New Orleans Seminary, Noonday Association churches knock on doors

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Pastor Amos Williams prays with a little boy who wanted to be saved. NOBTS/Special Pastor Amos Williams prays with a little boy who wanted to be saved. NOBTS/Special

MARIETTA — Door to door evangelism still works. At least, that is the firm conviction of Victor Benavides, adjunct professor at the North Georgia Campus of New Orleans Seminary, who recently taught evangelism workshops for students and church leaders in Marietta.

For two weekends in April, Benavides taught the workshops and then had his students team up with black churches in Noonday Baptist Association to go door-to-door in multi-housing communities to witness and share the good news of the Gospel. As a result of the outreach 20 individuals gave their lives to Christ.

Two of the seminary students said they had never been involved in that approach to evangelism and were surprised to see how open people were to have conversations about God, Jesus, and life after death.

Light Point Church, which serves as the Smyrna campus of Eastside Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Dexter Hardy, hosted the classroom sessions.

‘Been waiting’

Noonday pastors Amos Williams and Reginald Rutherford led three siblings, all teenagers, to faith in Christ. The team reported that the mother cried as she said that the family had lived in the community for nine years and she had been waiting for someone to come by and invite them to come to church. The NOBTS team was the first church team to visit with them and tell them about Jesus and invite them to church.

One of the students, who serves as the missions pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Marietta, said, “I have been truly blessed through the evangelism workshop. I have great respect for the passion and commitment of Dr. Benavides and look forward to sharing my experience and implementing the strategies learned from the workshop.”

Another student, Jacob Daniel, drove in from Alabama to attend the workshop each weekend. He explained, “The workshop was an amazing experience. Pairing with seasoned soul-winners provided a hands-on mentoring experience. The workshop provided the balanced combination of classroom instruction with fieldwork.

“The encouragement to overcome fears, the strengthening of one another in God’s Word, and visible results produced through prayer and hard work make for a workshop that has eternal rewards.”

Changed lives, equipped leaders

Noonday associational missionary Larry Fillingim stated, “The workshop that preceded the outreach effort was made possible through a partnership between our association, the Georgia Baptist Convention, which funded tracts and Bibles for the outreach effort, and the seminary. Students from the North Georgia campus of NOBTS served with staff and members of Noonday churches to take the Gospel to over 70 individuals.

“I am thankful for Victor giving leadership to the workshop and for the partnership that made it possible. The workshop was a cooperative missions project that resulted in changed lives and equipped church leaders and members.”

Successful partnerships as this one are made possible because of your gifts to the Cooperative Program. Any director of missions whose association supports an extension center can contact Benavides about hosting an evangelism workshop for NOBTS students and their churches. Contact him by calling (770) 321-1606.

associations, evangelism, gospel, NOBTS, Noonday