Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

First Ray met individually with the Sunday School teachers and then organized a weekly
teachers meeting, impressing upon them their responsibility to visit every absentee. He found in
Central Baptist Temple a church of good people who loved God and wanted to serve Jesus
Christ. Ray’s second task was to salvage those who had drifted away from the church during the
congregation’s several months without a pastor. The church had had a high attendance of 276 in
the past, so he immediately started a campaign to break that record and reached 345 within 90
days of his coming, convincing the people that the church was not dead. Ray testified, “We
started following up prospects and leading people to Christ.” On Roundup Day, 1971, the church
reached 725 in two small buildings, 40’ x 60’. Many classes met outside on buses. Ray preached
to his people, “Nothing can keep us from growing. . .nothing.” The following year Roundup Day
reached 1556, and this year 3237.
OUTREACH
Ray testifies that the only way to grow is by unlimited outreach into the community. This
past summer he mailed a letter, tract, and an offer of a free Bible study course to 5,000 homes in
the area. The list was purchased from a computer organization and the homes were followed up
by college students going door to door taking a survey of the folks interested in a Bible
correspondence course.
One of the first items Ray purchased for the church was a complete print shop, securing
$10,000 worth of equipment for under $5,000. He indicated that, in addition to printing tracts,
correspondence courses, and literature, the church was going to furnish free tracts to every new
Independent Baptist church. Ray testifies, “I remember when I couldn’t get tracts because I
didn’t have the money.” Also, the church is going to allow other churches to use its
correspondence course.
Ray toured the ten largest Sunday Schools in America to learn everything he could about
building a great Sunday School. He indicated, “Temple Baptist Church, Detroit, Michigan,
impressed me most because the people sacrificed the most.”
Ray believed in a ministry of mailing the gospel. An automatic typewriter was purchased.
There are 27 letters; each one can be personalized and sent out as follow-up, contact, or outreach
into the community. Every new resident in Huntington Beach gets a personal letter from Ray, a
tract, information about their school, and an offer of a free Bible correspondence course. Thomas
Ray indicated his goal was to get the gospel to every person in Orange County, and since he
couldn’t yet afford television, the only way he could reach them was through the postman.
Even when the work was still small, Ray began ministry among the deaf, who now
average over 20 in attendance each week. Their largest ministry reached 58 on Roundup Day.
Also, the church is starting a ministry to the mentally retarded that is guided by two nurses. The
“Jolly 60’s,” a group of senior citizens, meet each Thursday for Bible study, programs of
fellowship, and a once-a-month outing to promote friendship and cultural growth. Last month 77
retirees visited Sea World in San Diego.
The church’s 10 buses average 400 riders each week. On Roundup Sunday 1534 were
brought in on 14 buses, and Gary Henion had 387 riders, a world’s record. The previous record