***
What is going on when a pastor gives an altar call or invitation? Is this appropriate? Is it manipulation?
When I was a kid, at church there was a weekly altar call with the hymn, “Just As I Am” playing and we knew that if God was working on someone’s heart, they’d get out of their seat and walk down the aisle to the altar, sometimes in tears. As a kid, I didn’t know what the big deal was.
Here’s a Willie Nelson rendition of “Just As I Am.” It might take you back. Do churches still sing this song at altar calls? I’ll bet there are some that do.
***
***
Later, at a different church, I remember the pastor giving invitations to come forward if someone wanted prayer. Sometimes it would start out with the pastor asking for people to raise their hands and get eye contact with him as “everyone’s head is bowed and all eyes closed.” By the way, I was the kid who peeked – – yea – probably 99% of the time – lol. I did wonder if God would punish me for peeking. Was that a sin?
As I got older and matured in the faith, I was more concerned about my walk with the Lord and hearing His voice. When the pastor urged people to come forward, was He speaking to me? Did He want me to come forward? What if I was supposed to go forward to the front, but didn’t. Did God care? Would that mean I was disobeying God? I got very confused about these things – especially when my friends would go forward and I remained in my seat. There was a lot of internal pressure I felt, and I didn’t know what to do with it, so I usually stayed in my seat.
Earlier this week I read a blog article by Don Johnson, “on invitations,” and appreciated his words as it related to some of my church experiences:
But that is just it – so many invitations are vague, unclear, manipulative, dependent on the crowd management of the evangelist, psychologically damaging and entirely unscriptural. Let me give you an example of what I mean. Not long ago, I sat in a service where the speaker was passionate about something. I am not sure exactly what it was, it certainly wasn’t found in his text. But he did make it clear that times were bad and we need people to do something. At the end of the service, the invitation went along these lines: “If you know that you need to be more committed to the Lord and stand for him, raise your hand.” Apparently a lot of hands were raised. Next the preacher said (after a bit more exhorting), “All of you who raised your hands, would you stand up and show you are committed to doing something for the Lord.” Well, a lot of those folks stood up. I don’t know if they all did, but many did. Next (you knew it was coming, didn’t you?) he said, “Now I want all of you standing to come forward and tell the Lord you mean business.”
Be sure to check out Don’s article. I have a hunch that some of you may have some stories to share about altar calls or invitations.
What do you think about them?
Are they Biblical?
Do you find them manipulative?
Are they necessary?
Let’s talk.
I leave you with this hilarious video. See how many expressions you are familiar with:
***
***
Spiritual Sounding Board 
The invitation is a relatively recent phenomenon, having started with the “penitent’s bench” during one of the Great Awakenings (I would have to look it up, but I think it was Finney who started it). Honestly, I don’t see it as effective. Not that I don’t think some have been truly saved, but most people are not saved through a sermon and invitation at church. I think that most are truly saved through relational evangelism.
One of the phenomena that really irks me in churches that still have invitations is getting the entire congregation to recite the Sinner’s Prayer (whatever their variation is). I mean, how many times does a person have to ask to be saved? Do you do that just in case it didn’t “take” the first time?
LikeLike
The “altar call” is indeed a relatively recent phenomenon. Mid-19th century evangelist Charles G. Finney used it. The problem with the “altar call” is that much of, although not all, is emotionalism, and that is dangerous. It is dangerous because so many pastors do not speak of “counting the cost,” etc., when giving altar calls.
It gives rise to those “stony ground” hearers Jesus talked about.
Neither the altar call nor the sinner’s prayer finds a basis in scripture. They are devices. Nothing more. Some will point to the publican who cried out, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” And that’s a good point.
That said, if the preaching is Bible-based, balanced, and anointed (a combination that, in today’s secularized Christianity, is more rare than hen’s teeth) then, I think the altar call and the sinner’s prayer are fine tools or devices that can, and often do, serve a divine purpose. But both devices are way overused, i.e., employed absent the Holy Spirit’s anointing.
They worked for me and caused me to step out and make that profession of faith. It also provided a demarcation point for me to know when I turned from sin.
LikeLike
I’ve never felt that altar calls are deceptive or manipulative. Maybe it depends on how the preacher conveys the altar call?
It’s my understanding some Calvinists detest altar calls, because they feel if someone is already one of the elect, altar calls are unnecessary.
Which kind of reminds me; I wish some Christians would stop attributing the notion that choice in coming to Christ is involved at all to the heresy of Pelagianism or Semi Pelagianism. But they do it.
I used to go to church a lot as a kid, have gone a few times in the past few years, and there were altar calls. People usually do not step forward, though.
The ones that do, I got the impression they were going to do a prayer request, not ask to be led in a prayer of salvation (and some Christians really, really hate the prayer of salvation, and I don’t understand the hostility to it. I don’t think it’s always indicative of a form of “easy believism” or that it always creates false converts.)
Julie Anne wrote,
Don Johnson.
Miami Vice Theme 1980s synth music.
There’s some guy over at Internet Monk who posts under the name “Steve Martin.”
LikeLike
If you want to know if an “invitation” is manipulative, see how you feel when you DON’T respond to it.
I was in a church once where the pastor did a sort of reverse or inverted altar call in that you were supposed to stand up, or raise your hand or something, to confess your salvation, rather than admit you need to be saved. It was some variation of that. What Christian isn’t going to feel serious pressure to respond to that one, no matter their views on such things?!
LikeLike
This nonsense has exactly the same biblical support as reciting the rosary, so I treat it the same way. I think you should, too, but I’m not going play Hall and Oates’s “I Can’t Go for That” while telling you to stay in your seat with your eyse wide open – although I do think those are a good idea!
Well, all right, here’s the tune. But you’ll have to play it yourself if you want to:
LikeLike
(and some Christians really, really hate the prayer of salvation, and I don’t understand the hostility to it. I don’t think it’s always indicative of a form of “easy believism” or that it always creates false converts.
Daisy, you are absolutely right about this. That’s how I got saved.
LikeLike
Peter, without even pushing the play button on that Hall & Oates song, it is now replaying in my head and I cannot find the stop button. lol
LikeLike
I didn’t realize there were churches left that still had alter calls. As far as manipulation, I think it depends on how it is done. Saying to someone that you love them, that Christ loves them and would they accept Him is not manipulation, but you can do that in the church parking lot, the grocery store or in a park. If the minister is preaching hell fire and brimstone, that could be intimidating. The Lord doesn’t want you to come to Him out of fear, He want you to come in Love.
The church I go to doesn’t have alter calls. They feel it causes people to feel too much presssure and could result in shallow professions of faith that will not last past getting up off your knees. People are told if you have questions there are many that are waiting to talk to you about the Lord.
We also don’t pass a plate for the offering. There is a box on the wall in the back of the church. No pressure. If you want to give, you put it in the box.
LikeLike
“Plus, if you call now and repeat a prayer to one of our operators …”
What a hoot!
I remember visiting a church with my relatives and at the end the preacher did a call for those needing prayer. One woman got up and moved forward, but no one else. At lunch I mentioned this and my cousin said, “That’s the pastor’s girlfriend. She goes up every week.”
LikeLike
haha, Tim! Love it. Inquiring minds want to know if that going-up-to-the-altar-business happened before or after the relationship started?
LikeLike
I remember in preaching classes, we were told to always include an altar call, or invitation on Sunday mornings. In fact, part of our grade was based on giving an effective invitation!
I cannot say that it is unbiblcal, but extra-biblical for sure. There are pros and cons to it and there will always be some who will respond and say the sinner’s prayer, but will not have any real change. There are some who will be saved through this methodology, but that is a sovereign work of Christ in the person’s heart and no invitation or prayer reciting will do any good based solely on responding and reciting.
I don’t think that most pastors go into it to manipulate, but to honestly try to lead people to Christ. I just don’t see it as that effective generally.
LikeLike
Before or after? If only I’d thought to ask!
LikeLike
Rats, Tim! I was hoping to report a new idea for singles meeting other singles at church.
LikeLike
LOL, we had a similar experience. When I was associate pastor at a church that was quasi-charismatic. We called the invitation, “ministry time” and we had one lady who would come up every week and “be slain in the spirit”. We learned quickly that if she came up to one of us for prayer, the other had better stand behind her as it would not take long for her to fall backwards!
She was a rather large lady, too!
I have always had a problem with that phenomena, but that is a whole different story.
LikeLike
This brings to mind something I recall from a book by a famous, controversial preacher by the last name of Ball–wrote a book having something to do with love, Piper tweeted he was toast or some such, can’t think of his first name at the moment. Anyway, he related a story from his youth of having been in some church where the pastor did the “every head bowed, every eye closed, nobody looking around, yes I see that hand, I see that hand” thing. Only thing is, Ball didn’t close his eyes, and he even looked around. Nobody was raising their hand.
Personally, I’m O.K. with alter calls so long as they are truly invitations, easily declined, without a hint of manipulation. I agree with Scott that manipulated salvations are likely to be of the “stony ground” nature. I’m not opposed to the sinner’s prayer, but I don’t think it is in and of itself effective to the attainment of salvation. There has to be true repentance, an actual turning from sin and to the Lord Jesus, who is in fact embraced, not just acknowledged but embraced, as Lord.
LikeLike
Ok, whew, so I’m not the only one who peeked. I was getting worried for a sec.
LikeLike
Oops! Controversial preacher would be Bell, Rob Bell, wrote “Love Wins.”
LikeLike
I never had any problem with altar calls when I attended an AG church. The pastor generally saved them for when there were people in attendance who were new to Christianity and had been meeting with him and attending Sunday School classes to learn more. Sometime people went up and sometimes they didn’t. I was saved at one of his altar calls.
LikeLike
I grew up with the altar call methodology too. However, I rejected it quite a few years ago as a manipulative tool that misleads people in numbers of ways. It has no biblical support. It promotes easy believism (if you go forward, you are saved) and it really can add works to faith for justification (you MUST go forward). I now tell people inquiring about Christ to simply pray “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” That one is in the Bible. Charles Finney had his hand in this stuff and in some churches the pastor will be thrown out if he doesn’t give the magical altar call.
LikeLike
Jeff, I have been in so many churches where there is a segment of the congregation that wants to hear the salvation message in every sermon. Probably the same people who would throw out the pastor for not giving an invitation.
If I remember right, Finney was very Arminian in some respects too.
LikeLike
As a teen at a Christian rock festival, I thought the altar call was awesome – the prayer partners were mostly gorgeous college students too. But while I went down at the altar call, that wasn’t why I had an infilling of the Holy Spirit. It was the Christian community I was a part of on the trip and back home that taught me what God’s love was. We know music and certain rhythms of words can be used to affect people emotionally. I think they are especially abusive when used with youth or people whose lives are in crisis. So they get a little high for a while but then they drop back down and think the whole thing was a fake and they didn’t “really” accept Jesus so they need to do it again. How’s that biblical? While it’s fun to be able to point to a specific time and place as to when we realized the truth of God, that doesn’t mean everyone has a moment like that or needs to. Some people know God their whole lives – where do altar calls leave them?
LikeLike
One classic sign of manipulation is the use of soft music and low lighting to “set the mood”, as it were. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, Oh sinner, come home.
On a similar note, I’ve occasionally seen church signs advertising an apparently scheduled “revival”. I had no idea the Holy Ghost could be summoned at will and made to do unusual things (I am neither pentacostal nor charismatic).
LikeLike
My former church would do the whole “every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around” spiel. It would bother me when the piano or organ would start to softly play during the “invitational” because it was using music for emotional manipulation. And it really bothered me when the minister told about a man who put off committing to the Lord because he didn’t want to come to the front in a service but finally did. Why would anyone think that someone has to go to the front in church to be saved?
LikeLike
When I was nine, our Alliance church brought in some evangelist to speak to the youth during an evening service. He asked us, if you died tonight, do you know where you would go? That question bothered me, but not enough to make me go forward at the invitation. Any dealings I had with God, I wanted to remain between Him and me, at least for the time being. I wasn’t about to be a notch in somebody’s evangelistic belt, not even as a kid. No one knew for years that I had crawled into bed that night and prayed for Jesus to come into my heart and forgive my sins. I kind of wish I hadn’t used that particular language, but that was how I had been taught to become a Christian. Did I have to Holy Spirit? That’s a good question, as I did not receive baptism until I was 18 at a completely different church group. I definitely did not have the singular, dramatic conversion experience that has been so favored in the evangelical protestant world. I think that’s one reason the reformed world was initially attractive to me; there’s no such pressure.
Maybe part of it is my personality (INTP, in the Meyers-Briggs). Being an introvert, I hate having people making a big fuss and gushing over me. I’m not against emotion per se, and I believe that can be a significant element in a person coming to Christ, through conviction of sin and the joy of salvation that breaks through.
LikeLike
Answer: 9 times out of 10, manipulation. This why even the Billy Graham Association reported a year after any given crusade, a majority of those who went forward for Billy’s alter call weren’t attending a church. It was probably not heartfelt. I remember as a teenager the pressure to say that you’ve been saved or born again was overwhelming. There is rarely, if ever, any caveats that it’s okay to wait to address intellectual objections or questions. And most calls, have some sense of urgency tied to them, as if, if you don’t respond tonight/today/now, it might be too late, whether couched in hell terms or otherwise. Better be safe than sorry.
It’s fascinating to me Julie that the second video you posted is made by an organization called Real Truth Matters. If you visit their website, they are against altar calls because they manipulate, and then read closer and they also think altar calls create false security making people believe they are saved when they are not and still on the way to hell! So, they themselves are manipulating people, in my mind, by putting the fear of hell in people, saying “your very life depends on it” so ignore altar calls and now listen to our teaching on this website!
LikeLike
Maybe part of it is my personality (INTP, in the Meyers-Briggs).
That is a really interesting angle to consider these things from, now that you mention it.
What is the effect of an altar call on a given personality type and how does each respond?
I’m INFJ. For me it’s like, yeah, (I) I don’t need anybody making a big public deal about me and (N) I know perfectly well that it is no less valid simply because it happens internally. But yep, (F) I do suffer from the pressure of not caving and going forward, but (J) dog gone it I ain’t budgin’ from this spot right here and I’ll tell you all the reasons why if given half a chance. But in real life it would be done rather nicely. (F again) 🙂
LikeLike
During my adult life up to now I would have said that I became a Christian sometime between the beginning of my Junior year and the beginning of my Senior year in High School. I decided to read the Bible straight through. I accepted as I had understanding. I am sure I was saved by the time I finished the Bible plus a book by Billy Graham. I have no idea at what point, precisely, my salvation took place. There was no preacher, no altar call, no classes, no anything other than quiet, undramatic acceptance.
As I sit here thinking about it today, however, I wonder if I hadn’t become a Christian at some much earlier point. I grew up in a United Methodist Church. They taught Jesus in Sunday school. They gave me the Bible I decided to read in High School. There was never a time in my life when I did not consider myself a Christian. Maybe our Lord responded on my behalf when my parents stepped forward in faith and had me baptized by sprinkling as a baby. Maybe the principle for me was spoken by Jesus when He said “For the one who is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:40 ESV. Maybe the only condition all along has been that I not reject the One who chose me in Him before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4.
No, no altar calls required in this believers life.
LikeLike
Some have already shared, but I’d be curious to know what kinds of churches/denominations typically do altar calls. My experience has been at Baptist churches and a Foursquare church.
Also, does anyone know if there is any church group that has publicly spoken against altar calls?
LikeLike
Gary W – I can really identify with you. I “went forward” in a Baptist church when I was 8 years old. I really did believe in Christ and I was baptized soon after. However, I cannot identify any specific time when the Lord regenerated my heart. I showed little fruit until my early 20’s and I don’t know if I was saved before then or not. Or, as you say, maybe I was saved before I even walked down that aisle. I say all of this because the churches I grew up in put great pressure on you and placed great credence in being able to say exactly when the moment was you were saved. I couldn’t. And people doubted my salvation. Jesus told Nicodemus that the Spirit is like the pneuma (the wind). You can’t see it, and you sure can’t manipulate it. But you can see its effects. Right there in those few verses in John 3 we should know enough to be done with tactics like altar calls. And by the way, “altar”? What altar? The front of the church building isn’t an altar. Jesus is our only sacrifice and His offering is over. Sometimes I wonder if the religion I grew up with was even Christianity.
LikeLike
I understand what you are saying, I came from a catholic background, I believe before I knew the Word of God and was being taught at a Bible based teaching church that I too was “saved” , I revered Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I just did not have a relationship with Him because I did not know any better. But I believe that I was always HIS, and I believe what I always felt was His Holy Spirit along side of me untill that DAY when the Revelation of God’s Word and His truths sealed the Bond between my Savior and myself. No altar call required !!
LikeLike
Off she goes to tweet this: “Sometimes I wonder if the religion I grew up with was even Christianity.”
Love the comment, Jeff. Part of my childhood, I was raised Catholic in which there were altars, but I never heard that word in Protestant churches except for the phrase “altar call.” Interesting.
LikeLike
Kathy Lucerne – Welcome to SSB and thanks for your comment. I can really relate to your comment about always feeling like you were His with your Catholic background. When I went from Catholicism to Baptist as a child, I didn’t understand why I had to be “saved.” I knew I already was saved. They were looking for a particular time that I had “accepted Christ,” but I had already accepted Christ. What was their problem? 🙂
LikeLike
Wendell – Yes, Charles Finney actually believed and taught that it is possible for human beings, the preacher, to schedule an appearance of the Holy Spirit, i.e., a revival, if you met certain preparatory conditions. If anyone doubts that, just pick up Finney’s book and you will see it quite clearly. As to people insisting that the preacher include an altar call, it appears to me that this is rooted in a desire to “see” successful results. “Five people got saved at the service last night!” That kind of thing. And yet we should all know by now that the longtime results of such things are not good. Exceptions, yes, some. But I think this desire to see things happen is often rooted in a bad motive, just as Jesus said:
Luke 11:29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
LikeLike
As an ENFP, the lack of genuineness/authenticity in the big scripted show on stage, including the manipulative lighting and mood music, always bothered me a lot.
LikeLike
The comments about music as manipulative are of interest to me as a musician. Sometimes I do play background music while the pastor is talking.
LikeLike
oh my …. I’ve just opened this post and haven’t had a chance to read it all but it looks like a good discussion already. Keep me posted:-)
LikeLike
Julie Anne – as a test, hit a few sour notes during those times and see if the Spirit really is dependent upon the mood music.
LikeLike
Interesting comments, particularly as someone who did not grow up in the evangelical culture. I always thought the “conviction” leading to salvation was a personal experience. Or maybe that’s just me speaking as an introvert, because I’d be so uncomfortable with everyone staring at me if I responded to such a “call.” It does strike me as somewhat manipulative, to put pressure on an audience whether the speaker intends to or not.
LikeLike
Jeff – – Can I come to your church and test it out? I’m free on Sunday.
LikeLike
Haha! As a matter of fact most of our musicians are gone this Sunday!
LikeLike
Well, just because someone is an extrovert doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she is comfortable under the bright lights and stares. In fact, some extroverts are shy to varying degrees and can appear introverted to others.
Julie Anne, I bet no one is even listening to the pastor when you take them away with your beautiful music.
LikeLike
Even those churches a DOZEN strong where NOBODY in church knows anyone outside of church. Period. “But it Warms My Heart to Hear Salvation Messages…”
Also, have you ever noticed you only find “Altar Calls(TM)” in non-liturgical churches who denounce altars and liturgy as Apostate/Heathen?
And that “The Sinner’s Prayer” (i.e. The Magic Words) are largely a knockoff of a Catholic prayer called “The Act of Contrition”?
Yet in the Evangelical Bubble Altar Calls/Say-the-Magic-Words Salvation is universal. To the point of Evangelicals reciting the year-month-day-hour-minute-second they were Saved (Said the Magic Words at an Altar Call) and questioning your salvation if YOU didn’t know the year-month-day-hour-minute-second. (I got caught more than once by that one.)
Oh, and the Magic Words have to be said EXACTLY right (word for word) or your Salvation doesn’t take. (I got caught by that one, too.)
And there’s a cottage industry of undermining someone’s assurance of salvation so YOU can lead him in the Magic Words (“Saving His Soul”) for another notch in your Bible and brownie points on J-Day. (Whoever shall rack up the best sales record shall be great in Heaven and all that.) One particularly-underhanded tactic was the Ressegue Regression, an infinite-regression tactic which goes like this:
Soul-winner: “Are You SAVED?”
Mark says he is.
Soul-winner: “But How Do You KNOW You’re SAVED?”
Mark gives reason X.
Soul-winner: “But How Do You KNOW You’re REALLY X?”
Mark gives reason Y for reason X.
Soul-winner: “But How Do You KNOW You’re REALLY Y?”
Lather, rinse, repeat until the mark runs out of reasons. Once the mark is completely doubting he was ever Saved, Soul-winner beams a big smile, pulls out his Bible, and moves in for the kill. I am NOT making this up.
And finally, I understand altar calls first became widespread among traveling Revival Evangelists, so they could get a head count of converts for their Revival. And get them up front to sign a Dry Pledge as part of their Salvation.
LikeLike
Barnabasintraining,
The one part of my conversion (confirmation?) that was public was my baptism, which I completely understand doing in front of the church. My initial response to God though, would have been adversely affected if it had been turned into a public spectacle for the audience of my peers.
I had been taught that baptism is a memorial ordinance signalling the believer’s profession of faith. I’ve since come to see it as a sacrament instituted by God in scripture, which is definitely not true of the altar call.
LikeLike
“Oh, and the Magic Words have to be said EXACTLY right (word for word) or your Salvation doesn’t take. (I got caught by that one, too.)”
HUG, please tell me you never got sucked into the Four Spiritual Laws or any Jack Chick tracts…
LikeLike
Julie Anne,
Regarding the use of music for manipulation; the world of professional marketing has known about this for decades. Every time you grocery shop or go into a department store, there is muzak in the background. This is no accident; people feel more comfortable and therefore spend more money. I suspect this is why a lot of churches do something similar during altar calls or when taking “special offerings” for some extra ministry. Maybe people really do open their wallets more.
LikeLike
One of the very few Pastors I respected never gave an altar call. He would say “. If God has spoken to you through my teaching come and privately tell me about it NEXT WEEK”. He wanted to make sure it was not an emotional manipulative moment.
LikeLike
Yea, that’s right, NJ, I’m aware of the “mood” music thing for sales and stuff, but it’s kind of creeping me out to think that some might think I am playing to emotionally manipulate them. That is the last thing on my mind. Thankfully at our church, I’m only playing background music when the pastor is encouraging people to reflect/pray silently.
I couldn’t play if it was at a time to ask for $$ or something along those lines. Nope.
LikeLike
Love that, Leslie.
LikeLike
Julie Anne, altar calls regularly happen at Apostolic Pentecostal churches (aka Oneness Pentecostal). In my former church they didn’t happen too much on Sunday mornings, but usually on Sunday evenings. Sometimes on the midweek service. And if you had special services, like a several day revival, it would often be every service.
LikeLike
Too many preachers use man’s methods in the things of God. Devices such as the alter call are designed to put pressure on people. They are not of God. That does not mean that there are no genuine responders. But it wasn’t the alter call that saved them. The Holy Spirit was already working with them.
LikeLike
I can relate to a lot of the comments. My experience of alter calls was at a Calvary Chapel, where there was a clear gospel message. I was brought up in the Church of Scotland, where they didn’t go in for alter calls. Don’t remember ever hearing a clear gospel there either but we certainly got a lot of bible stories at Sunday School. Nobody ever said clearly why Jesus had to die on the cross.
LikeLike
HUG, I don’t recall Jesus ever saying there were any magic words. You need to accept who he is and that we need Him. If I recall correctly, only one person in the entire Bible was told that he must be born again. Anyone who says there is a particular prayer with certain words is making the whole thing up. Not long ago a DJ on a Christian Radio Station had a caller asking what he needed to do to be saved. He had a repeat after me prayer and then said ok now you’re saved. To me that was the worst thing he could have done to this man. He didn’t mention a relationship with Jesus, he didn’t mention repentance of sin. He didn’t mention getting to know Jesus better through reading the Word and learning His ways. It was truly sad.
LikeLike
Julie, I understand what you’re saying. I can see doing some background music for something like that. I don’t have a problem with that, or regular offertory music, or singing in choirs, all of which I’ve done. I think there’s a noticeable difference between music that is a regular part of the worship of God, and the type that is obviously calculated to get a specific emotional response.
LikeLike
I don’t see anything wrong with altar calls, but I’ve never been in a church where they occurred on a weekly basis. Altar calls have been typically reserved for special occasions and specific purposes in the churches where I’ve worshiped.
My church offers prayer for individuals following services each week, but that typically takes place in another room rather than at the altar. Prayer ministers at those sessions are typically from the laity rather than the clergy.
LikeLike
Back in the early 80s, I attended an AoG church that had alter calls and speaking in tongues. I think manipulation was definitely used (certainly on me one time) because while the preacher was calling people to come forward, his wife was going through the crowd picking out this one and that and sending them forward with an “I see the Holy Spirit working in you”. How can you refuse to move when the preacher’s wife is pushing you to go?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cookingwithdogs,
Ok, that is probably the most manipulative situation I have heard – – what pressure! I suppose if you didn’t go, then you’d be labeled rebellious or something. That’s horrible.
LikeLike
I was not an assertive person at that time – very introverted and shy – so there is no way I could have refused to go up. In fact, I even did the speaking in tongues once I was in front of the pastor. I think it was a combination of extreme nervousness and fear of being embarrassed that caused me to do the glossolalia. Afterwards, I felt like such a hypocrite. I left that church not long after…
LikeLike
Oh – I have seen that same kind of pressure with speaking in tongues when I attended a charismatic church. That is ridiculous, too. I don’t blame you for leaving. It makes church to be a show, not a place of love/comfort.
LikeLike
Hi Julie Anne,
This is my first and last time to your blogsite. I read your write up on inivitations. Then I saw the short video that you posted on invitations. Here are the words that come to my mind – sarcastic, irreverent, bordering blasphemy. My impression is that though you may have good intentions in your heart to help abuse victims, what really comes out is a heart of anger and bitterness. To be Christlike is to be like Christ – humble, forgivining, filled with grace. I suggest you re-read your NT and rather quote God’s Word (Eph. 4:, 29,32; PHil. 4:6-8), that is if you really want to help abuse victims. Point them to Christlikeness. I am not a charismatic and do not defend their abusive ways. But when you go to sleep tonight, you have to ask yourself one question – “At the Judgment Seat of Christ, will posting this sarcastic video receive a gold, silver, and precious stone reward?… or will it be burned as wood, hay, and stubble? Was Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit of God really pleased with that post? Lastly, do a NT word search of the word come and see how many times Jesus and the Spirit and those who are thirsty for Christ invite unbelievers to “Come.” Maybe your time would be better spent in obeying Jesus greatest command to go to “every creature” and share the good new of our Savior. Thanks for taking the time to read my comments. I took the time to read yours.
May you be in tune with God’s leading – which I promise, will always be in tune with the Word of God.
Scott
LikeLike
Putting aside the argument about the legitimacy of tongues for today, it has been very problematic to me that so many Charismatics think that this is the be all and end all of spiritual gifts and spirituality. I have had several of my friends from that persuasion tell me that I had to have this gift and a few even try to “teach” me to do so. Wrong!
That is blatant manipulation for something that is not really important at all. I can guarantee that The Book of Life is not going to have an asterisk by the name of everyone who spoke in tongues! It is not Scriptural that this is a sign of the indwelling, infilling, “baptsim” or any other aspect of the Holy Spirit. Not everyone who received the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts spoke in tongues, despite what some on the Charismatic side claim.
It is time that some churches start concentrating on weightier matters than what gifts someone has!
LikeLike
Music was definitely a manipulative tool used at the Assemblies of God church we used to attend. Sunday morning worship followed the same pattern every week – two upbeat songs followed by two softer slower songs where the chorus was endlessly repeated as the pastor would invite people up to the altar to pray or be prayed for which inevitably turned into people (usually the same people every week) kneeling in front of the altar crying. What bothered me most though was the youth pastor used the same technique at the youth group meetings – dim lights, slow sad music while telling teenagers to think about the problems they were having and the things they were doing that weren’t pleasing to God. The teens, incredibly emotional creatures already, would start weeping and crying. The youth pastor considered this a great work of God and would do it for the entire ninety minute meeting. More than once I would get a text from my daughter saying, “he’s doing it again” and I would go straight there and march right through the blubbering mass of kids laying all over the floor and pull my kids out. The church saw these emotional displays as the work of the Holy Spirit instead of the predictable result of their own manipulative strategies and were more interested in provoking these displays than in providing good solid Biblical teaching to strengthen and encourage the congregation. We later attended an old fashioned church that sang mostly hymns and the music was definitely one of the best parts of the service as it was truly used as a wonderful way to praise and glorify God.
LikeLike
@NJ
Affirmative on both counts. First introduction to Christ was around age 10 (intellect outracing most adults, emotional age around 5 max) via Chick’s “This Was Your Life”. Damage is still there. Then when I was in the Evangelical Circus in college, the Four Spiritual Laws (themselves a knockoff of the section headings of the Jesuits’ Spiritual Exercises) was the 68th book of the Bible (Hal Lindsay’s Late Great Planet Earth being the 67th).
“What a long strange trip it’s been…”
— The Grateful Dead
LikeLike
@NJ:
I have an anecdote about muzak & backfires:
Where I work they usually have the PA system tuned to a local radio station on low volume. Some years ago they tried an Oldies station that did “Sixties music”. “Sixties music” as in a playlist of 20 songs repeated over and over — 10 “Dope is Groovys” and 10 “Get Out of VIETNAAAAAMs”. Employee mutiny within two days. (They now use an oldies station with a balance of Sixties to Eighties music.)
LikeLike
The way our former church did altar calls (actually many things, not just altar calls) was definitely manipulative. Like there were certain things that must be present or else God allegedly wasn’t there and/or we were blocking Him out and/or we were being rebellious, etc.
There seems to be an overall pressure to perform and show how dedicated you are in many Christian circles. But the great thing about life with Jesus is that you don’t have to prove it to anyone else. Jesus already has you; He chose you.
LikeLike
At an Apostolic service I observed a few years ago, the altar call was definitely a tool of manipulation. The pastor called the congregants to the altar, and when only a handful complied, he guilt-tripped the stragglers by saying, “So you’re right with God?” Immediately, almost the entire congregation came to the altar (about two dozen people — it was a small church).
I don’t understand altar calls. Why would people need to perform a public display of piety? Isn’t prayer a personal matter?
LikeLike
Mom of two,
Welcome!
I had a hard time reading your story – especially about your children with the youth pastor for 90 minutes of emotional manipulation. That’s awful.
LikeLike
NJ said,
Every time you grocery shop or go into a department store, there is muzak in the background.
This is getting slightly off topic (my apologies), but I worked at a few minimum wage jobs as a teen, and one was at a mall clothing store for close to a year. My store manager was required, by the corporate heads, to play cassette tapes (this was in the 80s, before CDs and mp3s) from a player in the back room, that was piped over the store’s speaker system.
About three months before Christmas, the manager had to play the Christmas music tapes the store mailed us. It was the same 30 – 50 songs over and over and over (and over. and over.) again.
Thank goodness I was a part timer, so a shift for me was maybe 4 – 5 hours long at the most (usually), but even at that, it drove me nuts having to listen to the same songs over and over. I grew to detest Christmas music and did not recover from that until years later.
When not playing Christmas music, we had about two other pop music tapes we had to play all the time, a mix of 1960s, ’70s, and maybe a few 80s adult contemporary pop songs. I used to like a lot of the songs, until I had to listen to each one 45 million times a day while working there.
I inadvertently memorized Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” backwards and forwards because I had to listen to it so often while I worked at that store (it was one of the songs on the tapes), and it was a song I had never heard until I worked there.
LikeLike
Scott2,
(I added the 2 to your name because we have another Scott who posts here.) I’m sorry that you didn’t appreciate the video. Sarcasm is a great way to diffuse anger and some of us here have anger about how some pastors used their position of authority to control and manipulate us. It’s okay to have anger – it’s an emotion that God gave us, and in fact, I believe HE is angry about wolves who masquerade as shepherds and harm His precious sheep. I’m not sure how you missed that in your reading of the scripture you were exhorting me to read.
LikeLike
Julie Anne said,
My family is Southern Baptist, but about ten or 15 years ago, my sister went to a church with some friends of hers. It was a Pentecostal/Charismatic church.
She had a cast or bandage around her leg at the time (I can’t remember if she had a broken leg or sprained ankle, I think it was a sprain), and was using crutches.
During the church service, the preacher of the church was “slaying people with the Spirit,” or whatever they call it. He started in on my sister, putting his hand on her forehead and commanding the broken leg demon to come out of her, etc., putting on this big show.
I think my sister’s impression is that this guy meant well, but she wasn’t comfortable with the fact he was picking her out of the crowd like that. She felt pressured to pretend as though God healed her, even though he had not. Her leg was still broken/sprained, but she dropped the crutches and pretended to be okay.
Not only did my sister fake an instant healing because she was embarrassed to be the center of attention on the spot in front of all these people she didn’t know and wanted to get the whole thing over with as fast as she could, but I think she was also conveying to me as a person who was brought up in quiet, reserved Southern Baptist churches, the whole thing was freaking her out and making her uncomfortable.
LikeLike
Scott2,
Being a Christian doesn’t mean a person has to lack a sense of humor or a biting sense of sarcasm.
Some Christians are super passive, gentle, lovey dovey types, but not all are. And that’s okay.
LikeLike
I should probably put a disclaimer on my blog somewhere: Warning: Sarcasm Zone
LikeLike
Mom of two said,
When I was a kid and we went to church every Sunday, the choir and piano lady did the old school hymns.
When I’ve attended Baptist churches off and on the last few years, they play new songs, and I’m too keen on the contemporary songs. The newer style is very repetitive and drives me crazy.
I’m not sure but I think this comedy video discusses this situation:
Messy Mondays: How to Write a Worship Song (In 5 Minutes or Less)
LikeLike
A correction,
“and I’m too keen on the contemporary songs”
I meant I am NOT too keen on….
LikeLike
My son in law gets the same kind of stuff. He could say the sky is blue and someone would accuse him of being unchristian, apostate, etc. It is the risk of online publishing.
LikeLike
It depends on the song. Some are very simplistic and repetitive, others have a lot more depth to them. I remember growing up during the Jesus Movement where praise and worship choruses were just beginning to hit their heydey. A lot of people complained about them being too light on theology and too simple.
I like all sorts of Christian music, except for the hard rock and rap. That grates on me, but I know that some do like it. What I have to remember is that all of the hymns we sing were new and radical at one time.
LikeLike
Julie Anne
Wow – Would you like to Alter the Calls of the Altar Call?” 😉
And, What’s wrong with a little “Manipulation?”
Seems “Manipulation” is rampant in Today’s Christian-dumb.
Ahhhh – Manipulation…
“to control or influence (a person or situation)
cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously.”
Isn’t the whole Sunday Go To Meeting, Meeting, full of “Manipulation?”
Let me count the ways… 🙂
LikeLike
missdaisyflower – Messy Mondays: How to Write a Worship Song (In 5 Minutes or Less)
OH, that video is sooo well done! I would love to show it to some friends who are still caught up Word of Faith and hyper-Pentecostal healing services … they are very talented musicians and I believe truly want to bring glory to the Lord … but the emotionalism still gets in the way. I believe it’s their way of coping with past rejections and abuse.
LikeLike
Julie Anne said,
I should probably put a disclaimer on my blog somewhere: Warning: Sarcasm Zone
You’re not allowed to be sarcastic, not even on your own blog, shame on you! 🙂
It’s a pet peeve of mine that any time a Christian expresses anything the least bit critical, negative, whatever (anything that is not a form of “syrupy sweet,” innocence and lightness Christianity), another Christian will shame that person by using the word “bitter.”
Even if the Christian has some valid criticism, or some very understandable reaction most us could relate to…
Maybe their dear old granny was eaten by a crocodile two days ago, and they’re venting online about it, how sad they are this happened, and they miss their granny, why did God take dear sweet Granny, they want to know….
And some other Christian will leave them a reply like: “Stop being bitter. You sound so bitter.”
That Acuff guy came up with the phrase “Jesus Juke.” Someone needs to create one for this situation, where you’re not allowed to have any negative thoughts, feelings, or comments, or else another Christian will shut you down by calling you “bitter.”
Do these types of Christians not have the book of Ecclesiastes in their copies of the Bible?
LikeLike
Hee hee, btw, I googled the book of Ecclesiastes just now, and went to Bible Gateway’s site, and this is the very first thing from Ecclesiastes, ch 1:
I guess that the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Bible, is very bitter.
Why did the Holy Spirit not write perkier, happier, sunnier, more positive verses than that?
LikeLike
“Do these types of Christians not have the book of Ecclesiastes in their copies of the Bible?”
Or Lamentations, or Psalms, or half of Exodus, or Job…
LikeLike
I guess they just forget what Jesus called the pharisees. Now really, how Christlike was that?
LikeLike
Daisy,
That video was sooooo true. Much of today’s contemporary Christian music sounds just like that and it drives me nuts, too. I listen to a southern gospel radio station online, because all of the others sound just like what was played on that video. I like the old songs. They actually had words that made sense.
LikeLike
Daisy,
Why did the Holy Spirit not write perkier, happier, sunnier, more positive verses than that?
I think He was having a bad day, or perhaps He was bitter!!
LikeLike
I’m trying to read through the comments, but your site keeps crashing on my iPad today. I read this article yesterday, before there were any comments, and it worked fine. Not sure what’s up…
LikeLike
Brenda said,
I think He was having a bad day, or perhaps He was bitter!!
LOL, I guess so.
BTW, it’s not that I don’t appreciate what Scott2 was saying.
I have known people, and I’m related to two or three folks, who are very negative and critical people. They complain all the time about everything.
It’s almost like some people take a perverse pleasure out of being negative.
Out of those people I know who are very negative, one of them is also very bitter (as in truly bitter, she didn’t just post a sarcastic video once so I am lobbing the “bitter” label at her).
Or, to put it another way, she maybe wasn’t perpetually bitter, but went through this time span for a couple years where she was deeply bitter for a couple of years.
Holy smokes, being around her was terrible. You would walk off from her after chatting, or get off the phone with her, feeling ten times worse than you did before. She complained very vehemently about how awful her life was, her boss was a jerk, her boyfriend was a louse, and on and on. She never had a nice thing to say about anything or anyone, ever. Every phone call was like that, super hostile, anger at God and life.
So yes, I do think people should be careful not to fall into a constant state of negativity or anger, but I can’t also abide the “Put on a Happy Mask and Be Sunny and Perky Shiny Plastic Positive All the Time” type of people, either.
Sometimes life is painful and hurts, and stuffing the anger and pain down to pretend to be all sunshine and rainbows doesn’t help.
LikeLike
Persephone:
Try this fix: “If you are having difficulties reading this WordPress blog site on your iPad, this fix was recommended:
From the App Store install Opera Mini Web Browser (free)
In settings change image quality to Medium (default is High).
WordPress blogs should now be readable.”
LikeLike
I’ll give it a try, thanks. I’ve never had trouble here before.
LikeLike
@Daisy:
That is right up there with South Park’s “Just take a 20-year-old pop song and substitute “JEESUS” for “OOOO BABY”! i.e. “Funny because it’s TRUE!”
I think I’ll stick with My Little Pony fan music like this one from the Pony mythology of the Mare in the Moon:
LikeLike
Altar calls… oh yeah, I think of them and I can already feel my chest tighten, not to mention difficulty breathing…
I’ve attended multiple churches (38 in ~30 years) plus special revival services, a Billy Graham crusade, etc. Most were of the Pentacostal/Charismatic and Baptist denomination and all those had a altar call. I currently attend a SBC and they have a ‘invitation’ at the end of morning service and yes, there is some variation of ‘Just as I am’ or Have Thine Own Way, Lord’. I suppose some could, but its a pretty low key ritual for the most part. But, since I’ve been saved and went forward about 10 years ago at a revival meeting, I don’t feel the same pressure I did as a teen/young adult. There was a lot of manipulation going on that night, people slain in the spirit, tongues, just crazy stuff, but what happened to me was between me and God.
I think the altar calls at the revival meetings I’ve been to were definitely manipulative. Now, I stay far away from anything like that!
Thinking about this just reminded me of the revival meeting experience that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about when Almanzo first walked her home, “Chills ran up Laura’s spin and over her scalp. She seemed to feel something rising from all those people, something dark and frightening that grew and grew under the thrashing voice. The words no longer made sense, they were only dreadful words. For one horrible instant Laura imagined that Reverend Brown was the Devil. His eyes had fires in them.”
LikeLike
Evidently it’s a Word Press issue. I’m sorry about that! I wish they could rework their code to accommodate iPads better.
LikeLike
Daisy,
I think we all know those types: negative, angry, not fun to be around and even someone who is genuinely bitter. I do think that label gets thrown around a little or actually waaaay too often and it has been directed at me from time to time. Most recently by a certain female supporter of Mr. Meadows on his marriage catechism blog and over the past year the X husband. As far as I am concerned, neither one can be taken seriously. X was abusive and would do anything to make me doubt myself, the other just had no idea what she was talking about but could have very well have been attempting the same tactic.
I see nowhere in the Bible where altar calls were mandatory, so I see no reason to get too crazy over the discussion of them or to say someone may be bitter. I didn’t see anything wrong with the sarcasm of altar call music and pastors guilting the congregation. It wasn’t just phony, it was true in many instances.
If I was not allowed to laugh and make jokes or even be a little sarcastic from time to time, the men with white coats would probably come and take me away. We need to let loose and be real. Jesus was real! (duh, did I just say that?) Anyways, He was/is gentle and kind, he could also have righteous wrath and anger from time to time.. He told people like it was. “You den of vipers” comes to mind. If I want to be Christ like, then why not go all the way.
LikeLike
HUG, that makes me wish I could give you a hug. Sounds brutal. Did you ever go to summer church camp? I worked at a Baptist one in my mid teens for a couple of summers, and I remember all too well the stuff that went on at the evening meetings. Talk about emotionalism! The skits, the testimonies, the 7/11 choruses, the altar calls.
The only things worse was the Sunday evening service at the nearby AoG church, after I got involved in their singles group. I’ll never forget that one I went to where speaking in tongues was the least of it. There were people getting “slain in the Spirit”, a couple lying on the floor in a catatonic state, this guy I knew was face down on the floor yelling or screaming about I don’t know what, and I think one lady was at the front jogging in place as fast as she could. As much as they make a big deal about the Holy Spirit, it was ironic when I saw another lady walking around from person to person having these manifestations while moving her hands up and down (palms up) saying, “more Jesus, more Jesus, more Jesus…” like she was trying to fan them manually. The whole sanctuary got overheated that evening.
I finally had to step out of there and get some air. Went out to my car, turned on the radio and found the men’s choir at St. Mark’s cathedral in Seattle singing vespers. Gregorian chant in a cool environment was just what my soul needed about then.
LikeLike
@NJ:
No. That was actually when drifting between campus Christian group to campus Christian group at college. Remember the opening scene from the original Star Wars where the stormtroopers are shooting their way aboard Princess Leia’s transport and C-3PO stumbles through the firefight with tracers all around him? I was Threepio.
AoG or Voudoun?
“Legba has opened de gates and de loa mount their horses and ride, ride, ride…”
LikeLike
Couldn’t find it until now, but here’s a review/analysis of the song I linked to above:
http://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2013/10/audio-review-mlp-fim-fansongs-moon.html
(Once more, a bunch of guys obsessing on a cartoon show do a better job both musically and in depth than all those CCM Worship Big Names.)
LikeLike
“Wendell – Yes, Charles Finney actually believed and taught that it is possible for human beings, the preacher, to schedule an appearance of the Holy Spirit, i.e., a revival, if you met certain preparatory conditions. If anyone doubts that, just pick up Finney’s book and you will see it quite clearly. As to people insisting that the preacher include an altar call, it appears to me that this is rooted in a desire to “see” successful results. “Five people got saved at the service last night!” That kind of thing. And yet we should all know by now that the longtime results of such things are not good. Exceptions, yes, some. But I think this desire to see things happen is often rooted in a bad motive, just as Jesus said:”
Finney is the favorite whipping boy of the Reformed crowd. I wound encourage everyone here to read up on Finney. While the descendents of the Reformation were slaving (Providence of God) Finney, went the other way. He was an abolitionist and one of big supporters of Oberlin College that sought to educated blacks alongside whites. Radical for the time. He preached on the heinous sin of slavery. He was big into actually living out the Christian life which was opposite of what the Reformers believed because of their view of Sovereignty and God controlling every molecule. And he started out Presbyterian if I recall correctly.
While I don’t agree with altar calls I can see where Finney went the opposite way. His revivalism was actually more about deeds…living a Christian life. Wow, actually living as a true believer instead of Jesus obeying for you. How horrible.
As to altar calls: Even the demons believe the right things about Jesus Christ. So the Christian life is not just about having “correct doctrine”. It is about living out the redeemed life here and now. (ON EARTH as it is in heaven)
I do get a bit sick of Finney being a whipping boy for the Reformed movement OVER ALTAR calls. At least he put his money where his mouth was concerning the heinous sin of slavery. I have heard this trashing of Finney for years on Reformed blogs and here at ground zero. I really encourage folks to read up on him. Sheesh, compare him to Dabney, Boyce or Whitfield, Reformers favs who were big into slavery.
LikeLike
“As an ENFP, the lack of genuineness/authenticity in the big scripted show on stage, including the manipulative lighting and mood music, always bothered me a lot.”‘
As an INTP who was back stage helping market the shows, I can tell you it works with all types across a broad brush. It is astonishing how so many EDUCATED upper and middle class folks fall for the “mood making” show.
As my mom used to say, common sense is not common. I finally figured it out!
LikeLike
“Personally, I’m O.K. with alter calls so long as they are truly invitations, easily declined, without a hint of manipulation. I agree with Scott that manipulated salvations are likely to be of the “stony ground” nature. I’m not opposed to the sinner’s prayer, but I don’t think it is in and of itself effective to the attainment of salvation. There has to be true repentance, an actual turning from sin and to the Lord Jesus, who is in fact embraced, not just acknowledged but embraced, as Lord.”
Gary, I agree with this. I grew up with them and never felt like they were manipulated until what I learned from studying the trajector of Christianity becoming a market niche starting around the 80’s if you study the progression of Christian marketing in pubishing, music , etc. Back then a mega church was 600 people. :o)
The question is what does a person do who decides to follow Christ? There is no real formula given to us. Basically most methods become a problem over time as they become entrenched.
How did one decide to follow Christ in say, Calvin’s Geneva? They didn’t. They were born to it and had best agree or be in big trouble.
In fact, this is fairly a young historical problem brought to you by the Freedom of Religion from our Founders. For most of history, people had no choices in these matters. In fact, wars were fought over what allegiances to what people would believe and how. One country even changed what people were allowed to believe so the king could divorce his queen and marry another!
In my view, discussing the altar call (adult believers having a choice) is a good problem to have. :o)
LikeLike
Lydia,
Your mom is a very wise woman. I have been saying the same thing for many years. “Common sense is just not all that common.” and here I thought I started that statement. lol
LikeLike
Lydia was quoting someone else who said,
I’ve heard the reverse for charismatic TV preachers. Or read about it.
I read or watched some reporting on Benny Hinn, and at some of his crusades, he tells the crowds that the Holy Spirit cannot or will not operate for them, unless the crowd stops doing X, Y, Z.
IIRC, in this report, it said at most crusades, Hinn gets very angry if people in the crowd are talking too much, or if there are crying babies in the audience.
So, he has told audience members before if they do not shut up, or the parents don’t get the screaming kids to quiet down, that Hinn won’t be able to perform healing miracles because the Holy Spirit refuses to work with crying kids and talking people.
I can’t remember where I read that, but it was some page exposing the fraud of Hinn and his crusades and similar miracle promising preachers.
LikeLike
Lydia, you seem like such an ISTJ to me, how surprising. Anyway, good point – not everyone is the same, and any personality type or variation of one can be manipulated, and is.
LikeLike
I was raised in a Fundie home. A church service was not even considered valid without an altar call. The first time I went to one without the altar call, it felt strangely refreshing.
LikeLike