Preach the Bad News Too: A Surprising Lesson from Spurgeon’s Converts

Thirty large volumes: That’s how many pages it took to contain the testimonies of those applying for membership during the ministry of Charles Spurgeon. Fifteen thousand handwritten entries in all — over 70 percent of which were from new converts. The elders at the Metropolitan Tabernacle were anxious to know that a work of God had occurred in the soul before admitting one into membership, so at least one pastor would conduct an interview and record the applicant’s testimony before he or she sat