Brethren Conducting Tent Efforts Are Writing for Newspapers
By Walter L. Burgan
THERE are, perhaps, more ministers in our denomination who are now giving synopses of the lectures they deliver in connection with their tent efforts to the local newspapers for publication than ever in the history of the third angel's message. Many scores of the preachers are preparing daily extracts of their sermons, which the editors gladly publish. Truly this wonderful medium, which visits practically every home and is read by millionaire, banker, business man, and hard toiler alike, is being utilized to help swell the loud cry. Quite a number of the brethren who have heretofore been backward in handing to the editors synopses of their sermons are meeting with excellent success in their efforts; and others who have been successful during past efforts are submitting longer articles this season, and with the publication of each article are growing more confident in the belief that they can secure space in newspapers for the spread of the gospel message with as much freedom as do the ministers of popular churches. We of the Press Bureau are much encouraged over the results that have come to various brethren now conducting tent efforts through using the model sermons sent to them as guides for articles they might write for their home papers. These model sermons are sermons that have been published in connection with tent and hall efforts that have been held in various parts of the United States. These models have been sent out in response to requests that were made by brethren who felt that the newspapers where they were laboring would print accounts of their sermons if they had something to guide them in preparing copy that would be acceptable to editors. In telling of his success in getting articles published, one brother in West Virginia says:— "I thank you for the model sermons for newspapers which you so kindly sent. The interest in our services is growing, and we are able to get a synopsis of each sermon in two daily papers." "We have an article published every day," says a brother in the Western New York Conference. A brother in the New York Conference who has met with excellent success in writing for the papers in the past, tells of the effort he is now conducting in Albany, N. Y., the capital of that great State, as follows:— "I am enclosing articles from the papers of last week. We got excellent space all the week, as you will see. These accounts were printed in the Knickerbocker Press. Our attendance was fine, and is one third better this week so far. The newspaper part of it is all right. We are getting people to the tent from nearly all parts of the city, some from forty blocks away." All of us will agree that this newspaper was really responsible in informing the residents of that city who live forty blocks from where the tent has been pitched that gospel services are being held in a canvas pavilion. Not only is this brother securing a liberal amount of space in this paper each day, but is placing advertisements in it. He is giving publicity in a perfectly proper manner to the services he is holding, with the result that souls are being attracted who would, in all probability, have remained ignorant of the fact that such meetings were being held, had it not been for the newspaper. This endeavor on the part of the evangelist may eventually mean the salvation of a number of souls for the Lord's kingdom. A brother in one of the large cities in Virginia is meeting with success in his newspaper efforts. He is preaching to a few hundred each night in the city of Portsmouth, and the next morning a report of his sermon appears in the leading paper of Norfolk, which circulates over both Norfolk and Portsmouth and the surrounding territory. That editors are willing to print articles from our brethren is shown from these incidents and numerous other letters that have been received in which the writers say that the editors of their home papers would gladly publish more about our people. One brother in Massachusetts, who is engaged in ministerial effort in a foreign language, tells of the willingness of an editor in that State to publish our reports, as follows:— "The editor of the Telegram, a leading paper of this city, has recently expressed his willingness to take articles on subjects we lecture about. Now, as I am not able to write such articles in English, will you please furnish me with a series of sermons for this purpose?" My brethren and sisters, we have many evidences that the Lord is opening the columns of these mediums for the dissemination of the gospel. Let us take courage, especially those of us who still feel timid about writing for the press, and join the large band we now have enjoying success in having sermons published and circulated in places where the living preacher has never been.