Changing times mean changing methods for state’s evangelists

Though Alabama’s evangelists are used all the time by God, they are not used nearly enough by Alabama’s churches, said Leon Westerhouse, president of the Alabama Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists (ACOSBE).
   
“Evangelists many times have to take other jobs to keep going,” Westerhouse said. “It’s more difficult today to break into something like this (evangelist work).”
   
Evangelists in Alabama are inspired servants of the Lord who can make a big impact, he explained, but because of the lack of demand, they are having to revisit their method of doing what they do best.
   
“It has been an honor to pray for them over the years and to see how God is using them,” Westerhouse said. “But today we just don’t have the long revivals like we used to. Many are just one-day affairs now. Churches plan a big day for Sunday but can’t get people to come back during the week.”
   
ACOSBE is trying to get back to personal visitation among its evangelists, whether it be while leading revivals or as active participants in their home churches, Westerhouse said. 
   
“We encourage evangelists to be busy in their local church and offer to do visitation and help the pastors and become active there,” he said. “We’ve got to develop relationships and get back to the visitation in the homes.”
   
As part of this joint effort, Alabama evangelists are gearing up for their second retreat at Shocco Springs Jan. 21–22.
   
Their annual business meeting will be held Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. at the Golden Corral restaurant, 101 Cahaba Valley Parkway, Pelham, as part of this year’s Alabama Baptist State Evangelism Conference. For more information about this page, contact Leon Westerhouse, 205-854-3839.