BY JOHN SWEIGART AND RON QUICK

AYNE MOON WOKE UP IN THE middle of the night, roused his wife, and told her that God wanted him to distribute literature, specifically The Great Controversy, to everyone in their town who went to see the movie The Passion of the Christ. The next afternoon Wayne got started with 50 copies of the book he had on hand. At the local theater he offered books to everyone who saw the movie. Within minutes he had given away all his books. "At one point," he says, "people followed me back to the car to get more books."

At vespers that evening Moon told his pastor and the members of the church about what had happened. They decided to use the supply of books on hand and stuff each one with Sow 1 Billion Bible study invitations. After praying over the boxes of books, the little band headed to the theater. At first they nervously approached people after the show. Soon people were asking for the books.

Soon more books were needed. Moon called the conference office and other area churches. Two other churches immediately joined the effort. Instead of being at just one theater, teams of laypeople--young and old--distributed literature at six area theaters. Lay evangelist Eric Lance says, "I've seen less prejudice against a Seventh-day Adventist book among these people than ever before in my life."

More than 10,000 books have been given away, more than 1,000 in Spanish. The three churches are expecting the seeds planted through these books to yield results at evangelistic meetings in coming months.

Beginning a Series With a Pro
Rolling in with his fifth-wheel camper and equipment trailer, conference evangelist Dale Pollett has been preparing for a series of meetings in Tryon, North Carolina, for several weeks. Pollett and the other full-time evangelist in the Carolina Conference, John Earnhardt, hold five meetings each year in the Carolinas and one meeting outside the conference.

Before arriving at the church, he has already worked with a printer, a direct mailer, and the conference Communication Department to produce high-quality print and television advertising. In just a few hours Pollett will be unpacking his sound and projection equipment and setting it up in the church auditorium.

Thankfully, a few members are waiting as he pulls up. The opening meeting is two days away. In that time Pollett will meet with the members who will staff the meetings. Parking attendants, greeters, ushers, children's program directors, and hospitality teams all have to understand their assignments. "The whole effort has to be undergirded with prayer," Pollett says. Brochures have been mailed. TV ads have been on cable TV. Even the local paper has carried a quarter-page ad for the meetings.

Tonight Pollett and the members set up the screen, computer, projector, and sound system, checking every component to be sure it performs flawlessly. "We want people to see a top-quality presentation," Pollet says. "We have to meet the expectations of an audience that is used to watching professional productions. That's why I constantly add new images from magazines and other sources." In 22 lectures in five weeks visitors will be introduced to Jesus and helped to understand end-time prophecy. Members will have their faith affirmed as the old, old message is preached in an up-to-date presentation. Pollett says, "The good news of Jesus and the nearness of His coming is as relevant now as it was 160 years ago."

Lay Evangelism
During the first weekend of March for the past three years the conference ministerial secretary has held a lay evangelism training seminar at Nosoca Pines Ranch. In all, 128 lay members have been trained to conduct full-message evangelistic efforts, using New Beginnings seminar materials. Sometimes working in teams and sometimes solo, these dedicated lay evangelists have held 44 meetings, and 16 more are planned this year. To date, 60 new members have joined Adventist churches in the Carolinas through these efforts.

In Charleston, South Carolina, three weeks into the meetings, lay evangelist Greg Carlson has gotten over the jitters. An elder and lay preacher at Charleston Seventh-day Adventist Church, he is launching his first evangelistic series. He uses the New Beginnings materials and is thankful for the training he received from conference evangelist John Earnhardt and ministerial secretary John Sweigart.

Ellie Green, an elder in the Sharon church in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been actively involved in evangelism for years. She has worked in homes giving Bible studies. She has also preached evangelistic campaigns overseas and in the Carolinas. Recently she was in Bulgaria and looks forward to holding another series at home in the States soon. She reports, "There in Bulgaria I had a small congregation of about 150. I had 38 people who signed the request cards for baptism."

Kevin Pires assists evangelist John Earnhardt in his meetings as singing evangelist. He often presents health nuggets during the meetings. Before moving into the evangelistic ministry, Kevin was a full-time nurse. His wife, Karen, was a teacher. She assists in the ministry now by playing the piano and working with new interests.

"We have helped people give up smoking using the Five-Second Plan," Kevin says. "After we have studied the health message with these people, we give them the opportunity to exhibit faith in God's healing and delivering power. The Holy Spirit can do in five seconds what it takes the nicotine patch weeks or months to accomplish."

Pastors Are Evangelists, Too
Bob Fekete pastors the Blythewood and Camden districts in South Carolina. When he returned from a trip to Tanzania with Carolina Global Evangelism last year, he inspired both churches to host evangelistic series during the Year of Evangelism. He will even be preaching one of them. Ben Kochenower, a lay preacher from Spartanburg, South Carolina, who has worked with Global Evangelism in Africa, South America, and the Philippines, will be preaching the other one.

Fekete uses the sermon outlines he used in Africa as the basis for his messages. "The Holy Spirit put these sermons together and gave us a great harvest in Tanzania. I know He'll do similar things here," he says.

The similarities are not in the graphics or in the advertising. They are in the message. "The same message of grace and hope that is effective in winning hearts to Jesus overseas is the message we preach when we come home," says Kochenower.

Yes, the Carolina Conference is passionate about evangelism.

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John Sweigart is ministerial director of the Carolina Conference. Ron Quick is communication director.