Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

Thompson testifies that his greatest blessing in the church has been to see children come
to know the Lord, and see their lives change through the Christian School. He testifies, “If you
could see the letters that come across my desk and talk to the parents who thank me for starting
this Christian school, you would know it’s all worthwhile.”
Whatever Charles Thompson does, he starts big and with confidence, because he believes
God will bless a New Testament church. Two years ago he jumped into a bus ministry in a big
way, first buying 10 buses, next a larger fleet from a public school system. The buses caused him
to double his Sunday School and now bring in approximately 600 riders each week. Thompson
promoted the buses, asking people to buy a half or a whole bus for $1,000 each, then he asked
the people to borrow the money and pay the loan back monthly so the buses could be purchased
immediately. Buses brought 805 riders on a high day last November, 1971, when there were
1,670 present in Sunday School.
Thompson insists that all staff members in the church spend two hours each week in
evangelistic visitation. This includes secretaries, cooks and custodians. Also, the deacons must
agree to visit two hours a week before they are ordained to that position. Thompson indicates
they discover their deacons through the bus ministry or the visitation program.
The growth of Trinity Baptist Church is phenomenal, considering there are 140 Southern
Baptist churches in the area, along with the huge fundamentalistic Highland Park Baptist Church
with its 50 chapels. According to Thompson, five or six Sunday School buses run in some
neighborhoods to pick up children.
There is no competition between Thompson and Dr. Lee Roberson. He points out that Dr.
Roberson baptized him and is his best friend; Tennessee Temple Schools is his alma mater.
When Thompson first started a church, he called Dr. Roberson out to look at the subdivision, at
which time the pastor from Highland Park said, “Go ahead. This is an ideal spot.”
Five years ago God led Thompson to enter the radio ministry. Now The Trinity Hour is
broadcast daily and twice on Sunday; the Sunday School lesson and the morning service are
broadcast live over different stations.
The first person that Thompson led to the Lord at Trinity Baptist Church was George
Webb, who played a honky-tonk piano in a tavern. Later Thompson reached the whole family for
the Lord and baptized each one of them. George is still in the church and now plays the piano
before Sunday School and on the Monday radio broadcast.
Thompson feels God has pushed him into the TV ministry. He traveled to several large
churches, especially the Thomas Road Baptist Church and was so inspired by what was being
done, that God “pushed” him by an inner compulsion to reach Chattanooga for Christ. He began
asking his people two years ago to pray for television. On Sunday, October 15, he began his first
half-hour broadcast at 9:30 Sunday morning and he plans to lengthen this program as well as go
on other stations with the gospel.
Thompson has attempted to get the best speakers possible to the Trinity Baptist Church.
Three years ago he began his first big crusade in the church and packed out the church
auditorium, next the crusade moved to a 2,500-seat high school auditorium. When the high