Have any of you read anything about Lloyd-Jones' views on altar calls? Do you know of other people with similair views? How about Lloyd-Jones' disagreement with Finney and his "Lectures of Revival"? I will try to find that article. Lloyd-Jones and Altar Calls
People of the 'Reformed' position generally dislike 'altar calls' for the reasons Lloyd-Jones gives in your URL. There is another aspect of the altar call which also raises worries; namely the counselling room. The original 'time of decision' style included an 'after meeting'. This was an opportunity to pray with others similarly convicted and was a feature of Finney's meetings as well as the Welsh Revival. 'Counselling' does not seem to have been a part of the 'after meeting'. Seekers prayed until they had the inner conviction that God had heard and answered their cry; very different from our modern altar calls and counselling procedures. The early Salvationists would invite seekers to the Mercy Seat (a forwards facing bench) and would kneel and pray with them until they 'came through'; again counselling was not a feature.The concern of 'Reformed' folk (and not a few others) is that we have substituted methodologies for genuine works of the Spirit. Lloyd-Jones is right when he says the New Testament is without this kind of example; the appeal, it seems, most often came from the congregation... what must we do?makes you think, doesn't it?
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