Camp evangelists have varied in style and delivery over the years. Back when I was a kid, they all seemed to be pretty much the same. They always wore suits; I rarely, if ever, saw one take off his suit-coat - no matter how warm it became. Sometimes the leaders would have a morning teacher and an evening preacher. Always they hired a song evangleist to lead the worship time.
Some evangelists that I remember were:
- O. R. Tessaro
- Wilbur Teal
- Harry Girts
- Lucien Behar
- Dr. V. J. Mannoia
- Dr. Don Demaray
- David Clardie
Sometimes, an evangelist would come that no one knew. One year an older man came who had been superintendent of one of our western conferences; his name was Don Lowry. In spite of the fact that he was older, he connected with the youth that year. They sat down front all through the camp and responded strongly to his preaching!
One year we needed an evangelist and the idea-bank was empty. I looked through my file folder and found a conference evangelist from Canada, named Bill Row. He agreed to come on short notice. He holed up in his cabin every day and waited for a fresh message from the Lord! It was one of the most powerful camps in my memory! The Spirit moved mightily and the services were blessed with the presence of God. It's interesting how God moved so significantly in a year when our expectations were low.
Some evangelists were story tellers, other were Bible expositors, others were topical preachers, and still others were teachers. Some were very serious, while others were light-hearted and fun to be around. Some mingled with the campers while others stayed aloof. Some would present a strong altar call while others simply opened the altar and sat down.
Some of the song evangelists that stand out in my memory were:
- Clyde Van Valen
- Danny Shelhaus
- Denny Kleibscheidel
- Lloyd Donnell
- Jim and Tammy Bean
May the legacy of great preaching and engaging worship continue until Jesus comes!
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