Are alter calls Biblical or Baptist?

[dale kesterson]

Bapmom, it is not that churches teach that walking the aisle is required, it is implied of the need to come forward to the altar to make a public confession. Many laymembers may see it this way (as a requirement for salvation). I have seen parents nudging their children or friend to go up and make a decision. It is the "decision" cards where you sign your name over to the church and the pastor gets another mark on his resume'.

Where does the Holy Spirit come into play? Since when is a "decision" salvific? It is the Spirit that gives life. But I guess that is another discussion for another time...

 

[bapmom]

StraightAndNarrow.....I hear disciplship messages all the time......gonna go hear another one this morning at church!

dale, is the Holy Spirit unable to work within an altar call? I don't think thats what you are saying, but Im not sure.

I also would encourage an unsaved person to make a decision for Christ.....it is sort of important, right? I have no problem, if the HOly Spirit is leading the person, with a parent asking their child if the message "hit home." Or asking a friend they know is unsaved if they have realized their need for a Saviour. God calls for a decision from us, and we ought to be an active part of that invitation.

The Holy Spirit convicts us of the need, whether it be through an invitation or through a soul-winner they meet on the street, or through the unsaved person's reading of the Bible on his own.

I just see no problem with the altar call in and of itself. We see something abused a few times, and we suddenly go to the opposite extreme and claim that the method itself is wrong?

And dale, please don't be so cynical about the "pastor gets another mark on his resume'". Come on. What good pastor doesnt want to see many people saved? Why must we assume that it would automatically go to his ego? I choose not to think that way about pastors, unless an individual man makes it amply clear to me that he is like that. Even then, if people are being saved, why does it matter if the pastor has become prideful in that area? God will deal with him.

edit: dale, if you are not being cynical, please forgive my assumption. But I see so much cynicism towards preachers these days, especially among professing Christians, that it is disturbing to me. I know of a man who won't come to our church now because he says our pastor "wears $500.00 suits." Now, let me say, our pastor does not own a $500.oo suit! He has a few that are more on the expensive side because people have GIVEN them to him. He takes care of his suits, so they look nice. He is open and honest with us about all of his finances and things. This man does not deserve cynicism. Yet I suspect that many of you would come in to my church and be criticial because......my pastor wears a good suit, he gives an invitation, we actually have people GO to visitors if they raised their hand about salvation but don't come forward, we baptize people the same day they are saved if they are willing, we have some sort of soul-winning church program almost every day of the week, etc.....

I can just hear some of ya'all saying my pastor is "just looking for numbers", "more points to his resume'", etc......yes, how dare we actually want to see people saved.......

yes a little sarcasm, sorry.

But do you see my point?

[ September 25, 2005, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: bapmom ]

 

[pinoybaptist]

Back in the early days of my conversion, when my pastor starts the 'altar call' and starts clicking his fingers (I see that hand, brother, I see that hand, sister....workers, be alert, the Spirit is moving...come now, and somebody will show you how to get saved...), I'd open my eyes just a wee bit enough to see what's going on in the peripheries.
Believe me, many a time, I'd see somebody with a visitor prompting his/her visitor to go forward by nudging him/her with his/her foot or elbow.
And when these visitors moved forward ?
Oh, the light in their faces.
They just "won" another soul for the Savior.
Hallelujah.

 

[bapmom]

and?

Honestly fellas, I don't know what kind of churches ya'all are attending! lol

And don't we have altar calls for more than just salvation seekers? Don't you in your church go forward to make many different kinds of decisions through private prayer? At our church the one who raised their hand to be saved and is asked to come forward, is absolutely never ever the only one walking down that aisle. In fact, they'd feel more conspicuous staying in their seat because so many people go forward to pray.

I have been in churches where the invitation is given and not a single person moves. I can see why the unsaved person in that situation would be loathe to leave their spot. But to me that always looked like the sign of hard hearts among the church members, not a fault of the altar call itself.