W.J. Seaton

In this edition I would like to bring before you “The Problem of Youth in our Evangelical Churches”. A great hue and cry has been sounding across the country…on account of the apparent failure of Youth Fellowships and similar meetings, and a general decline in young people’s work. This failure has been usually traced to some cause or other such lack of organisation, or failure to be sufficiently “with it”.

May I be so “harsh” as to suggest that perhaps we are beginning to reap the harvest of a defective evangelistic and youth programme that for years has been geared to amuse and entertain young “converts” instead of feed them on “the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby”? A few of the dangers that we are inclined to run into and face with young people I want to set before you now for your consideration. But, I would ask you to consider what I say in a GENERAL sense, and not in relation to some PARTICULAR “proof case” that you may be able to cite as contradicting these words. Much of the trouble that we have to face in our churches today is caused by this very thing – a readiness to build a whole system of belief and practice on some PARTICULAR incident or working of God, thereby neglecting the wider biblical pattern that should always be the one true guide in our Church work.. “I know a man, or a woman, ” we are inclined to say, “who was saved by such and such a means, THEREFORE…” And we are inclined to think that that means should become standard practice in all that we do. I am not concerned, therefore, with the particular, but with the general.

These following dangers in our attitude towards young people that I want to mention are GENERAL dangers; but general dangers that, by this time, we should be able to recognise honestly, and avoid diligently; for by being honest and diligent we may be enabled to turn many young folk from wrong paths and save them from hell, which is the Church’s duty. “If I were to quiet a crying infant,” said old Joseph Alleine in an article “I might sing him into a happier mood or rock him asleep; but when the child is fallen into the fire, the parent takes another course”. And hell is just as eternal, my friends, for the youth of our day as for the aged. In our desire to accommodate young people in our day, God forbid that we should be building snares for their feet.

In general terms, then, could we say that we must be honestly alert to the dangers which can spring from the “Personality” evangelism of our day? A great deal of the evangelism in our day is conducted on a personality basis. It can be an individual, or it can be a group of young people who descent on a Church full of vim and vigour.

Now, be sure some one is going to be impressed, or attracted to such groups. Many young girls, in particular, make professions under this kind of meeting and atmosphere. A great percentage, of course, “fall away”. But some remain. Now, this is where the difficulty arises; do they remain as true converts, or as those who have found a new interest in life? Also in this category, we must place Missionary Meetings. How many are attracted to the glamour of the missionary life? This is evidenced by the large amount of “second” conversions! that takes place at such meetings. Let us be alert, then, to the danger of a young person simply taking on a new sphere of interest. New interests don’t constitute a new nature. General activity around the church does not substitute for spiritual activity in the soul.

Let us be alert to the danger of “belonging”. This has a special ring of warning, I believe, in Baptist churches. We may note the general rule that “groups” of young people are inclined to “come forward” for baptism. Remember, there is a “gang” instinct in all of us; we love to feel ourselves among the “initiated”, and when strong personality, with deep convictions, makes a move, young people especially are inclined to follow.

Let us be alert, to the danger of “Encouragement”. By this I mean that old idea that goes something like this: “Young so-and-so seems to have grown a bit cold since they made their profession; I think we should give them a Sunday School class to encourage them, etc.” What utter folly! Perhaps young so-and-so has not grown cold at all! perhaps young so-and-so is still dead in trespasses and in sins! Who worse to put in charge of a group of children whose young minds are being formed in the things of Christ than a person – old or young – who is still an enemy to Christ? This I extend to every branch of our Church life. Would you call a minister to your pulpit if that minister had “grown cold”, just to encourage him? Many an unregenerate mind has exercised its influence in the running of an evangelical Church, because that mind has been admitted to the Deacon’s Court as a form of encouragement.

Perhaps you may think these harsh words. I can only say this: Many a person has died because a doctor failed to carry out a thorough examination. Many a person has died because they failed to reveal their symptoms. The Word of God makes two things clear with regard to others and ourselves: “By their fruits ye shall know them;” “Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure”. This is all this article asks of us.

Extract from The Wicket Gate Magazine, published in the UK, used with permission.