The Thrust of Public Evangelism

The council turned its attention to those methods in public evangelism that could be employed successfully in Europe. The varied circumstances and divergent customs in different countries had a bearing on the discussions.3BIO 303.3

Halls for meetings were hard to secure and often expensive. In England a tent had been used successfully. A. A. John, from Wales, reported that working in what was known as “the watering places,” which drew the upper classes and wealthy, gave good promise. He had been holding open-air meetings and was thoroughly convinced that this was the way to go. Ellen White was drawn into the discussions on Sunday, September 20. Of this she wrote to the president of the General Conference:3BIO 303.4

I attended the morning session of the council. I was requested to speak in regard to holding tent meetings in Europe. I told them that according to the light the Lord had given me, tents could be used to good advantage in some places, and if conducted properly, would result in great good. I did not know at the time why they had called me out on this, but learned it was because Brother John had previously spoken rather against tents being the best for meetinghouse purposes.3BIO 303.5

I then presented my objections in regard to open-air meetings. They are very wearing to our ministers, because [they are] taxing to the vocal organs. The voice is strained to an unnatural pitch, and would be greatly injured by this method of labor.3BIO 303.6

Another objection was that discipline and order could not be preserved; such labor would not encourage studious habits in diligently searching the Scriptures to bring from God's storehouse things both new and old. The worker is not qualifying himself to become a thorough workman; he cannot possibly prove his own work by concentrating his labors to bring out and organize a church. He does not do the very work so essential to be done, not only to preach but to follow up his labor by ministering, by becoming acquainted with interested ones, going to their homes, opening to them the Scriptures around the fireside, making plain essential points of present truth, and removing the objections which always will arise when the truth is brought in conflict with error.3BIO 304.1

The Bible talks, the humble, earnest prayer with the family, accomplish a greater work than the most powerful discourses can accomplish without this personal effort. In the open-air meeting there cannot be that complete work done in binding off the work.... Sometimes great good may be done by this manner of labor. But as a practice it is better to reach the people in some other way.—Letter 23, 1885.3BIO 304.2

Tents were being employed successfully in America, where more than a hundred tent meetings were reported to be in progress. She pointed out that evangelists should know what they are doing and for whom they are laboring. The work should be thoroughly bound off, so that it would not ravel out. One report of this meeting stated:3BIO 304.3

She [Ellen White] thought that tent meetings are one of the very best ways to conduct religious services, and that according to the light given her, God will bless such meetings in Europe. When one is speaking in a tent there is not as much strain on the voice, which should be carefully cultured and managed. The melody of the voice should be preserved. It is one of the greatest instrumentalities in the hands of God for the salvation of souls.—The Review and Herald, November 3, 1885.3BIO 304.4

The better part of two days was given to the matter of tents and their use in evangelism. At the end of the discussion it was voted to recommend:3BIO 304.5

(1) That a second tent be purchased for use in England [for] the coming season; (2) that a tent be obtained in time for use [for] the coming season in Sweden; (3) That the Swiss Conference purchase two tents, one for the German and one for the French work; (4) That we request the General Conference to furnish a tent for use in Italy.—SDA Yearbook, 1886, p. 95.3BIO 305.1

Elder John, who favored a different type of work at the “watering places,” was most unhappy and distressed and let it be known.3BIO 305.2