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Graham Formula
A Scandal Bigger Than Jimmy Swaggart. How the narrow path to salvation has become a four-lane highway. If you're a pastor or evangelist, you probably know the About 90% of seekers that come forward in altar calls don't join a church. Yet, many pastors and evangelists continue to report a 100% salvation rate for all who come to the altar. Why? Patrick McIntyre's fascinating new book The Graham Why Most Decisions for Christ are Ineffective, exposes current methods of evangelism that produce a staggering number of stillborn - instead of born again - Christians. In his book, McIntyre examines why Billy Graham, the most famous evangelist developed a three-part formula, producing according to Graham, a 25% born-again rate among those who made decisions for Christ at his crusades. But most evangelists and pastors use only one-third of Graham's formula for success, turning it into a recipe for disaster. By giving seekers a small but deadly injection of hope, and then telling them they're saved, real salvation is even farther off. And the epidemic is church-wide. Charles E. Hackett, national director of the Assemblies of God home missions said, "we realize approximately 95 out of every hundred will not become integrated into the church." Church Growth magazine reported a 6% retention rate for 18,000 decisions. In 1995, a leading U.S. denomination reported 384,057 decisions. Only 6% were retained. Peter Wagner admitted only 3% to 16% of those who make a decision at crusades end up responsible members of a church. What started out as a temporary, questionable, timesaving device because of a shortage of counselors at Billy Graham crusades is now THE normal practice in thousands of churches across America. If you want to give an altar call that assured genuine results, identify the two evidences of salvation, and help nominal Christians understand their true condition, a prerequisite of revival, read The Graham Formula.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 26, 2022
Double Plot Twist
Bought the book thinking it was a book dealing with the errors of Finneyism and his NEW MEASURES only to find the author dedicated the book to Finney but then goes on to talk about the failures of post-Finney revivalism. He took a huge shot at Billy Sunday, questioning the new measures he implemented when in reality his attention should have been on Finney, and not just on his revival practices but doctrine as well.
This was a book referenced in a recent book I had read dealing with Finney and his altar call antics and the spurious conversions (among other things) that resulted. The author really rallied to Finney's side boasting of his success, something Finney himself came to question.
It was an easy read taking about two days with just over a hundred pages. The stats he included on page 12 were not surprising based on some of what I have seen over the years, but informative. For example, "At a 1990 Crusade in the United States, 600 decisions for Christ were recorded... three months later a follow up was done, and not even one of the inquirers was continuing in their faith." He listed a number of such examples. It does explain, at least in part, why we are experiencing a falling away today especially when you consider the mass crusades (mass decisions as well) under Billy Graham.
He goes on through most of the book to cover issues with altar calls, group prayer for salvation, and even the false hope some have because they signed a decision card, something I heard from time to time myself in outreach.
Aside from the author fawning over Finney he made some very valid points when talking about the nature of conversion showing that conversion does take time and most importantly - I agree with the author here - FOLLOW-UP is essential and that we shouldn't just tell someone they are saved, that assurance should come from God through the Spirit.
Overall, the book was informative and did a good job highlighting the dangers of mass decisions and spurious conversions. He talks of the conversions under Whitfield, Wesley, and Edwards as being legit, solid, and IDENTIFIABLE.
Regrettably, though he didn't mention Finney's contemporary, Asahel Nettleton, had he done so the contrast would have been seen between the spurious conversions under Finney's New Measures and the true fruit under Asahel Nettleton's plain preaching and complete dependence on the Spirit of God in conversion without gimmicks.
Just as a closing note the inquiry room or counseling, as the author mentioned, was not new with Finney, Nettleton encouraged and practiced follow-up as well, as did many of the Old Paths preachers and evangelists. Spurgeon comes to mind in this regard.
Anyway, more could be said but I want to keep these short. The book brings to light many of the issues of modern evangelism and mass crusades and the importance of follow-up/visitation I would recommend it for that alone.
Bought the book thinking it was a book dealing with the errors of Finneyism and his NEW MEASURES only to find the author dedicated the book to Finney but then goes on to talk about the failures of post-Finney revivalism. He took a huge shot at Billy Sunday, questioning the new measures he implemented when in reality his attention should have been on Finney, and not just on his revival practices but doctrine as well.
This was a book referenced in a recent book I had read dealing with Finney and his altar call antics and the spurious conversions (among other things) that resulted. The author really rallied to Finney's side boasting of his success, something Finney himself came to question.
It was an easy read taking about two days with just over a hundred pages. The stats he included on page 12 were not surprising based on some of what I have seen over the years, but informative. For example, "At a 1990 Crusade in the United States, 600 decisions for Christ were recorded... three months later a follow up was done, and not even one of the inquirers was continuing in their faith." He listed a number of such examples. It does explain, at least in part, why we are experiencing a falling away today especially when you consider the mass crusades (mass decisions as well) under Billy Graham.
He goes on through most of the book to cover issues with altar calls, group prayer for salvation, and even the false hope some have because they signed a decision card, something I heard from time to time myself in outreach.
Aside from the author fawning over Finney he made some very valid points when talking about the nature of conversion showing that conversion does take time and most importantly - I agree with the author here - FOLLOW-UP is essential and that we shouldn't just tell someone they are saved, that assurance should come from God through the Spirit.
Overall, the book was informative and did a good job highlighting the dangers of mass decisions and spurious conversions. He talks of the conversions under Whitfield, Wesley, and Edwards as being legit, solid, and IDENTIFIABLE.
Regrettably, though he didn't mention Finney's contemporary, Asahel Nettleton, had he done so the contrast would have been seen between the spurious conversions under Finney's New Measures and the true fruit under Asahel Nettleton's plain preaching and complete dependence on the Spirit of God in conversion without gimmicks.
Just as a closing note the inquiry room or counseling, as the author mentioned, was not new with Finney, Nettleton encouraged and practiced follow-up as well, as did many of the Old Paths preachers and evangelists. Spurgeon comes to mind in this regard.
Anyway, more could be said but I want to keep these short. The book brings to light many of the issues of modern evangelism and mass crusades and the importance of follow-up/visitation I would recommend it for that alone.
April 16, 2008
The author presents a good history of the way people have been saved since the time of the Protestant Reformation, though I think it could have had more information in this area. The author did provide enough information to accomplish his goal of showing that saying a prayer for salvation was never done until Billy Sunday, and only later by Billy Graham because the crowds were so large. He shows that saying a prayer was actually not done on purpose by previous evangelists because it would give the person a false sense of his/her true condition; that historically, only a changed life was evidence of having been saved. As a result there are many false converts today.
Want to read
February 28, 2009Recommended by Pastor L, 2007
February 19, 2017
Interesting look at the history of the sinner's prayer and methodology surrounding evangelism.
February 14, 2015
Simply and plainly written. Not exhaustive by any means but absolutely necessary for the modern church. This should be required reading in Sunday school and church small groups.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews