Does your church have an alter call?

[TwinCrier]

I know there is some controversy rather it's biblical to conclude a church service with an alter call. My church only does one during Sunday Morning service, but I think it's an excellent oppourtunity to for people to publically profess there newfound salvation, desire for salvation, church membership or baptism. Some claim it is designed to force or guilt people into these decisions, but I don't see it that way at all. I am curious if other Fundamental churches have alter calls and how often, and what do you personally think about them.

[J.A.I]

My church, which is Nondenominational, yet Pentecostal in nature, holds altar call each Sunday. It's like a 2 part altar call though. Part of it is this... If he preaches on, lets say, disobedience, he will have an altar call for those who felt the message was for them and feel the need to repent, and desire to be delivered. The 2nd part of the altar call is for those who a)want to accept Christ as their savior, b)those whom are already saved and wish to join our church, c)those whom have backslid from God and wish to rededicate their lives.

At my old church, which is Baptist, holds an altar call before the sermon. It is a call to prayer on various things.. church situations, world situations, whatever the Spirit may lead the elder to pray about.

I had no idea there was controversy about altar calls..... What is the controversy exactly ?

[BBAS 64]

I know there is some controversy rather it's biblical to conclude a church service with an alter call. My church only does one during Sunday Morning service, but I think it's an excellent oppourtunity to for people to publically profess there newfound salvation, desire for salvation, church membership or baptism. Some claim it is designed to force or guilt people into these decisions, but I don't see it that way at all. I am curious if other Fundamental churches have alter calls and how often, and what do you personally think about them.
Good Day, Twin

My Church does have an alter call at the end of every service.

Bill

[twistedsketch]

We have one occasionally. Every Sunday though, our pastor gives an open invite for those with questions about the faith, especially anyone who wants to become a Christian that day, to come to a group of elders at the front after the service. Not a full blown altar call, but an opportunity for people to get some business done with God.

[Wilfred of Ivanhoe]

I had no idea there was controversy about altar calls..... What is the controversy exactly ?

To my limited knowledge, the alter call was invented in the 19th century by an Arminian evangelical trying to force people to make "decisions" for Christ.

To my knowledge, PCA churches and most churchs that are Calvinistic in their doctrines of salvation do not perform an alter call.

As your alter call for prayer, I think the idea to be good. I think that Christians, myself included, don't pray enough. It is a good idea to get into the habit of praying.

[TwinCrier]

I was just about to say the opposing view is that the alter call forces people to make decisions. I don't see how it does, not that such a thing is possible. It simply gives an opening for those who want to make something public to the church body. Sure the phrase alter call doesn't appear in the bible.... but neither does the word bible. ;) The bible also doesn't say churches should have pipe organs and stain glass windows, but I don't think that makes these things wrong. I think an alter call opens up the alter to those in the pews and makes it more meaningful to the others in the church, more than just a place where the preacher stands.

[BjBarnett]

when i go to my girlfriends church (Baptist) they have alter call and I rarly fill like its forcing me to make a decision i dunno about everyone else. But at times I have felt like it was pushing to hard to get people to come up like when they had alter call over and over and over for quite a long time to get someone to come. I think thats a little much but other than that its definatly not a bad thing.

[ksen]

I know there is some controversy rather it's biblical to conclude a church service with an alter call. My church only does one during Sunday Morning service, but I think it's an excellent oppourtunity to for people to publically profess there newfound salvation, desire for salvation, church membership or baptism. Some claim it is designed to force or guilt people into these decisions, but I don't see it that way at all. I am curious if other Fundamental churches have alter calls and how often, and what do you personally think about them.
My Independent Baptist Church has them after every service. I used to not mind them so much, but now I don't see anywhere where they were practiced by the early church. It almost seems like we have a third Sacrament: 1) Baptism, 2) Communion, and 3) the Altar Call.

Another thing that has really started to bug me is calling the stage the pulpit is on an altar. It is not an altar. It's a stage, that's it.

Oh well, I'm open to being shown that I'm making way too big a deal over it.

[WolfGate]

The Evangelical Free Church I attend does not, though every Sunday the pastor at some point will offer to speak with any seekers who have questions or want to discuss faith.

It was a subject of some debate in our church, but with so much of our ministry focused on pulling people (members, fellow Christians and seekers) into smaller group relationships, we felt that the alter call wasn't effective in our setting.

[Knight]

Not exactly....

Sometimes our pastor will give a sermon on the basic gospel message and he'll make an invitation for anyone who wnts to place faith in Christ to do so. However, this is not an altar call per se.... People are simply asked to stand while everyone else is praying. This is simply an invitation and we fully understand that people are equally saved who make professions of faith in the privacy of their own homes or wherever.

Here's an interesting story on this:
We outgrew our old building and have been meeting in a local high school for about a year and a half. We rented out our old building to a smaller church that happened to be Pentecostal. Our senior pastor at the time began mentoring the younger pastor of that church. Now, their church does an altar call every week. When he noticed that we did not do this the pastor of that church asked our senior pastor, "How do people get saved in your church?" Our senior pastor replied, "By invitation only."

I thought that was very funny... :)

[truthful1]

My Baptist church does not do an altar call per se, but every Sunday the pastor will say that if there is anyone there who does not know Christ he hopes that before they leave they will talk with one of the pastors or someone else in the church.

Here's a link that may be of interest.

http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?422

[TwinCrier]

That's a good link. I think the criticizm comes to those churches that play stanza after stanza of just as I am and almost seem like the service can't end until someone comes forward.

[lucypevensie]

Our church does not do an altar call, but there are a lot of people who accept Christ as their Savior anyway. Sometimes the pastor will encourage people to pray right there in the pews. We also have communication cards which are dropped into the offering plate at the end of the service. People can write on them their questions and such. Then a pastor will follow up with that person. The communication cards have been most effective. Shy people don't have to be scared to walk down the aisle in front of everyone and wonder what's going to happen to them.

[Protoevangel]

We have an altar call every Sunday at my church, it is called Holy Communion.;) :D

[BjBarnett]

We have an altar call every Sunday at my church, it is called Holy Communion.;) :D

lol in that case my church has an alter call as well! :) :priest:

[HumbleMan]

My church does frequently have altar calls, but it's not something we always do. Our pastor bends to the will of the Spirit, and if the message preached pierces our heart, we are invited to come down and pray with the pastor and elders. We occasionally get a few not yet believers/ new believers, but there is never any pressure for them to come down to make a decision. We feel that is a private matter, and their decision will be public when they get baptized.

[kdet]

We usually have an altar call, not only for people accepting Christ as their Saviour but also for healings and for prayer for those who are facing difficulties.

[mhess13]

My church a non denominational Bible church does not do alter calls

[JM]

My church does every Sunday, sometimes at the evening worship as well. I belong to Maple City Baptist. :clap:



I know there is some controversy rather it's biblical to conclude a church service with an alter call. My church only does one during Sunday Morning service, but I think it's an excellent oppourtunity to for people to publically profess there newfound salvation, desire for salvation, church membership or baptism. Some claim it is designed to force or guilt people into these decisions, but I don't see it that way at all. I am curious if other Fundamental churches have alter calls and how often, and what do you personally think about them.

[Lady_Firehawk]

I tend to look at altar calls with a bit of a jaundiced eye... I'd have to dig around for the source again, but something like 95% of people who answer altar calls end up falling away within a year...

[JM]

I agree, that's why we call those who answer the call 'professors' until they have studied and understand what it means to be a Christian. We don't just line'em up and dunk'em like some churches do.

[CMmom]

My church does not do an altar call, but the pastor does invite those who have questions or want to accept Christ to do so with one of the ministers after the service. I think this is nice because of all the years I attended the UPC, I never once heard the pastor invite anyone to become a Christian. As a result, I accepted Christ on my own, but did not really know that I had done so until a few years ago (sorry if that doesn't make sense). I think all churches should do some kind of altar call at some time, even if it is just a personal thing that happens during prayer in the pews. Many are not aware that we have to give Jesus an invitation to dwell within our hearts. JMHO of course. :pink:

[Marissa]

My church is quite small so we don't. Occasionally whoever gave the sermon will ask if anyone wants to give their life to christ, but it's not an every Sunday thing.

[J.A.I]

My church a non denominational Bible church does not do alter calls

My church is nondenom as well (w/Pentecostal influences ;)), and we do altar call, so it's dependent on the actual church, not denomination, I'd say.

[truthful1]

I tend to look at altar calls with a bit of a jaundiced eye... I'd have to dig around for the source again, but something like 95% of people who answer altar calls end up falling away within a year...
I agree. I think one problem is that most people respond to an altar call without understanding the cost of following Christ.