Curious as to what Anabaptist churches are represented here and whether or not they have 'altar calls' where people come to the front of the church to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour ? If not, is there a reason for not having these ?

And for those who do not follow this practise of 'altar calls' is your church growing and if so, what method(s) are used for this growth ?

[Sudsy]

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

About 15 years ago I heard a pastor with 8 grades of education say, "There is a lot in the Bible I don't understand."
Listening to his vocabulary it would have been easy to think, "I can understand why."
His next sentence was, "But there is much in the Bible that is painfully easy to understand."
There are a few memorable quotes that have directed my life and this is one of them. I purposed to give the rest of my life to what is painfully easy to understand. (Much of what you see from me on MN is simply my recreation.)

Someone has observed that the Reformers focus seemed to be, "If the Bible does not condemn a certain thing then it must be ok."
The early Anabaptist motto was, "Whatever the NT holds up as ideal, this we will try to do!"
The fruit that comes from these two worldviews puts people miles apart.

New Testament Commands
There are 1,050 commands in the New Testament for Christians to obey. Due to repetitions they can be classified under about 800 headings. They cover every phase of man's life in his relationship to God and his fellowmen, now and hereafter. If obeyed, they will bring rich rewards here and forever; if disobeyed, they will bring condemnation and judgment from God.

Rather than focus on which one's don't need to be obeyed, I prefer to start with the weightier matters and then work on the less weighty matters as I am able. Any commands or teachings that are unclear to me I place at the end of the list.

I found this list of 1,050 NT commands which are worth considering but I don't believe they all are applicable to all believers but most are - https://www.wholebible.com/NT_commandments.htm

[Ernie]

Curious as to what Anabaptist churches are represented here and whether or not they have 'altar calls' where people come to the front of the church to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour ? If not, is there a reason for not having these ?

And for those who do not follow this practise of 'altar calls' is your church growing and if so, what method(s) are used for this growth ?

I can only speak about the Plain Mennonites and Amish-Mennonites...

Old Order Mennonites and others announce that there will be an instruction class, and those wanting to please their parents, or those wanting eternal life, and/or those wanting to follow Jesus simply show up and go through the class. At the end of the class, a baptism is planned and applicants are asked to promise to serve the Lord the rest of their life. These folks are simply doing what they have done for a long time.

Both ultra-conservative and intermediate conservatives have evangelistic/revival meetings in which invitations are given. Some adolescents and young teens respond at such meetings but typically they meet with the ministers afterwards, not go to the front for prayer.
In ultra-conservative Mennonite settings, applicants are expected to write a written testimony of their change of heart and desire to follow Jesus.
In intermediate settings, applicants are expected to give an oral public testimony.

In moderate conservative and progressive conservative settings, (settings with lots of Evangelical influence) altar calls or something similar are quite common.

As far as growth... In all the settings mentioned above, a high percentage of children promise to serve God faithfully at baptism.
Plain Mennonites and Amish-Mennonites experience very little growth apart from having large families and most of them joining the church.

[Sudsy]

Curious as to what Anabaptist churches are represented here and whether or not they have 'altar calls' where people come to the front of the church to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour ? If not, is there a reason for not having these ?

And for those who do not follow this practise of 'altar calls' is your church growing and if so, what method(s) are used for this growth ?

I can only speak about the Plain Mennonites and Amish-Mennonites...

Old Order Mennonites and others announce that there will be an instruction class, and those wanting to please their parents, or those wanting eternal life, and/or those wanting to follow Jesus simply show up and go through the class. At the end of the class, a baptism is planned and applicants are asked to promise to serve the Lord the rest of their life. These folks are simply doing what they have done for a long time.

Both ultra-conservative and intermediate conservatives have evangelistic/revival meetings in which invitations are given. Some adolescents and young teens respond at such meetings but typically they meet with the ministers afterwards, not go to the front for prayer.
In ultra-conservative Mennonite settings, applicants are expected to write a written testimony of their change of heart and desire to follow Jesus.
In intermediate settings, applicants are expected to give an oral public testimony.

In moderate conservative and progressive conservative settings, (settings with lots of Evangelical influence) altar calls or something similar are quite common.

As far as growth... In all the settings mentioned above, a high percentage of children promise to serve God faithfully at baptism.
Plain Mennonites and Amish-Mennonites experience very little growth apart from having large families and most of them joining the church.

Thanks Ernie. In our local MB church everyone to be immersed that Sunday would first read their testimony on how they became a Christ follower. Prior to this they attended baptismal classes where, if they needed help, they were helped to word their testimony. Some would tell about a time at a youth retreat where they responded to an invite to come for counselling and prayer to be saved. Others, like myself, would tell of a time outside of the local church. The MB church did have 'altar calls' but it was an open invitation to come and meet with a trained counselor who would talk and pray with them for whatever their need was.

Back when I was young, decades ago, the idea of an 'altar call' was to come to Christ for salvation 'before men'. I remember how the emphasis was to step out and make it a public commitment. It was often said that Jesus called for His followers in public (I think that was a Billy Graham point). Let everyone know your desire to be saved. And water baptisms too were to be a public statement and most often in a lake until baptismal tanks came into the church.

At the MB church, one was also to invite their family, believers and unbelievers, to witness this event and front row pews were isolated for them. If at this baptism time they were also going to formally join the church, which most were, this was also noted in their testimony. Most all who gave their testimony had a 'sponsor' (whatever that meant) that would help them read their testimony. If their emotions took over, the sponsor would continue reading their testimony for them.

I suspect every church has their own tradition.