E. L. Minchin: Youth Revival Evangelist 

 

 

LIFE SKETCH 

Edwin Lennard Minchin was a youth leader, a powerful preacher of righteousness, and a revival evangelist.  Born on a farm in Western Australia in 1904, Len Minchin was the youngest of six siblings.  The family became Seventh-day Adventists after attending an evangelistic tent series that came to their area. 

Len Minchin graduated from Australasian Missionary College (Today, Avondale College) in 1924.

 

 

He began his ministry for youth in New Zealand.  He then spent 16 years as a youth leader in the Australasian Division, 8 years in the British Union and Northern European Division, and 16 years at the General Conference where the world became his parish.

Young people flocked to hear him as he lifted up Christ, pointed out sin and upheld a standard of right living and high goals in the service of Christ.  For more than 40 years, the name of E. L. Minchin was associated with youth congresses, revival meetings, and memorable weeks of prayer.  Many are those whose hearts were captivated by his stirring sermons and appeals, theme songs or who benefited from personal counsel and follow-up correspondence in connection with his meetings.  

 

 

From Scandinavia to the South Sea Islands, from the Middle East to Mexico, and from Australia and Asia to the Americas, Pastor Minchin’s Spirit-filled messages of the love of God made an indelible impact on his listeners.  Countless individuals around the world trace their own conversion experience, personal victories over temptations, or even their call to a life of service to the inspiration they received from one of Len Minchin’s sermons or weeks of prayer.  

He was a man greatly used of God to bring revival and reformation to the youth of the church on all continents during decades of youth ministry. Although Pastor Minchin retired in 1970 and passed away in 1987, his legacy and vision will continue to bless the church’s leadership and youth until the second coming of Christ. 

SEVEN SECRETS OF LEN MINCHIN’S POWERFUL PUBLIC MINISTRY

1.  SPIRIT-FILLED PREACHING:

 

How did Elder Minchin make such an impression on young lives (and adults) all over the world?  It wasn’t through the Hollywood magic of a dazzling personality or a magnetic performance on stage.  It wasn’t because of a great musical team or a supporting cast or stage props  He used none of these.  Instead, he just walked onto the platform and stood up to speak.  No catchy introduction—no anything, except a lone man speaking.  Why, then the phenomenal results he had with youth who were often restless and cynical? Why did they anticipate his next sermon like a gourmet looking for a fine meal at a good restaurant?   

Len held the strong conviction that if the young people of Christian families were salvaged for the church, much less “public evangelism” would be necessary.  That the church would grow and flourish by the natural processes of dedicated Christians simply “living the life.”  Consequently, he never used any theatrical effects in his meetings.  He hammered down no “proof texts.”  No beasts or time charts and few visual aids ever appeared on his platform.  He engaged in no theological debates.  In fact, Len would probably have been the first to admit, “But I’m simply not equipped to handle those things.”  What he did have was an experience with God that was transparently genuine and a love that was intense and unconditional.   

2.  MUSIC:

 

Len made music a big part of his revival meetings.  Often he would lead the song service or introduce a theme song himself and accompany it all at the piano as well.  Several songs became hallmarks of his congresses and camps:  “Christ is the Answer,”  “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,”  “He lives”,  “I Want Dear Lord”.  These songs have been remembered by those who attended all their lives.  Often during a prayer season he’d break out with a song that suited the moment.  He tried to get acquainted with the musicians and, if possible, talk and pray with them before the service.  One day, when walking to his office, he saw two excited girls running after him.  “He li-i-ves!  He Li-i-ves!” they sang.  Then he realized that they were from Germany and had been to a congress.  Even though they could speak no English, and he no German, they understood one another perfectly.

3.  FRIENDSHIP TEAMS and PRAYER:

Len attributed much of the success of the revivals to the background of prayer and visitation of backsliders by the “Friendship Teams” (an approach he urged) ahead of time.  Revivals without full prayer-preparation didn’t go as well as they might have done.  Len never believed that it was all accomplished in the few hours that he was preaching.  “It’s nothing that I did.  It’s the direct working of the Holy Spirit that goes from college to college and from city to city.”

4.  YOUTH CONGRESSES:

Invariably, the sight of a congress hall full of thousands of young people never failed to stimulate Len to his best work.  His four-month itinerary in South America in 1956 included seventeen youth congresses and twenty-five other meetings.  Thousands attended, and 900 requested baptism.  At the Vienna Congress in 1967, something, to be sure, happened.  Len rejoiced over the 8,000  “beautiful, clean, happy, wholesome-looking young people,” the “fruitage of the gospel in Europe.”  Three thousand came from West Germany alone.  Here, the church administrators caught a clear, new vision of what youth evangelism could be, and they accounted the Congress to be the greatest and most inspirational gathering in the history of the church in Europe.  Len rejoiced in this potential, which was embodied in the multitude of young people present.  What a tremendous spiritual power was released in personal, living testimonies.  Also, the colorful programs impressed him — the music, the crowded devotional meetings, and the folk dancing from Eastern European countries.  “So beautiful, so simple, and so expressive of joy,” he mused.  

5.  WEEKS OF PRAYER:

On a trip to Asia, Len went to a memorable week of prayer youth camp at Port Dickson, for the fifty-eight pupils of Far Eastern Academy in Singapore.  Most of them were children of missionaries, but this fact didn’t guarantee an adolescence more trouble-free than elsewhere.  The campsite on the beach was surrounded on three sides by the Malaysian jungle.  Here a great many battles were won and decisions made.  Later, astonished and grateful parents would hardly believe the transformations they saw in their teenagers.  In fact, the whole climate of the school changed.