Hebrew Scriptures and More . . . .

Andy Naselli opens up the topic of The Altar Call and lists several good reads. Most importantly Bennett, David. The Altar Call: Its Origin and Present Usage. New York: University Press of America, 2000. He also points to a recent article by Doug Sweeney and Mark Rogers, “Walk the Aisle,” in Church History.

The altar call has been a regular fixture in Evangelical and Pentecostal evangelism. Even in Japan, it has been used especially by missionaries and ministers strongly influenced by Americans. I myself have used it, trying to be credible with it and not abuse the believer or seeker alike. However this is very difficult in Japan.

First of all, most people can spend up to 3 years as seekers before they are willing to be water baptized or call themselves Christians. The value of a quick raise of the hand and “pray these words after me” does not make much sense within the context of the overall ministry within the local church. Some pastors have asked me to make an invitation and told me in advance that several of the seekers intended to respond. It seems that the altar call was something they felt uncomfortable doing, but that it was a necessary part in a person becoming a believer.

Second, some Japanese have told me that the “bow your head,” “close your eyes,” “raise your hand,” reminds them of methods that were used in the elementary schools as a means to say, “return the stolen item” or “no fault confession” for wrong actions. It seems that the altar call brings up unique emotions in some Japanese that may not be helpful at all.

Third, Japanese can be very kind to the speaker. On many occasions I have witnessed people who just raised their hand because they were told to and they wanted to make the speaker feel good.

Recognition that a “seeker” has changed their status to being a Christian is an important step for them, but maybe a more culturally adaptive way can be found, since the altar call is not an essential biblical nor traditional ritual that is necessary in the Church. In fact, I wonder if it does not produce a false image of conversion, in which instantaneous transformations are viewed as good and gradual spiritual awakenings are viewed as not optimal. Dr. Billie Davis, an Assemblies of God, Christian Education expert, once told me that she felt that the showy, walk up the aisle – conversion at the first visit to a church, was usually not true. Most of these people had multiple pre-evangelism and evangelism experiences and many were influenced somehow to identify the running up to the altar as a ritual of conversion.

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