Word: otterbein
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Pastor Otterbein credits this success largely to making the church "a place of worship, not a club with religion for an excuse." More than 72% of the congregation use the Lutherans' often-neglected Family Altar Service in their homes every day. The same personal and spiritual touch is preserved in the services in church, where the sermon is always a message from the Bible, never a topical discussion...
Perhaps more important to the success of the church is the good-neighbor policy Dr. Otterbein has fostered from the beginning. As neat brick bungalows mushroomed up in North Austin, he and his flock kept up steady personal evangelism on their own blocks. Their slogan was, "When you see a moving van, spend a nickel," referring to their pastor's request that any member who saw a moving van in his neighborhood call Dr. Otterbein so that he could go right over...
...Otterbein believes a church should make its good-neighbor policy practical as well as friendly, so all through Depression his parish took care of every member family which would otherwise have had to go on relief. To prevent embarrassment, he was go-between for gifts from the better-off members, distributed them where needed, established a successful employment agency on the side...
Like the National Christian Mission (TIME, April 14), Dr. Otterbein went after the unchurched. He got them by-1) tireless pastoral work, 2) worship, not revivals, 3) never pressing membership on any of the thousands he invited to attend a service. Says ex-Salesman Otterbein: "When a man is ready to join the church, he will make the move himself. Sure you can push a man into joining, but when you do, that is the last time you will see him." His congregation, which includes 19 nationalities, also has a high percentage of onetime lapsed members of other denominations, including...
...When Dr. Otterbein and his congregation of 51 drew up their plans for organization, they agreed that the church would be run entirely on the basis of a free-will offering. No sales, bazaars, tickets for entertainments, would be sold. The parish has adhered to this rule 100% ever since. They do occasionally have church suppers for "fellowship," but there is no price of admission...