In addition to a distinguished career teaching mathematics at Florida College, Charles Goodall has been actively involved in personal evangelism and in teaching others how to do that work. His most recent work is Evangelism in the 21st Century.
The book by this title and written by Michael Shank came under the radar of my book Evangelizing in the 21st Century (Ceibooks.com). Brethren who have read my book have been inquiring as to my thoughts on it. It has been brought to my attention that conservative churches and brethren have been buying it in large numbers for distribution in evangelistic efforts. Ceibooks.com is getting large order requests for the book as well as a sizeable number of individual purchases. This attention is heightened when it is known that the author is making the book available on his web page below bookstore wholesale.
Let me tell you what it is and what it entails. Michael Shank and his wife were converted by an individual named “Randall” in a large printing company about 25 years ago. Michael kept careful notes of each encounter with “Randall” including the arguments and Scriptures he used. Michael was able to write his book years later using the notes.
After reading the book carefully more than once and making careful notes I found nothing that would betray Michael’s institutional background he embraced after his conversion. Muscle and a Shovel appears to be true to the Scriptures. However, I may have missed something.
The practice of passing out Muscle and a Shovel for personal evangelism would fit in the area of mass media evangelism in the realm of personal evangelism. In that realm are tract distribution, Bible correspondence courses, call in radio, radio and TV preaching, and internet evangelism. While effective in some situations, I pointed out in my book that mass media efforts are generally ineffective because of the same liabilities. They are expensive and inefficient (mass media in general) with disappointing results (notice I did not say “no results”). Handed out like a tract and Bible correspondence course, Muscle and a Shovel would be expected to have the same results.
What “Randall” did seems to have much more promise for us in evangelism. Apparently Randall had his own agenda (which is detailed below in Michael’s account) or was following something like LeRoy Brownlow’s Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ. Nevertheless each day when Randall came to work he was armed with one point in which he hoped to engage Michael. Michael, as a committed Baptist, conversely viewed Randall as a good prospect for conversion to the Baptist Church and thus his notebook and research.
Here is a chapter by chapter of their journey (I composed these summary points):
The prelude to the story of a couple’s journey to learn and obey the gospel.
The setting of the environment of Bible study and the author’s mentor.
Planting of probing open questions such as “Is Jesus coming again?”, “Why were you baptized?” and what is meant by “obeying the gospel”?
More specifically, “Does one have to be baptized to be saved?”
Is one saved by “faith only”?
The saved are in the Lord’s church but no saved are in a denomination.
Where did the Baptist church come from?
An inquiry of Baptist preachers produced no answer.
The church was established by Jesus Christ, not John the Baptist. The Baptist church was established by John Smyth.
Lutheran preacher advises that Christ is the vine and the denominations are branches.
Nicodemus and John 3:16.
A trip to visit the relatives in search of the validity of “the sinner’s prayer.”
Prospect begins to have misgivings about his religious roots and makes one last gasp effort to hang on to them.
Learning that feelings can be deceiving.
His best friend (a Christian) teaches him that obedience in baptism is an extension of belief (faith).
Learning that “of” in Acts 2:38 does not mean “because of.”
Those who practice sprinkling and pouring for baptism are false teachers.
Baptize is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo and those who do not accept that are rejecting God.
The conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch places the entire Baptist scheme of redemption in jeopardy.
Calvinism and latter day revelation reinforces faith in the unerring Scripture and leads to the rejection of Baptist doctrine.
Documentation of number 16 above that eis is never translated “because of.”
Denominational “unity” is a mockery of the unity taught in the New Testament.
Prospect breaks all ties with the unspiritual materialistic mission of his Baptist brethren.
He concludes that the masses (denominational people) believe their leaders without checking the facts for themselves.
He concludes that only those who are in the church of Christ are saved and Christ saves only those who are in His church.
Worship in the New Testament was on the first day of the week with worship different from the Law of Moses.
Singing was the exclusive mode of music in the N.T. church. The denominations when established hundreds of years later rejected the instrument in worship.
Calling a preacher Reverend is wrong because that name is reserved for God and God alone.
The “One Pastor” system is not a Biblical arrangement.
Obeying the gospel is following the pattern of Romans 6:3-5.
Living a life which involves partying and worldly habits is hard to give up.
It is the Bible that teaches that the way to eternal life is narrow.
By following tradition, man is unable to escape and obey the truth.
Our lost parents would not want us to go to hell to honor their bad choice which is illustrated by the rich man’s brothers.
Role of baptism in God’s plan iterated in several illustrations that gives iron clad proof that it is absolutely necessary.
Like Saul of Tarsus, the couple realizes that they need to be baptized to wash away their sins.
“See here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?” They are on their way.
The consciousness of their new birth and the resurrection it represents motivates them to share with others.
The “sinner’s prayer” is a false doctrine and contrary to the Bible.
God challenges all to seek His will and to obey His word.
As I point out in my book Evangelizing in the 21st Century (Ceibooks.com), mass media evangelism is not effective because the worker generally does not have credibility with the prospect. Credibility is lacking chiefly because the prospect does not know the worker’s integrity or perhaps the worker has a life (many times not one’s own fault) that does not lend itself to the attribute. Thus he is not in a good position to break his own comfort zone which allows him to use his credibility with the prospect.
My assessment and suggestion is the book ought not be bought just for distribution. Just like Sears had “good, better, and best,” distribution is good, but obtaining a copy of Muscle and a Shovel and read how one man “Randall” did personal work to bring someone to Christ would be “better.” But selecting a fellow worker and do as “Randall” did by focusing on one soul, one point at a time, that would be “best.” “And he who wins souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30).