The Negro's church,.

Membership in Urban Churches

103

These expressions, and the percentage of men who prefer
other pastors to professional evangelists in membership recruiting, seem to say that the life of the sensational evangelist
is short-lived and that a different type of revival is being
demanded. Among those who had no revival last year, a
good many expressed the view that each Sunday is evangelical
and a revival of the old type is not desired.
AN APPEAL TO FEAR
The statements quoted above would lead one to infer that
the pastor's basis of appeal in recruiting members differs
widely from that of the professional evangelist. It is to be
noted, however, that the method employed by the pastor is
not wholly different. It is rather commonly found that in
the minister's appeal the element of fear is played up; and
quite often it is the only ideal held up to the individual as the
reason why he should join the church. The pastors and the
evangelists frequently exploit the emotions by proclaiming
the obvious, such as:
Before next week this time some one in this audience may be
called to meet his God.
You had better cast your lot with God's people. You do not
know what is going to happen to you. You may be killed on
your way home. (This is sometimes followed by the tragic story
of a John Doe who was killed recently or died suddenly.)
You should prepare to meet your mother in heaven.
Even when the appeal connects with a higher type of
ethical or moral living for a more constructive and fruitful
life in this world, to gain heaven or shun hell is often the
ultimate reward for that quality of life. The pastor's appeal
is not as spectacular as that of the evangelist, but in essence it
is the same. It is not this way in every case; but it is to be
feared that it is more often this way than otherwise-the men