Evangelism. Ellen G. White
296, 1904.
Surveying the Needs of the Large Cities
City Work Is Difficult—We feel intensely regarding the work in our cities. There are few ready to engage in the work waiting to be done. There are people of all classes to be met; and the work is difficult. But we shall encourage all who have tact and the ability to understand the situation to give themselves to the work of sounding the last note of warning to the world.—Letter 82, 1910.
The Need of Study and Means—A few faithful workers have been trying to do something in this great, wicked city [New York]. [See also pp. 384-389, “New York.”] But their work has been difficult, because they have had so few facilities. Elder ----- and his wife have labored faithfully. But who (p.37) has felt the burden of sustaining them in their labors? Who among our leading men have visited them, to learn the needs of the work?—The General Conference Bulletin, April 7, 1903.
Difficulties and Fears the Cause of Neglect—Time is rapidly passing into eternity, and these cities have as yet scarcely been touched. There is a power that the Spirit of God can impart to truth. As light is flashed into the mind, a conviction will take hold of hearts that will be too powerful to resist....
My duty is to say that God is earnestly calling for a great work to be done in the cities. New fields are to be opened. Men who know the message and who should feel the responsibilities of the work have manifested so little faith that because of difficulties or fears there has been a long neglect.—Letter 150, 1909.
Commission to Study Special Needs—Seven men should have been chosen to be united with the president, to set in operation a work in the great cities for those who are perishing without the truth, while no determined efforts are being put forth to save them. These seven men should be men who are wide awake, men that are humble and meek and lowly in heart. Never should the cities have been neglected as they are; for there has come most decidedly message after message calling for earnest labor.
No less than seven men should be chosen to carry the large responsibilities of the work of God in the great cities. And these men should humble themselves daily and seek the Lord most earnestly for sanctified wisdom. They should relate themselves to God as men desirous to be taught. They must be men of prayer, who realize the peril of their own souls. What should be the work of these seven men? They should investigate the needs of the cities and put forth (p.38) earnest, decided efforts to advance the work.—Letter 58, 1910.
To See the Needs as God Sees Them—The Lord desires us to proclaim the third angel’s message with power in these cities.... As we work with all the strength that God grants us, and in humility of heart, putting our entire trust in Him, our labors will not be without fruit. Our determined efforts to bring souls to a knowledge of the truth for this time will be seconded by holy angels, and many souls will be saved. The Lord never forsakes His faithful messengers. He sends to their aid heavenly agencies and accompanies their labors with the power of His Holy Spirit to convince and to convert. All heaven will endorse your appeals. O that we might see the needs of these great cities as God sees them! We must plan to place in these cities capable men who can present the third angel’s message in a manner so forceful that it will strike home to the heart. Men who can do this, we cannot afford to gather into one place, to do a work that others might do.—Manuscript 53, 1909.
Problems Peculiar to Metropolitan Evangelism
Large and Best Halls—It has been a difficult problem to know how to reach the people in the great centers of population. We are not allowed entrance to the churches. In the cities the large halls are expensive, and in most cases but few will come out to the best halls. We have been spoken against by those who were not acquainted with us. The reasons of our faith are not understood by the people, and we have (p.39) been regarded as fanatics, who were ignorantly keeping Saturday for Sunday. In our work we have been perplexed to know how to break through the barriers of worldliness and prejudice, and bring before the people the precious truth which means so much to them.—Testimonies For The Church 6:31, 32 (1900).
The Practical Problem of Finding a Hall—The difficulties mentioned are the ones to be met in almost every place, but not in so manifest a form as in -----. We think Satan has made his seat in that place, to work out his deeds, that the laborers shall be discouraged and give it up....
We must seek wisdom of God, for by faith I see a strong church in that city. Our work must be to watch and to pray, to seek counsel of the One wonderful and mighty in counsel. One mightier than the strongest powers of hell can take the prey from Satan, and under His guidance the angels of heaven will carry on the battle against all the powers of darkness and plant the standard of truth and righteousness in that city....
Our brethren have been searching for a place to hold meetings in. The theaters and halls present so many objectionable phases that we think we shall use the skating rink, which has lately been used for religious and temperance meetings.... If we get a place to hold forth the word of life, it will cost money. God will make a place for His own truth to come to the people, for this is the way He has wrought.—Letter 79, 1893.
Securing City Evangelists—Now, when the Lord bids us to proclaim the message once more with power in the East, when He bids us enter the cities of the East and of the South and of the North and of the West, shall we not respond as one man and do His bidding? Shall we not plan to send messengers all through these fields and support them liberally? ... (p.40)
All our cities are to be worked. The Lord is coming. The end is near; yea, it hasteth greatly! In a little while from this we shall be unable to work with the freedom that we now enjoy. Terrible scenes are before us, and what we do we must do quickly. We must now build up the work in every place possible. And for the accomplishment of this work we greatly need in the field the help that can be given by our ministers of experience who are able to hold the attention of large congregations....
The Lord desires us to proclaim the third angel’s message with power in these cities. We cannot exercise this power ourselves. All we can do is to choose men of capability and urge them to go into these avenues of opportunity and there proclaim the message in the power of the Holy Spirit. As they talk the truth and live the truth and pray the truth, God will move upon hearts.—Manuscript 53, 1909.
“Highway” Evangelists—Elder -----’s ability as a speaker is needed in presenting the truth in the highways. When the truth is presented in the highways, the hedges will be opened and an extended work will be done.—Letter 168, 1909.
Extraordinary Efforts Demanded—In the cities of today, where there is so much to attract and please, the people can be interested by no ordinary efforts. Ministers of God’s appointment will find it necessary to put forth extraordinary efforts in order to arrest the attention of the multitudes. And when they succeed in bringing together a large number of people, they must bear messages of a character so out of the usual order that the people will be aroused and warned. They must make use of every means that can possibly be devised for causing the truth to stand out clearly and distinctly. The testing message for this (p.41) time is to be borne so plainly and decidedly as to startle the hearers and lead them to desire to study the Scriptures.—Testimonies For The Church 9:109 (1909).
Opposition, Expense, and Changing Audiences—I dreamed that several of our brethren were in council, considering plans of labor for this season [1874]. They thought it best not to enter the large cities, but to begin work in small places, remote from the cities; here they would meet less opposition from the clergy, and would avoid great expense. They reasoned that our ministers, being few in number, could not be spared to instruct and care for those who might accept the truth in the cities, and who, because of the greater