Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Inc.
by Teddy C. Badilles
1. Christ's program for souls, as outlined in the New Testament, is salvation, confession, baptism, church membership, instruction, and service. We cannot break or disregard this order and have permanent, constructive evangelism (Acts 2:38-42).
2. True evangelism is more than winning souls to accept Christ as Savior. This one of its task, its first great one. But there follows an important and far-reaching task of conserving this victory and utilizing the new saved soul in effective service in Christ's kingdom (Ephesians 2:10; I Corinthians 15:58).
3. Men are not saved so that they may keep out of Hell. They are saved to serve. The evangelism that stops at conversion and public profession is lopsided, wasteful, incomplete.
4. It should go on to teach, train, and to develop, and utilize the talents and powers of the new convert. This educational phase of evangelism is transcedently important and should receive the careful attention of all the forces engaged in the promotion of Christ's kingdom.
5. Modern evangelism finds here its greatest leakage and waste. Much of modern evangelism conducted by modern professional evangelists that does not have the commission from the Lord Jesus Christ through His church leaves its spiritual children orphans, homeless and motherless.
6. Churches not founded by our Lord Jesus Christ often let the new babes in Christ go without a mother's protecting arms, warm love, and food, until they become backsliders and spiritual driftwood. Such neglect of spiritual children is unpardonable and sinful.
7. Here lies, also, the unspeakable weakness of great "ecumenical union meetings." The evangelist of such meetings usually do not stress these important duties to the new convert; to be baptized and follow Christ membership, to join up in Christ service and to go to work for Him.
8. A new convert is entitled to knowledge of all that Christ wants him to do, and to train for His service only in the one true church founded by Christ not just to any church of his own choice that was founded by man.