I preached my first sermon as the pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia about sixteen years ago. Just before the service began, the minister of music stopped me to ask a question. How would I be making the altar call?
I was confused. There had been no altar calls at MVBC during the three times I had visited as a candidate. I took this to mean the church had long ago decided to abandon the practice.
I was wrong.
It turns out MVBC had a long history of concluding services by appealing to people to walk the aisle in order to join the church, recommit one’s life to the Lord, or make a first-time public profession of faith. The three Sundays I attended were exceptions to the rule. In fact, most members viewed the altar call as a crucial component of the church’s outreach and a significant part of the church’s tradition.
Why Not Give an Altar Call?
Let me start by recognizing that those who give altar calls do so because they sincerely desire for people to be saved. In the
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