The altar call is not such an old tradition.  It was begun and put into practice by Presbyterian minister Charles Finney in the 1830’s.  It is believed that Finney began this practice so that he could sign up his converts for the abolition movement.  The term ‘altar call’ was not commonly used until the 20th century by the Holiness and Pentecostal movement. 

Today, an altar call is a tradition in many Christian churches in which those who want to accept the Lord Jesus as their savior, or to make a new spiritual commitment to Christ are invited to come forward publicly. It is called an altar call because the people gather at the so-called altar located at the front of the church building. Most altar calls occur at the end of an evangelical address.  Evangelists such as Dwight Moody and Billy Sunday also used invitations to come to the front of the church building…to the altar.

You asked what my position is on this tradition of the altar call, so here are my thoughts.

The altar call can be dangerous.  Many people, in relating how they got saved, will say they answered the altar call and went ‘down front’ to be saved.  When a person goes ‘down front’ most church services will have someone to meet you there and lead you through a ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ which is simply not scriptural.  The Bible does not teach us that we are saved by saying a particular prayer.  No, we are saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior.  When the Philippian jailer asked Paul how he could be saved, Paul answered him by simply saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31). 

The altar call is unscriptural.  We do not find this practice anywhere in the Bible.  In fact, the altar was used for sacrifices and offerings to the Lord.  The altars in the Old Testament were used for a variety of purposes, but none was used as a place to profess faith in the Lord. 

The altar call appeals to the emotions of the hearers.  I grew up in a Baptist church where altar calls were given at the end of every service.  Songs were sung and appeals were made that would stir the emotions of the hearers.  I remember seeing many weeping people go to the altar, but in a few days, it was obvious there had been no permanent change.  There may have been emotional reactions, but few true conversions to the Lord.  It would be much more scriptural to simply ask the congregation that if anyone desired to speak to someone about their need of salvation to let it be known and someone could walk them through the scriptures and show them what it means to truly be saved.

The altar call can result in peer pressure.  When experiencing an altar call, you will often hear the plea, “Won’t you come?  Won’t you come?” People can feel peer-pressured into going to the altar, rather than responding to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin in the sinner’s heart. 

Some have quoted Matthew 10:32 as a reason to have an altar call.  That says, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”  They say that to come to the altar is confessing the Lord before men.  However, it is the way we live and the faithfulness of our testimony that is truly our confession of the Lord before men. 

It may be true that some have truly put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ during an altar call.  We praise the Lord for every precious soul saved, but it is not the response to the altar call that saves.  It is the Spirit working through the Word of God to convict the sinner and bring him to put his faith in the Lord Jesus in order to be saved.  (CC)  (617.2)