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Inviting a Response

By Jonathan Roberts.

As a Salvationist I am quite accustomed to the sight of someone walking forward at the end of a sermon in response to an altar call – also known as an appeal or an invitation. It has been part of Salvation Army worship since the movement’s beginnings in 1865. William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, had practised the altar call as a Methodist minister in England in the 1850s and as a travelling revivalist in the 1860s. Its origins, however, lay on the other side of the Atlantic. The altar call, which began sporadically in the mid-eighteenth century, had become fairly common by the end of the century among American Baptists, Congregationalists and especially Methodists. It was, however, the camp meetings of the early nineteenth century that led to it becoming a standard and commonplace evangelistic practice. These meetings derived from the Presbyterian tradition of holding four or five days of special communion services, which soon developed to include Methodists and Baptists. Thousands of people would camp in wagons and tents to attend the services in the frontier states of Kentucky and Tennessee. Those who were ‘anxious’ about their spiritual condition were invited to a fenced area near the pulpit (the ‘altar’) for counselling. The practice soon spread to local church worship and was further popularised by the ministry and writings of Charles Finney who ‘established it in the evangelical mind as the essential accompaniment of evangelistic preaching’.[1]

The development of the altar call in Britain

The altar call was first used in Britain by the American Methodist, Lorenzo Dow, during a visit in 1805-07. He encouraged Methodists Hugh Bourne and William Clowes to organise camp meetings in Staffordshire in 1807.[2] Various other visiting American revivalists used the altar call, but again it was the influence of Charles Finney that helped to establish its use more widely in the 1830s and 1840s, particularly within Methodism. Later, as a result of D L Moody’s visit in 1872-75, “decisionist evangelism… became a permanent part of the British scene”.[3] Even so, the altar call was never as popular in Britain as it was in America. Although this so-called ‘frontier tradition’ came to dominate local church worship in America,[4] only a very small proportion of British churches made regular use of it.[5] For many who did use the altar call it became the primary evangelistic method – that is until the end of the twentieth century when attention turned towards what were regarded as more effective methods, such as seeker services and the Alpha Course.[6] Another significant development in the twentieth century was that invitations began to be given for a variety of different purposes. Already, the nineteenth century holiness movement had called people forward for sanctification.[7] In the twentieth century invitations began to be given for healing, to be filled with the Spirit and for general prayer ministry.

A survey of British and Irish denominations

In the late twentieth century, surveys of the use of the altar call were conducted across several denominations in America (1979) and Australia (1996). Having found no evidence of similar surveys being conducted in this country, I began a survey of denominations in Britain and Ireland in 2011, which was completed in 2012. I contacted 30 Protestant denominations, including networks and associations of independent churches. The Salvation Army was not included because I was already aware that the altar call is commonly and frequently used in its churches. Enquiries were emailed to the national offices of the 26 smaller denominations and the 129 regional offices of the largest denominations: Anglican Dioceses, Methodist Districts, Baptist Associations and URC Synods.  From these 155 enquiries, 127 replies were received; 77 from the national/regional offices and a further 50 from local churches. Of the 30 denominations contacted, responses were received from 22 (whether nationally, regionally or locally), which in terms of denominations was a response rate of 73.3%. 

The email enquiries were short and simple, asking for an idea of how many churches practise the altar call and how frequently. The respondents in national and regional offices should have been in a position to give an overview of their churches. This was the case in most instances, with responses from several trans-local leaders (e.g. bishops and regional ministers) as well as mission enablers and communications officers. Others who responded may not have had an informed perspective, such as office support staff. For these reasons, the conclusions that emerged are fairly tentative.

The responses

From the survey responses it appears that the following denominations do not use the altar call for any purpose: the Church of Scotland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, the Free Church of Scotland, the Gospel Hall Brethren, the Lutheran Council of Great Britain, the Moravian Church and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

A few Anglican respondents said it was not used, while others said it was used by only a small minority of churches and not often. The diversity of traditions within the Anglican Church means that the individual responses may have reflected a particular theological and liturgical perspective. Having said that, a number of those representing an Anglican tradition that does not use the altar call did acknowledge that it was used by others (mainly evangelicals and charismatics) within the wider denomination. The overall impression, though, is that Anglican use of the altar call is extremely limited. Other churches where use of the altar call was revealed to be slight were the Congregational Federation and the United Reformed Church

In a number of other denominations the altar call appears to be used by a significant minority of churches. These include Baptists, Methodists (who appear to use it a little less than Baptists) and the Church of the Nazarene (who appear to use it a little more than Baptists, i.e. in just under half their churches). All the Baptist respondents said it was used, although the responses were not consistent. Opinions varied from ‘rare’ and ‘seldom’ to ‘quite common’ and ‘many’. A number said it was common at baptismal services. Interestingly, a 1996 Baptist Union of Great Britain survey revealed that the altar call may play a more significant role than some of the respondents suggested.  It showed that 39.3% of BUGB churches invited people forward for prayer ministry; almost half of churches (49.6%) offered the laying on of hands for healing; and 20% gave an evangelistic appeal in baptismal services.[8] Furthermore, the fact that an invitation for response at a baptismal service is suggested in the BUGB service book confirms that the altar call is firmly rooted in Baptist identity, even if not practised by the majority of churches.[9]

A number of (mostly smaller) denominations indicated that use of the altar call was widespread and frequent. These were Assemblies of God, Elim Pentecostal Churches (used weekly by ‘75%-80%’ of churches), Free Methodist Church in the UK, Ichthus Christian Fellowship, Light and Life Church Gypsy Church, Newfrontiers UK, Pioneer Network, Seventh-day Adventist Church (around ‘60%’ use it in weekly worship) and the Union of Evangelical Churches. The Salvation Army would also come into this category.

Britain, America and Australia

Taking into account the relevant sizes of the denominations that responded, it seems that only a small minority of Protestant churches in Britain and Ireland use the altar call. Those that do are mainly evangelical and/or charismatic. This contrasts with previous surveys in America and Australia which showed that altar calls were ‘used widely in local churches in America and Australia, and in a variety of denominations’.[10] How can these differences be explained? One reason might be that Anglican churches, which don’t generally use the altar call, make up a large proportion of churches in Britain and Ireland so the overall rate of use is likely to be low. Also, the altar call may not be thought to be as culturally appropriate in this country as it is in America and Australia. A third reason could be the different decades in which the surveys were taken. If the Britain and Ireland survey had been conducted in 1979 (like the American survey) or in 1996 (like the Australian survey), it might have indicated more widespread use of the altar call, but still probably less widespread that in those countries.

Some further findings

A number of respondents mentioned that invitations are given for healing and prayer ministry. In fact, some said these types of invitation are more common than evangelistic appeals. A few noted that, where evangelistic appeals are made, the invitations are usually for non-public forms of response, such as filling in response cards, speaking to someone after the service, or taking a booklet. Some respondents mentioned that creative or symbolic forms of response are often used, for example, lighting a candle, placing a stone in a bowl or writing on a prayer wall.

It was interesting to see how some respondents related the altar call to communion. For example, a Lutheran thought the altar call was unnecessary because Christ is given in communion, whereas some Methodist and New Frontiers respondents indicated that communion is an opportunity for public response to Christ and is therefore like an altar call. A few Anglican, Methodist and URC respondents said that people are often invited to receive prayer ministry at a communion service. Those who make positive connections between communion and the altar call are echoing the origins of the practice which developed from the communion season of the Presbyterian churches.

An effective evangelistic method?

A number of survey respondents mentioned that use of the altar call had declined in recent years. The main reason was that relationship-based evangelism courses, such as Alpha, are regarded as more effective in contemporary culture. British society is now regarded as post-Christian and postmodern, which makes people less responsive to traditional evangelistic methods. In post-Christian Britain, only a small minority of people come from a Christian family or have a connection with the church, so evangelism that relies on people’s understanding of the faith is less effective than it once was. In postmodern Britain, people are less inclined to accept absolute truth, giving equal plausibility to all beliefs and regarding only what is relevant, authentic and useful as important.

All this means that conversion is more likely to involve a process of learning and experiencing, rather than an instantaneous decision. Furthermore, this process is most effective in the context of personal relationships in which the authenticity and relevance of Christianity is witnessed. Not surprisingly, nurture courses which allow for all of this, such as Alpha, Good News Down the Street, and Emmaus, have proved to be highly effective. A 2003 survey showed that 46% of non-churchgoers who attended such courses came to faith and that 91% of these were still attending church six months later. [11]      

Despite the preference for process evangelism, it can be argued that there is still an important place for the altar call, whether in mass crusades or local church evangelism. First, a survey for Finding Faith Today revealed that 31% of people come to faith in a sudden experience,[12] suggesting that opportunities for such decisions need to be given. Although this survey is twenty years old, it is likely that a significant minority of people still experience sudden conversions.

Second, there is no reason why the journey to faith should not culminate in a decision made at an evangelistic service. As Attfield suggests, in crusade evangelism the preaching in a stadium may be the final step for those who have already begun the process towards commitment.[13]

Third, although most people’s journey to faith is gradual, there are usually key moments in the process. Atkins points out that conversion is not either a crisis or a process, but a process with ‘points of crisis’.[14] An evangelistic service could be the setting for such points of crisis. It could raise a person’s interest in spiritual matters or encourage them to take part in a process evangelism course.[15] This could happen because the person themselves has responded to an altar call or has witnessed someone else responding.

Fourth, my survey results confirmed what Finding Faith Today discovered, namely that witnessing a baptism service was a significant evangelistic event for some people and that in some cases communion was a helpful opportunity for response.[16] Some kind of altar call in connection with baptism and communion are therefore highly appropriate in some church traditions. For all these reasons, the altar call can still be appropriate as part of a relationship-based, process-orientated approach to evangelism. 

The altar call in the life of the Christian and the church

The survey indicated that an altar call is often given for various non-evangelistic reasons such as re-commitment or renewal, the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, healing and general prayer ministry. While these are all personal experiences, and can often remain as private experiences, the Christian life is ideally lived in community so it is natural that they will often be shared experiences. This being so, a public response may be helpful at times. It allows other people to pray for the person who has responded, even if they do not know the reason for the response.

Also, the outward sign of the inward spiritual experience helps to confirm and seal the person’s experience and to mark it as a special moment.  Furthermore, making a public response makes the person feel more accountable to those who witness it. Accountability is an important factor in Christian discipleship. Responding in front of others reminds the person that there is a responsibility to others, as well as to God, as a result of the experience.

Finally, it can be an encouragement, an example or a challenge to others. The congregation sees that God is at work in the person’s life; and God can use their response to speak to others about their own spiritual experience and commitment.

Some recommendations to consider

On the basis of what has been said above, I conclude with some recommendations for churches that do, as well as churches that do not, use the altar call.

Churches which use the altar call as their main means of helping people to come to faith in Christ should also ensure that there are opportunities for non-Christians and new Christians to build relationships with others in the church and to take part in pre-conversion and post-conversion nurture groups. This will make evangelism in the local church, as well as in large crusades, more appropriate for the contemporary culture.

Churches which focus solely on process evangelism should recognise that there are points of crisis within the process of conversion. They therefore ought to provide opportunities for response during and/or at the end of process evangelism courses. These opportunities could be private, but as we have seen, public response can be helpful for the individual and the congregation.

Public response in worship can be meaningful for individuals and congregations and can contribute to spiritual growth. Therefore, churches that do not already give such opportunities might consider doing so. The prospect may seem daunting for congregations not familiar with it, but a way to introduce it might be to offer prayer ministry in conjunction with communion, as is already the practice in some churches. If people are used to walking forward for communion, they may be prepared to receive prayer ministry at the same time. Once they experience the benefits of this, they may be prepared to respond on other occasions.

The value of symbolic responses in worship could be considered, both by churches that do use the altar call and those that do not. Postmodern people like ‘seeing and doing’. Offering opportunities to step forward and light a candle, write on a prayer wall, pick up a card and so on, could make worship and response more meaningful. For churches which do not already invite public response, such symbolic forms of response may be a ‘user-friendly’ way to begin.     

Although the altar call is mainly a feature of evangelical and charismatic worship, it need not remain so. Its form can reflect the culture, tradition and context of each individual church or denomination. Whatever form the altar call takes, it can encourage people to make faith commitments and to develop healthy spiritual lives. If it were more widely practised, it could contribute significantly to the life of the church in Britain and Ireland.

Further Reading

Allison, Lon and Anderson, Mark, Going Public with the Gospel: Reviving Evangelistic Proclamation (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Pr., 2003)

Booker, Mike and Ireland, Mark, Evangelism: Which Way Now?: An Evaluation of Alpha, Emmaus, Cell Church and Other Contemporary Strategies for Evangelism (London: Church House, 2005)

Clarke, John, Evangelism That Really Works (London: SPCK, 1995)

Finney, John, Finding Faith Today: How Does it Happen? (Swindon: Bible Society, 1992)

Finney, John, The Four Generations: Finding the Right Model for Mission, Grove Evangelism Series, 82 (Cambridge: Grove Books, 2008)

Headley, Carolyn, The Laying on of Hands and Anointing in Ministry for Wholeness and Healing, Grove Worship Series, 172 (Cambridge: Grove Books, 2002)

Kendall, R. T., Stand Up and be Counted (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1984)

Klaiber, Walter, Call and Response: Biblical Foundations of a Theology of Evangelism (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997)

Leach, John, How to Use Symbol and Action in Worship, Grove Worship Series, 184 (Cambridge: Grove, 2005)

Randall, Ian Maurice, What a Friend We Have in Jesus: The Evangelical Tradition (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2005)

Streett, R. Alan, The Effective Invitation: A Practical Guide for the Pastor (Old Tappan, N.J.: Kregel Publications, 1995)

Webber, Robert E., The New Worship Awakening: What’s Old is New Again (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publ., 2007)

White, Susan J., Foundations of Christian Worship (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006)

[1] David Bennett, The Altar Call: Its Origins and Present Use (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 2000), p.103.

[2] As a result Bourne and Clowes were expelled by the Methodist Conference and formed the Primitive Methodists.

[3] Iain H. Murray, Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750-1858 (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1994), p.404. See also, Ian Maurice Randall, What a Friend We Have in Jesus: The Evangelical Tradition (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2005), p.37.

[4] James F. White, Protestant Worship: Traditions in Transition (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989), pp.178-185.

[5] R.T. Kendall, Stand Up and be Counted (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1984), p.58.

[6]  Mike Booker and Mark Ireland, Evangelism: Which Way Now?: An Evaluation of Alpha, Emmaus, Cell Church and Other Contemporary Strategies for Evangelism (London: Church House, 2005), p.63.

[7] Bennett, The Altar Call, p.125, p.248; Randall, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, p.117.

[8] Christopher J. Ellis, Baptist Worship Today: A Report of Two Worship Surveys Undertaken by the Doctrine and Worship Committee of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (Didcot: Baptist Union, 1999), p.24 and p.40.

[9] Baptist Union of Great Britain, Gathering for Worship: Patterns and Prayers for the Community of Disciples, ed. by Christopher J. Ellis and Myra Blyth (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2005), p.72.

[10] Bennett, The Altar Call, p.168.

[11] Peter Brierley, Leadership, Vision and Growing Churches, (London: Christian Research Association, 2003), 18.

[12] John Finney, Finding Faith Today: How Does it Happen? (Swindon: Bible Society, 1992), p.24.

[13] David G. Attfield, Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age: A General Theory of Religious Communication, (Aldershot: Ashgate Publ., 2001), p.19.

[14] Martyn Atkins, ‘From Darkness to Light: Lessons in Disciple-making from our Great-grandparents in Christ’, in Let my People Grow, ed. by Tracy Cotterell and Mark Greene (London: Authentic Media, 2006), p.66.

[15] Booker and Ireland, Evangelism: Which Way Now?, p.70.

[16] Finney, Finding Faith Today, pp.71-72.