I last reflected about "the sinner's prayer" and then this article came up on its related sibling "the altar call," another 19th century innovation that most of us thought came from Jesus' time. I am hesitant to say that we should abolish "this vile and manipulative" practice, but rather am inclined to suggest that pastors and leaders be more mindful of how they want to invite a person to the point of unconditional surrender to God's Lordship of their lives. Because if this is a compulsory tool in the handyman's box, the discipleship process is going to be alot more challenging trying to persuade unconverted "christians" of God's ways.
Source: You Asked: Should Churches Perform Altar Calls?
"The altar call relies on the powers of emotion, rhetorical persuasion, and social pressure to induce people to make a hasty and premature decision. And producing professions is not the same thing as making disciples. Surely a number of factors are responsible for the many nominal Christians that typify Christianity in the West, but I believe that the altar call is one of them."
No comments:
Post a Comment