The Problem with Altar Calls

"Here at the altar, oh my world is so black and white. How could I ever falter when You've shown me to be right..." - Casting Crowns

Last weekend I attended an evangelical event. Focus on the word evangelical. As expected in these evangelical meetups, there was bound to have an altar call at the end of the meeting. For those readers who don't know what an altar call is, it is the part near the end of the service in which the speaker normally calls for those who feel prompted to come to the front of the hall to be prayed for. Why the need to come forward? Well, it serves a dual purpose, for the convicted person, it serves as a clear decision made, and for the speaker, it serves as an easier means to gather the willing people instead of hunting for them through the crowd.

Over the years as a Christian, I've seen the altar call used for a variety of purposes. The main usage for an altar call would be to invite non-Christians who have been convicted my a message or play to come forward to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, and I tell you whenever I see that happen, I am touched. Altar calls are also used for backsliding Christians to rededicate their live to God, for the sick to seek for healing, for the troubled needing rest, for those who want to respond to the message, and also for parents to dedicate their children to God. I am completely fine with altar calls being used as a platform for healing and dedication just as an actual altar was used in times of old, but the issue I see with modern altar calls is that their focus on the conviction of the individual has seemed to have changed to become an ego booster for the speaker or for the speaker to gauge how effective his (or her) message was. Pleasing the egos of some Billy Graham wannabe should never be the focus of giving an altar call. The altar call should always be between the individual and God. 

When evangelists like the above-mentioned Billy Graham, Billy Sunday, and Dwight L. Moody, spoke fire upon multitudes of people in their time, they didn't rate their performance by the amount of people who responded to the altar call. It wasn't about the glory, it was about God. God spoke through these humbled men, and because they were his lips, people were convicted.

The problem with altar calls in this day and age is that we have evangelists (or so-called ones) trying their best to imitate the humbled men of old. I do not say that these men are not humble, but I question their conviction and purpose of calling an altar call.

(I feel it is appropriate to include a disclaimer here before I continue: I'm not saying that God doesn't use altar calls to convict people or inspire preachers to make an altar call. I'm just saying that altar calls have somehow turned into a publicity stunt.)

Take the recent altar call I experienced. The speaker began by asking if anyone was touched by the presentation. When silence was the response, he encouraged (strongly encouraged) Christians who brought their non-believers to bring them up saying things like 'the time is NOW' and 'it's between you and God (and apparently your friend too)'. More silence led to him changing his approach to a more machine gun tactic. He called for Christians who wanted to rededicate their lives to God to come forward, he asked for parents who wanted to dedicate their children to God to come forward, he asked for those wanting to receive healing to come forward, and it went on and on until he covered every single criterion of those who needed prayer. This made me doubt the genuineness of the call. I mean, shouldn't an altar call be inspired by God since the whole purpose of an altar call is redundant without the presence of God? So if God is indeed speaking to this (with lack of another term) speaker, shouldn't his altar call bear fruit? Isn't God's voice specific?

I personally believe that God has a specific time which he chooses to convict people. It can't be forced upon a person. Someone has to come voluntarily to Him at the time he or she is ready. So if an altar call isn't the right place for that, shouldn't a speaker not push it? Because to be honest, watching preachers desperately call for people to come forward is sad. I get discouraged by it. I feel like I'm attending more of a product launch than anything.

"Step right up! God has a message JUST for you! It doesn't matter about the people beside you. This is between YOU (my ego) and God. God wants to speak to you if you have the courage to come forward (the presence of God is stronger in front here...in my presence). Do you feel that? That tingle down your spine? That is the Holy Spirit prompting you! (actually it's a matter of bringing your unconscious to the conscious, and we also downed the temperature of the air con by a tad bit.). He's waiting for you to come. Now is the time!"

Does the above sound familiar? I've sat through many altar calls directed at potential believers and when I put myself in their shoes, I know for a fact that I wouldn't be convicted. I honestly wouldn't go up and stand in front of a thousand onlooking strangers and ask the speaker to help me say the sinner's prayer. If the speaker continues to push, I'm going to run. Instead of bringing me in front of the altar, the little sales pitch will only encourage me to take two steps back.

I know that there are speakers out there who use the altar call properly and this post is not directed at them. This post just questions the (what I feel are) insincere 'evangelists' out there just trying to make a name for themselves.