"Hello, this is Evangelist..." : Do you let them come preach?

[Esther]

Originally Posted by rrford

What do you think about a guy who is invited to preach and then leaves the service before it is over without ever preaching because of a powerful move of the Holy Ghost?

Not much!

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by rrford

What do you think about a guy who is invited to preach and then leaves the service before it is over without ever preaching because of a powerful move of the Holy Ghost?

Suggest to him a good tonic to get his diarrea under control.

[Coonskinner]

I don't use guys who do "cold calls."

if I tell you to call me when I am in the area, or if a trusted friend refers you, then maybe.

I even got burned by a guy referred by a friend once.

It wound up being funny...I finally got so mad at the guy that I told the Lord if He didn't shut him down, I was going to do it myself. Thirty seconds later, the guy made a dramatic hand gesture and busted his finger open on the corner of the podium. It turns out he was the wek stomached type who couldn't stand the sight of his own blood.

He turned pale and turned the service back to me.

[Rev]

Originally Posted by Steadfast

That may well be the shortest telephone conversation in the history of the Apostolic movement!

Does your last name start with T

[rrford]

Originally Posted by Esther

Not much!

Guess you had to be there.

Originally Posted by Esther

I can certainly understand the pastors point of view here. And indeed the Bible does say know them that labor amoung you.

I don't see how an evangelist can make it to get started today. Unless they are the son of a pastor, they have very little chance of getting a chance to have a reputation.

Someone mentioned that coming from a small church is a great hindance. I beg to differ, I think you might have a better chance. I go to a very large church and in the last six years I can only remember two young men who has strong family inflence given the opportunity to preach. What about the others that go to that church who left and was able to get revivals on their own? As much as I love my pastor I don't understand his decisions here. Seems like showing favorites to me. But I'm sitting in the cheap seats.

My other complaint is when we do have an evangelist it is the same one from the year before. That is okay occasionally as well. But variety is the spice of life is it not?

But as difficult as it is for men to get revivals for a woman it would be neigh impossible.

So as others have said, go preach in the nursing homes, go preach on the street corners.

Now one more point I want to make. If the pastor is as spiritual as you would like to believe they are why can't the evangelist call and the pastor be spiritually senstive enough to know what the will of God is in this situation. I beleive the old timers could do that?

Seems like there are no winners and no easy solution to this problem.

Miss Esther, let me help you with that. The simple answer... the fullproof answer... is "Results, results, results!"

I've been blessed in my Pastorate here with some of the most incredible Evangelists you could ever know. Many of them don't have 'big names' but they DO have one thing in common: they are very good at what they do.

I, personally, don't care one whit about how good a man preaches when we have revival. I have some that are more prophetically inclined, some who are more a catalyst of worship and some who are incredible preachers. But the one thing that means EVERYTHING to me is getting results... if what they are doing is getting people prayed through and baptized in Jesus Name it's worth everything we're doing to have revival.

Some time ago I talked to a young man out of my Church who was working with our outreach team. His plea was, "Why aren't the doors opening for me?" and my answer was, "You are in a position right here, working with our outreach team, to excell in the greatest way of all. Start winning souls and you'll find more doors than you can shake a stick at!"

He started focusing his efforts on winning the lost (as opposed to just 'preaching good') and he got the attention of Pastors everywhere.

The KEY is simple: EVERY Pastor I know wants results! They want...
* New souls praying through.
* Carnal Saints back on fire.
* Lifeless spirits renewed with passion.
* Soulwinning to become a lifestyle to their congregation.

ALL OF THIS TAKES LOVING PEOPLE!
(All too often some Evangelists make it obvious they love preaching but not souls)

And, if an Evangelist really loves people and strives to excell in what God called him to do he'll have results. Coincidentally, if he has real results he'll find plenty of 'open doors'.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by rrford

Guess you had to be there.

No doubt.

But to leave a powerful move of the Holy Ghost, who has so much they can't use a refill?

[Jekyll]

Originally Posted by rrford

What do you think about a guy who is invited to preach and then leaves the service before it is over without ever preaching because of a powerful move of the Holy Ghost?

We had a conference a while back and on Fri. night, we had a powerful worship service. The host, my pastor gave the option to the preacher, RM, to preach or not. He felt he was given a message from God and that he should preach. A great time of worship was confirmed by the Word of God and became mightily anointed service.

Originally Posted by rrford

What do you think about a guy who is invited to preach and then leaves the service before it is over without ever preaching because of a powerful move of the Holy Ghost?

The lowest of the low... vilest of the vile...

[retsambeW]

I remember right after I got married in the late '80s, I felt the call to evangelize and began to run it by my pastor. He was for it, and helped us get some meetings.

However, we went through a dry spell after a few months. I had some meetings scheduled for after the first of the year, but we were about to enter a two month period with nothing scheduled (Nov.-Dec.). I was very discouraged.

I was on the phone with a pastor I had previously ministered for, and who I would be with again after the first of the year, looking for some encouragement, advice, or just...something. He mentioned the name of a pastor that had been kind to him when he evangelized. He said you need to call him, tell him who you are, who your pastor is, that you talked to me and I said to call. I was assured he had just talked to this pastor a short time before, and was told the church was in desperate need of revival.

I called.

I said everything I was told to say. I knew I was in trouble when the first words he said were:

How many wives you got, boy?

Most of you know I try to diffuse tense situations by attempting to use humor. Judging by the tone he was using, he was having a bad decade, er....day. My reply:

Bro., I only have one of those, I don't see how some of these other guys can afford two.

His reply:

SILENCE

Finally, he spoke again:

Boy, how do you feel about wristwatches?

My reply:

I don't wear one, but I have no issue with those that do.

His reply:

I don't believe I can use you right now boy.

Click. On his end, of course.

Desperate need, huh?

BOLOGNA

That being said, now that I have pastored, I feel a little uneasy receiving cold calls, myself.