Altar Call Or Not?

I used to attend a church that gave an invitation (altar call) after the message was given. Where I now attend, the pastor just dismisses the congregation after the message, with no altar call. Personally, I preferred it the old way. My question is…is the altar call necessary or even scriptural?

Q. I used to attend a church that gave an invitation (altar call) after the message was given. Where I now attend, the pastor just dismisses the congregation after the message, with no altar call. Personally, I preferred it the old way. My question is…is the altar call necessary or even scriptural? Should I consider this when searching for a new church?

A. Altar calls after a message are a matter of preference rather than doctrine. Some pastors view the Sunday Service as a time to evangelize and encourage their parishioners to invite guests to the service. They preach a salvation message in the hope that some of the visitors will be moved to receive the Lord. Having an altar call afterward is a logical conclusion to the message.

If a pastor doesn’t follow this model, then an altar call after the message is not as relevant. Ask your pastor what his views on altar calls are. You’ll at least learn why he doesn’t include one at the end of his message, and you just might encourage him to start doing so.