Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

Sunday school superintendent, the same chairman of deacons, and the same church clerk. Most
of those who left were not only not doing the work of the ministry, but were hindering those who
wanted to work. The church was not in the hands of the people but in the hands of a few leaders.
The church needed an organizational conversion. Some of the leadership had the attitude that the
pastor’s job was to win souls and they were to run the church. Dr. Hand’s reply was: “The pastor
is a leader and should exercise leadership in every part of the church—including finances.”
Events That Changed the Church
In looking back over the past two years, Pastor Hand believes five events were used of
God to transform the ministry of the church into an evangelistic instrument for God.
1. The church adopted a budget. Over the years the trustees had gradually been forced to
assume control of financial matters since no one else seemed to be willing to accept
responsibility. Dr. Hand believes that business matters of the church should at all times be in the
hands of the people. The deacons or trustees do not make policy but make recommendations for
church approval. The church had been accustomed to finding out where the money had been
spent at an annual meeting. A budget was drawn up based on the past year’s expenditures and
presented to the people for authorization. Now the church was authorizing expenditures and not a
body within the church.
2. The pastor took over the Sunday School. Dr. Hand was appointed the educational
director of the church and took responsibility for the Sunday School. Wanting quarterlies out of
the Sunday School and knowing that adults were long accustomed to having them, he looked for
an adult quarterly that he could adapt to the lower grades. The pastor wrote lessons that were
based on the same Scripture text as the quarterlies used, but approached the text from a different
slant. The adults found that the quarterlies were of no use in class and began to leave them at
home. Now, no quarterly is used. He writes his own material from the Scriptures and his
secretary adapts it for the younger children. Recently Dr. Hand made it possible for other Sunday
Schools to purchase this material. The pastor brings the names of prospective teachers to the
monthly deacons meeting at which time he discusses with the deacons these prospective teachers
as to spiritual qualifications. Dr. Hand then personally enlists the teachers in a private conference
with each one. A weekly teachers meeting at which the teacher’s attendance is mandatory is held
on Wednesday evening before the regular service.
3. 590 in Sunday School. A big attendance day was planned for the first Sunday in
December, 1970. They had 590 in Sunday School, representing doubled attendance in four
months. At the next teachers meeting, some workers wrung their hands, complaining, “We can’t
teach.” They complained of chaos the preceding Sunday. Dr. Hand announced, “Now you see; if
we are to do this consistently, it means we are going to have to change some methods.” The
teachers realized that to grow and reach lost people, they were going to have to adapt.
Dr. Hand began at that teachers meeting to show them how they could double their class
size and still teach the Word of God. The Sunday School had been departmentalized but each
superintendent still looked to the pastor, instead of assuming responsibility. One superintendent
kept coming with problems and each time Pastor Hand would say, “This is your church and this
is your department. This is your work for God. What do you think you should do?” The