Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

average husband. However, he should spend some time each week with his children; and even
though he can’t spend as much as the average father, God will bless and use that time he does
invest in the future of his children.
The pastors who have built these churches have spent long hours at visitation. When
Gerald Fleming first came to Dayton Baptist Temple, he spent all waking hours in soul winning.
Some of these men look physically old before their time, because they have worked daily, out of
devotion to Jesus Christ and urgency to reach lost men, until they drop exhausted into bed at
night.
11. Faithful supporting wives.—No great church is built without a godly wife and mother
who stands behind the pastor. Just as the father must make sacrifices of his time at home, the
mother fills the gap, many times taking the place of father. Often a minister’s life is ruined
because of the “PK” image that his children portray. A faithful wife is the extension of the
husband into the family, rearing her children properly, so that they are a testimony to the father’s
pulpit rather than a detriment. I have met the wives of the pastors in this book and without
question they are some of the finest women, and I believe, like Sarah, they live “by faith.” The
spiritual stature of their husbands and the success of the churches prove that God has called the
wives into their place of ministry, just as He called the husbands.
12. Faith for material needs.—The Bible commands that all Christians should live by
faith (Rom. 1:17). The average Christian interprets this phrase to mean “thinking that God exists
in his life.” When these pastors build a church by faith, it is more than recognizing God’s
existence; they count on God’s ability to save souls, encourage Christians, provide finances,
solve problems and keep the work going. It takes faith to build a growing New Testament
church. When Bill Monroe, in Florence Baptist Temple, was averaging $500 a week in offerings,
he issued $200,000 in bonds, knowing full well that the weekly giving could not pay off the
monthly indebtedness. However, Monroe had faith in God. He knew the Lord had called him to
build a church in Florence, South Carolina; therefore, God would provide the spiritual power to
win souls; these new Christians could be taught to tithe; and, as the congregation grew, they
could pay the increased monthly indebtedness. Monroe did not have blind faith; he did not pray
and wait for God to give him the extra money each month. Rather, his faith was active, obeying
the commands of Scripture to be a soul winner, resulting in an expanded budget. Faith is simply
believing that what God says in His Word, He will do. Therefore, these preachers have great
faith because they obey the Word of God in its entirety.
Jewell Smith, at Orlando Baptist Temple, took a great step of faith building a beautiful
2500-seat auditorium. He knew God would supply his need. When Smith borrowed $425,000 to
build “Central Florida’s largest auditorium,” it was not a leap into the dark. Smith was willing to
obey God’s Word in its entirety, knowing that correct church building would lead to financial
answers to prayer.
13. Concern for the poor. Jesus recognized the poor. He said, “For ye have the poor
always with you” (Matt. 26:11); and he recognized them as a greater group to seek for salvation
as opposed to the rich. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24). These pastors have a warm spot in their