Tent Meetings

[outdeep]

I was reading the recent issue of Decision magazine that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organziation puts out and it got me to thinking about something.

George always wanted to assiociate his name with all the "big boys" in the evangelical world.  When David Hocking was in his prime (before the fall), I mentioned to George I liked his preaching and he replied, "yes, many see similarities to his preaching and my ministry".  Apparently, he also saw similarities between his ministry and Francis Shaeffer, J. Vernon McGee, Boht Singh, etc.  He seemed to be the caliber of individual as just about every top name in Christian circles only he saw "the church" which set him apart as having even keener insight.

In this months Decision, they emphasized the well-known story of the watershed tent meeting that Billy Graham preached in Los Angeles 55 years ago.  It was at this time that William Randolf Hurst gave him the "kiss of blessing" and sent his reporters to cover it during the closing weeks.  It gave him so much publicity, the meetings were extended for several weeks and it put Billy Graham on the international map opening the door to his well known crusade ministry.

I just couldn't help wondering if George's desire to set up a tent in Hillcrest park was motivated by peer envy so that he was not only a teacher, preacher, professor, missionary and apostle, but also a renoun evangelist.

It's speculation, of course.  Maybe, because tent meetings were fashionable when George was growing up (they certainly didn't have the auditoriums and the freedom to travel we do today), he just wanted to bring them back.

[moonflower2]

It's speculation, of course.  Maybe, because tent meetings were fashionable when George was growing up (they certainly didn't have the auditoriums and the freedom to travel we do today), he just wanted to bring them back.

Then again, maybe GG just wanted to pocket the money, that would have been spent on auditorium rentals and plane tickets, for himself.  

[lenore]

 

A Tent Meeting is also the Brethren Way of Outreach.

So a number of factors behind the reasoning of Tent Meeting with in the GG organization , we can always continue to speculate.

The Brethren Church up this way in Renfrew County has a Revival Tent Meeting every year.

I find who mostly attend is Christians who attend other places of worship, because they like the preaching in one of these type of meetings.

Dont you find that this is the case  with most outreach efforts.?

[outdeep]

The whole model of being people in to us - to an event - in order to evangelize has been questioned for years and still is.  Few have come up with something to take its place.

The tent meeting were the hight of this thinking.  Though I enjoyed them, they were an exercise in preaching the gospel to ourselves.  Visitors who came to them were at least open to Christianity and church things.  The tent meeings, unfortunately added the added intimidating element of having a tent 500 yards from the nearst parking and surrounded by armed doorkeepers in ties and jackets.

The best outreach is when we bring the church to where people are.

[Joe Sperling]

I've been to several tent meetings. To me the best part is the clowns that appear between the acts. They wear a permanent smile--and you can't really see who they really are. And then there are the people tip-toeing very carefully on the high-wire, being very careful not to slip up in any way.  And there were a lot of people jumping through hoops. Then in the center of it all was the Ringmaster, speaking loudly. In some ways the tent meetings were the greatest show on earth.

[al Hartman]

I've been to several tent meetings. To me the best part is the clowns that appear between the acts. They wear a permanent smile--and you can't really see who they really are. And then there are the people tip-toeing very carefully on the high-wire, being very careful not to slip up in any way.  And there were a lot of people jumping through hoops. Then in the center of it all was the Ringmaster, speaking loudly. In some ways the tent meetings were the greatest show on earth.

     BRILLIANT!  So sadly true...  Thanks, Joe.

[mithrandir]

The whole model of being people in to us - to an event - in order to evangelize has been questioned for years and still is.  Few have come up with something to take its place.

The tent meeting were the hight of this thinking.  Though I enjoyed them, they were an exercise in preaching the gospel to ourselves.  Visitors who came to them were at least open to Christianity and church things.  The tent meeings, unfortunately added the added intimidating element of having a tent 500 yards from the nearst parking and surrounded by armed doorkeepers in ties and jackets.

The best outreach is when we bring the church to where people are.

Amen, Dave!  And there are many, many ways of bringing the church to where the unsaved are.  In my opinion, the tent meetings and other assembly outreaches, such as "Dinner and Song" outreaches, were simply a way for a few of us to be promoted to star rank at the grievous expense of many.  They were a very painful waste of time and money, for the most part.

Clarence Thompson