The Theater Meetings in New York City
By CHAS. T. EVERSON.
As it has been more than a year since I reported anything concerning the work in New York City, it might interest our people to hear something of the progress of the message here. During the winter we held services in a large theater in the heart of the city, which we hired for thirty consecutive Sunday nights. As such meetings had never been attempted in other cities, the plan was thoroughly studied before being put into operation. Many believed that a few meetings on such a large scale as was contemplated might be safely attempted, but feared that a series of meetings covering a term of seven months could be undertaken only at great risk. Elders Evans, Knox, and Thompson, who were consulted, saw light in the undertaking, as did also Elder Quinn, president of our union, and Elder Jayne, president of our local conference. The splendid way in which these brethren encouraged the enterprise was a source of inspiration to us from the start. We obtained the theater at a much smaller rental than any one thought possible. By making a contract for thirty Sunday nights, we obtained the Fulton15Theater for one hundred dollars a night. We opened the campaign with an attendance of about six hundred, and the meetings kept growing until we tested the capacity of the theater. At that time, providentially, the management wanted that theater for their own use on Sunday nights, and offered us a much larger theater only three blocks away, at the same rental. There the attendance continued to grow until we filled that theater also, up to the top gallery. It was not an effort that attempted to draw crowds by following only popular lines. Almost every phase of the truth was presented, such as the Sabbath, the state of the dead, the punishment of the wicked, the mark of the beast and the seal of God, the papacy, the seven last plagues, and the second coming of Christ. When we began the presentation of the eighth of Daniel with the twenty-three hundred days and the judgment, for a series of three nights, we wondered if it would attract the crowds as well as other subjects. We found that this subject drew the greatest crowds of the season, not even the war topics appealing to the people so strongly. It became clear to us that the central truths of the message, when rightly presented, are the most attractive and convincing of all. I see no reason for holding back the great truths that have made us a people. On the evening that I spoke on the first angel's message and William Miller, at the close of the lecture about one hundred and fifty persons stood on their feet, asking for prayers. Brother Daniells, who was present, offered an earnest prayer for them. An unusual power characterized the service the night that the subject of the sin against the Holy Spirit was presented. There was a solemn hush, and when an appeal was made, all over the theater people stood up for Christ. One man who had been so desperate in his rebellion against God that he had exclaimed repeatedly in his home, with cursing, “If there is a God, I hope he will strike me dead to show that he exists,” was present that night, and the Spirit of God got such a hold on his heart that he stood up for prayers. Others also who had given up faith in God arose for prayers. Next to the last night, when an appeal was made to the large audience, about two hundred persons arose for prayers, of whom one has since died. That night of turning to God has left a sweet memory for the dear wife who is mourning for her loved one. One man who had scarcely ever gone to church for ten years, came to the theater and became so interested that nothing could keep him away. One night he sat down and wrote a letter to his mother in her far-off island home, telling her that he had attended these meetings, and had made up his mind to follow the truth. Shortly afterward he died, and the message of his death was flashed across the wires. The sad news was received first, and when the letter came, it seemed almost like a message from the dead, telling her of her son's decision to accept the truth. So these meetings are sending cheer and hope to distant homes. We have had several Wall Street men at the meetings, who are intensely interested. One man just landing in New York from Scotland, found his way to the service his first Sunday night in New York. He came to this country to give the American people the benefits of a whole-wheat bread that he has learned to make by a new process. Leading doctors of New York are already interested in it, and consider it of so much importance that they have provided funds for launching the enterprise. A splendid up-to-date factory has been equipped in Brooklyn. The truth has already made such progress in the Scotchman's life that he has begun to keep the Sabbath, and closes the factory on that day. A well-known millionaire and his wife attended the closing lecture at the hall where our Thursday night meetings were held, and were much impressed. In fact, a friend of theirs, who is also attending the meetings, told me that she met the wife the next day, and said she never saw such a change as had come over her from attending that one service. When we start meetings again we feel sure that these friends will avail themselves of the opportunity to learn more about the truth. People of such standing do not come by accident; they have been induced to attend through the influence of friends who have been attending our meetings for weeks. The outlook is excellent for doing a great work in this city. If we can but keep humble, bowing low at our Master's feet, and be but a voice crying for him in this desert of sin, I am sure that he will do a quick work in the earth. This truth is mighty, and the secret of success lies in the wonderful message itself. A group of the wealthiest and most influential churches in New York, seeing the great success attending our efforts at the theater, decided that they would rent a theater near us. They got a good preacher; they advertised their meetings extensively on the billboards of the subway and elevated stations, and in the newspapers; but they never had as many as one hundred and fifty persons at any service. A lady who met one of our workers giving out tickets near the theater where they held their meetings, said it was so hard to get a seat at our meetings that she had attended the other theater, thinking it was an overflow meeting from our campaign. People have been asking if these big efforts are really successful. A large effort can be called a complete success only when it satisfies three requirements: a large attendance is essential, otherwise a smaller effort would serve the purpose; it must be a financial success; and last but not least, it must be a success in the gathering of souls. Our effort here certainly was a great success in regard to the attendance throughout the campaign. Financially, we have figured that it cost less to run in proportion to the results obtained than even our smaller tent meetings. In the matter of souls saved, we are thankful to say that the Lord has also blessed us. Only a small part of the fruits of the meeting are thus far garnered, but already since the first of January of this year, fifty-nine persons have been baptized, making one hundred and eight that the Lord has given us to baptize in the last eleven months. We are planning on following up this winter campaign with a large tent meeting, in which we expect, by the blessing of God, most of the results of the winter campaign will be gathered. Much of the success of the meetings depended upon the wise planning and indefatigable work of our president, Elder Jayne, who not only took a general interest in the campaign, but went into the details of our plans. Brethren W. G. Wirth and J. E. Hanson, with Sisters Calvert, Everson, Lewis, Henessy, Kershaw, and Thompson, worked and prayed through many hard problems that confront workers in such a place as this. I am sure that God will not forget their labors of love. Our church members worked valiantly in distributing cards, visiting the people, holding open-air meetings, and in many other ways. I feel certain that the books of heaven will show a good chapter given to recounting the work of many faithful lay members whose names may not come into the printed reports. Dr. Harrower and Brother Klebahn were exceptionally helpful in leading the singing and greeting the people.