Alter Calls

Every now & then I'm asked why we don't do "come forward invitations" at the end of our services.  For those of you who are new to our church & have no clue what I'm talking about, most churches ask people to "walk the aisle" at the end of the service & come down front to speak to a pastor & "receive" Jesus as their Lord & Savior or to join the church.  Those who want to "ask Jesus into their heart," are usually asked to simply pray a prayer & BANG, you're now a Christian.  We stopped doing these years ago because we take a commitment to Jesus very seriously & feel people need to know exactly what it means to follow Jesus.  So, sometimes people from a more traditional background begin to feel that churches who don't ask people to "walk the aisle" at the end of the service are watering down the gospel, when, in fact, the opposite is true. 

I received an email today from one of my great friends in Texas who copied this blog post from the pastor's blog of another great friend of mine.  I know this is a long post, but It' so good, I wanted to post it here so you'd have a better grip on why we do what we do.

"I realize a relatively young church in this community that says “we’re not doing it” may seem like we’re being rebellious and trendy.  Actually, what few who fight for the practice realize is that it’s not good ole fashioned evangelism but rather new-fangled man-centered gospel-diminishing malarky.  Here are a few thoughts to explain.

  1.  There are NO pictures of alter calls in our bibles....the practice has ZERO scriptural reference.  
  2.  There are NO pictures of alter calls in the Christian faith until the last 170 years.  Charles Finney didn’t start the practice, but he is largely responsible for perfecting it during the 2nd great awakening in the 1800’s.  Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, George Whitfield and Jonathon Edwards would have no idea what you were talking about were you to ask them about alter calls.  Nor would Peter or Paul or any of the other apostles.  
  3.  It has contributed to a new vocabulary of belief and faith that is also unbiblical.....like “making a decision for Christ” or “asking Jesus into your heart” or “giving your heart to Jesus.”  
  4.  It’s manipulative, especially toward the hurting or the young.  This is why we’re so cautious about camps for children.  We don’t want to send our children or youth to a camp where altar calls are practiced for fear that they may leave thinking they squared-up with God because they walked an aisle when in fact all they may have done is had an emotional experience.   
  5.  It leads to people mistaking a walk down an aisle for “walking in a manner worthily” or “walking in good works prepared in advance” or “abiding in Christ”.
  6.  It’s associated with a VERY high rate of apostasy......for people who simply had an emotional experience will not bear the fruit of one who has over time recognized their wretchedness before a Holy God and repented, placing faith/trust/hope in the finished work of Christ alone.  THIS understanding takes time to develop in the garden of the heart.  
  7.  It’s associated with a numerical emphasis that counts “decisions” in an effort to quantify “soul-winning” results.
  8.  The alter call IS NOT the mark of an evangelistic church as some might suggest.  In addition, the absence of this practice in a church IS NOT the mark of a church that is unburdened for the lost and uncaring about the souls of men.  Burden and engagement are born and lived out in relationships.  The evangelistic church seeks relationships and ultimately disciples....not simply “decisions.”  
  9.  The appeal to “come forward” supersedes or completely replaces an appeal to repent and believe.  
  10.  It redefines the mark of an evangelist as one who can best get ‘em down the aisle rather than one who is gifted by the Holy Spirit to expose the truth of the gospel in a life-altering way.  
  11.  Most of those professing to be Christians in our community, when asked how they know they’re Christians, will point back to a time when they walked an aisle and made a “decision.”  Biblically, assurance does not come from a “decision” or a trip down an aisle.  Looking back to recent sermons, consider John 8:31 where Jesus tells those who have “believed” if they’re true, then they’ll “abide in my word.”  Or even more recent, Romans 8:13 “if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”  These are just a couple of recent samples from the gobs of scripture that point to an engaging dailiness of faith and mortification of sin that are characteristic of true believers......THAT’S where assurance comes from.  
  12.  It confuses people regarding sacred space......the front of a sanctuary where the alter call leads is no more holy than your living room where you read your bible with your family or your bedroom where you snooze.  Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit now........not some special area in our church buildings.
  13.  It inappropriately takes the place of baptism as the public profession of faith. BAPTISM is the biblical public expression of our faith and is how we are identified with the people of God.
  14.  It limits evangelistic calls to the 11:50-12:05 holy minutes on Sunday mornings....at the lips of the beckoning preacher.....with the backdrop of verse after verse of Just as I Am........rather than the beckoning, witnessing work of the people of God EVERY day in EVERY place as a sweet aroma enjoying Christ out loud.  
  15.  It’s filled the membership roles of churches with unregenerate who think they’re reconciled with the Living God because they walked an aisle.  

I must confess, I’m pretty disgusted with the practice.......even as one....maybe especially as one who once called for “decisions” myself.  I repent from that man-centered effort to harvest new believers and I trust that God will be glorified and His sheep will be found in the daily and weekly out loud enjoyment of Christ by the People of God." 

  

Comments

[Debbie]

Great article, it's amazing how we get hung up on "human" tradition and think that things can't be done any other way!

[Kenny Pierce]

Hey Brother,
Thanks for addressing this issue – it does seem to be more of point of discussion recently. I agree that many folks ‘who attend church services’ (as differentiated from those who are truly ‘IN THE CHURCH’) may have been coerced or frightened into some sort of public action because there is no outward evidence of regeneration or a desire or effort to ‘be about the Father’s work’. And that is sad and unfortunate because they may sincerely believe they are now ‘okay with God’ even though a quick glance into His Word would convict them otherwise.
That said… there is nothing wrong with challenging individuals to evaluate their standing before God, encouraging them to seek answers to questions they may have and taking action on the truth that has been revealed. Yes, as a youth minister you frequently invited students to ‘make a decision’, but you always had other Christ followers (i.e..counselors) on hand who were available to ask questions and help the individual assess their spiritual condition, rather than just ‘pray a prayer’. So don’t be too hard on yourself!
We can’t forget the twin truths… God’s foreordained plan AND human responsibility. Responsibility implies the ability to take action and action requires conscious effort – i.e. a ‘decision’. So, for those evangelists and congregations who handle it appropriately… Bring on ‘decision time’! You know I love you and appreciate you! -kp

[Russ]

Thanks for the thoughts! We recently starting try to curb the practice at our church and have had some questions. This is really helpful!!

[Brad Warren]

Pat, great post! I have long thought that altar calls confuse the very idea of living in the presence of God and usually wind up manipulating emotions.

What would you say churches should do to make their leaders visibly available on Sundays (or whenever church services are happening) for the sake of those who have genuinely repented of sin and trusted in Christ on that very day?

[Jason Whitehorn]

"with the backdrop of verse after verse of Just as I Am........rather than the beckoning, witnessing work of the people of God EVERY day in EVERY place as a sweet aroma enjoying Christ out loud. "

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!!