Ushers, Get the Plates!

Several years ago, my family and I attended a four day of seminar in Seattle on “Evangelism to World Religions,” led by our good friend Ron Carlson (now in glory).

Ron, his wife Marge and their two young sons served in the Philippines with us for one year in the 1980s. He spoke and conducted lectures throughout the Philippines and instructed many pastors and Christian workers on how to share the gospel to the cults. It was a great year of ministry!

Upon return to their large home church in the Minneapolis area, Ron was asked to give a report on his year in the Philippines on a Sunday evening. During his report, he shared how our small mission had a burden to start a ministry among the thousands of prostitutes in downtown Manila.

Ron reported that we would not start such a ministry until we had a budget for at least one year of ministry. The budget would include the rental of a facility for evangelism and counseling, support for a large team of godly Filipino ladies to do evangelism and discipleship, a small van, discipleship material, food and many other expenses. The large estimated budget was set at $55,000.

Ron said that we would probably never be able to begin because, as a small mission, how could we ever come up with that huge amount?

As he continued his report, he began to hear people in the large crowd tear checks out of their checkbooks. He then realized what was happening, and because the elders had informed him that they would not be taking an offering, he stopped and said, “I think you might be writing checks for the ministry, but please do not do so, as we have no permission to take an offering.”

However, the people continued to write and there was a continuous rustling noise of checks being written.

Ron began to cry, in fear of getting in trouble with the church and the elders. At that moment, the chairman of the elders stood and walked up to the platform, put his arm around Ron, and said, “Ron, I am the chairman of the elders and you are not in trouble.” Then, turning to the audience, he said loudly, “Ushers, get the plates!”

The ushers began to pass the offering plates randomly throughout the church, collecting an offering of $55,400!

The money was used for a one-year ministry, in the heart of the area of Manila given over to prostitution. Nearly 900 of these ladies of the night indicated coming to faith in Christ, with many of them leaving this wicked profession.

By the way, in the last meeting in Seattle with Ron, the pastor said he felt he should take an offering to raise $10,000 to print Ron’s book in Italian for use in Italy. This was not a planned offering and was a real testimony and encouragement to all when the pastor shared the need. He also said, “Ushers, get the plates.”

Pastors and elders, as God leads, always be ready when there is a need and you sense that God’s people want to do something about that need then encourage and challenge them and simply say, “Let’s do something about this need for the glory of God, USHERS GET THE PLATES!”