NYC Evangelism

[Gregory Matthews]

The following is a link to an article published in 2011, informing us as to evangelism in New York City in the late 1970's and 1980's.  This was a period of time in which Ted Wilson served in the Greater New York Conference.

https://spectrummagazine.org/post-archives/mission-city-pastor-remembers-his-dream-job/

During part of that period of time the Conference owned a building in Manhattan, often called the New York City Center (NYCC). It was intended to be a center of evangelism for New York City.  The article above points out the specifics of how Ted Wilson planned to evangelize New York City.  It also points out the failure of the New York City Center to be effective and its eventual sale to a controversial religious cult.

I lived in New York City from June of 1975 to September of 1975 and also from July of 1979 through December of 1979.  My overall evaluation of SDA work in NYC and of the New York City Center, was that it was ineffective.  As just one example, and I could give many others, is the time that members of the NYCC spent an evening giving our copies of Our Little Friend to people attending the theaters in the area.  I give this as an example that I consider to fairly demonstrate the quality of the SDA efforts for NYC.

My point in all of this is: In the End Time of today, we need SDA leadership that plans effective programs for today.  We have not always done so in the past.  Those who have not been successful in the past should not be continued today.