Influence
Evangelistic staffing of the Councils under Dr Bader's leadership increased from one full time person to seven. It became, according to Daniel L Poling, ' the most dynamic and largest department' of the Federal Council. Evangelism certainly received 'adequate emphasis'. Denominational evangelistic leadership showed even more remarkable growth. In 1932 only two denominations (Presbyterian and his own) had full time secretaries of evangelism. In 1956 Dr Bader recorded that there were forty-six secretaries of evangelism in 35 Protestant communions. Evangelism had become central in the life of the churches.
His influence might be measured by the number of significant inter-church nationwide programs he led. He always had one major evangelistic thrust under way - a dozen in his time - programs such as the National Preaching Mission, the University Christian Mission, the National Christian Teaching Mission, ministry in National Parks (where visitor numbers increased to 15 million each year in the 1950s) and the missions to the American Forces during World War II. Local cooperation amongst churches grew significantly through this time in contrast with earlier more competitive denominationalism - another achievement that Jesse Bader can take much of the credit for..
Read more about this topic: Jesse Moren Bader
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