Can Prayer Meeting Be Popular?
By Mildred M. Cook
Pastor welcomes out-of-town visitors
, Los Angeles
Emphatic “ YES” Comes from Church of the Open Door
W HEN an average of 1,800 people turn out for prayer meeting every Wednesday evening—sum mer and winter the year around—some thing powerful attracts them. At the downtown Church of the Open Door in the nation’s fourth largest city, the magnet that draws eager thousands is the Word of God itself, explained simply, dynamically and practically by the warm-hearted pastor, Dr. J. Vernon McGee. This emphasis upon the Word leads naturally to prayer and an ever growing number of small groups that meet for intercession in practically every available corner and classroom in the combined Church and Bible Institute plant preceding the study hour in the main auditorium. Sometimes there are as many as twelve such groups on a Wednesday night, composed of persons of similar age, interests, or burdens, and the total attendance of prayer war riors often reaches several hundred. Thus by fresh emphasis upon Bible study and mutual burden-bearing, a new radiance has been given to this historic gospel lighthouse at “ Sixth and Hope,” where, since the days of its first pastor, Dr. R. A. Torrey, the light of Bible truth has shown undimmed. This mid-week hour first won dis tinction in the fall of 1950 when a Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year Campaign was introduced by Dr. McGee who had seen its revolutionary and beneficent results in other congregations he had shepherded. The plan was threefold: (1) individ uals read the Book privately and con secutively, skipping nothing; (2) the pastor drew his Sunday morning and evening messages from portions being currently read; and (3) on Wednesday evening he gave a thorough and heart searching exposition of the text. From the first, interest soared; there were more than 2,000 people who at tended the first night and other hun dreds who became regular members of the “ class” through the Radio Bible Fellowship sponsored by the church. While the size of the visible audiences
been strengthened immeasurably in the work of the Lord.” Families joined in the reading—97 by actual count—going through the Bible together at their family altars. Repre sentative of many, one parent wrote: “ Our whole family enjoys the Wednes day Evening Bible Study. The children are thus beginning early to really loye the Bible . . . It is wonderful to have it presented so clearly.” One of the most outstanding features has been the accelerated enthusiasm of the young people as they discovered new wonders in the Word of God. Meet ing in a separate group for dinner on Wednesday nights, they adjourned to a prayer session of their own before par ticipating in Youth Choir rehearsal and Bible study in the main auditorium. In many large churches—the Church of the Open Door among them—there are choice Christians who, because of infirmity or other deterrents, are un able to come to the house of God. For the Through-the-Bible Campaign, hun dreds of these individuals joined the Radio Fellowship of the Church, giving to the effort the strength of their devo tion and intercession. ( Continued on Page 21)
varied in subsequent weeks, the 1800- mark was held as a glorious average. At year’s end, 835 individuals sent in glowing reports of their joy in having completed the reading; many others achieved the same success but did not make it known in writing. The benefits of this church-wide Bible study have been many and varied. Mis sionary giving—always at high peak in this historic church — mounted even higher. At the present writing, the church provides entire support for 106 missionary members, besides contribut ing substantially to others. There were 22 new missionaries added to the “ sup ported” list during the months of the Bible-reading emphasis. Wholesome increase in church mem bership has followed, although no phe nomenal gains can be cited. “ The con gregation, we feel, has improved,” the pastor points out—and gives this ex planation. “ The plan of Bible study has lifted the spiritual level of the whole congregation,” he observes. “ While some did fall by the wayside in the sustained reading of the Book and in regular at tendance, other fine Christians became identified with us through this project, with the result that our hands have
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Page Eleven
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