only to dispense the "know-how," but are to engage in on-the-job training in visiting homes and mak ing a personal witness. Evangelist Billy Graham, a Warm and personal friend to many Ne groes, was a featured speaker at the Congress. At a press confer ence at the Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City he said, "The church was born in the midst of evangel ism and revival, and if it is to main tain its power and spirit fervor, it must concentrate its efforts here. I don't think anything could bring our two races together in a closer spirit of unity." Silence was a rarity during the three days of the Congress. Char acteristic of blacks is high-spirited and rhythmic music, and the church echoed and re-echoed with "A- mens." Some showed approval by waving a hand in the air, others by nodding affirmation. It seemed to have been contagious, for the voices of white Christians were al so heard with loud "A-mens," and other white faces carried a smile. A bearded Caucasian gentleman in the rear shouted, "Right on!!' Each found his own way to say, "I'm getting the message."
"I am convinced," said the di rector of the Congress, Pastor Ed ward V. Hill of Watts, Los Angeles, "that we are not going to build a better social order with lost peo ple. We in the black community are disturbed by the fact that the percentage of lost souls is on the increase. You're not going to have a world in which to enjoy your civ il rights, with a lost community." It was the first Congress on Evangelism in the Western hemis phere to be planned and directed by black Christian leadership. Al though oriented toward black peo ple, the spirit of the Congress was that of burden bearers seeking to preach the Gospel to all men ev erywhere. Four words were heard repeatedly from the speakers' ros trum, and were considered indis pensable by the Christians pres ent: "repent," "together," "evan gelization" and "now." One of the high moments of the Congress came when a former member of the Black Panther par ty, James Weston, gave his testi mony to the saving power of Jesus Christ. "I came to the point," he said, "where I could no longer crit icize either whites or blacks. I had to face the truth about myself." For him Christianity proved to be not an arrow but a boomerang. Mr. Weston is now engaged in a full-time evangelistic ministry among the black militants of the San Francisco Bay area. Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pre sented the "how" of getting the job done. He made it clear that his method requires the ministers' ac tive participation. Pastors are not
Color was an important and in teresting factor but not a barrier. It was a great sight to look upon, for the races were together as a unit. The link was what Pastor Hill described as "the common de nominator of Jesus Christ." Is it any wonder that the Congress was a complete success? The white brother and the black brother left Kansas City to return to their evan gelistic fields with the challenge ringing in their ears: "Go and bring all you can, but go!" From Decision Magazine, © 1970 by The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Page 7
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