What kind of prep-work went into hosting a campaign for Billy Sunday (c 1918, Duluth, Minnesota)?

The Duluth News Tribune. Mon, Apr 08, 1918 ·Page 3

ADVANCE MAN IS HERE TO PAVE WAY FOR BILLY SUNDAY

Looks to Building of Tabernacle at Courthouse Square—Construction Starts Next Week.

Actual work in preparation for Billy Sunday’s campaign in Duluth will begin early next week when workmen will commence construction of the huge tabernacle in which the meetings will be held.

This was the announcement made yesterday by James E. Walker, advance representative for the evangelist. Mr. Walker reached Duluth Saturday and immediately plunged into the work of preparation for Sunday’s appearance in Duluth. He met representatives from Duluth, Superior and range churches at the First Presbyterian church at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon.

Richard Close and W. L. Smithies, of the men’s interchurch council addressed the meeting. Both gave their impressions of the Sunday campaign in Chicago. Mr. Smithies was in Chicago Saturday and witnessed the mammoth parade, held at noon, which preceded the largest meeting that has yet been held at the Chicago tabernacle.

Sunday’s Methods Outlined.

Walker’s talk outlined, for the local workers, the Sunday method of conduction a campaign. His classification divides the work into three parts. The preparatory work, he says, usually covers a period of eight weeks preceding the campaigns. The latter constitutes the second division and the third division in, in Walker’s words, “the follow-up campaign or work of conservation.” The first part is now well under way in Duluth.

The Sunday campaigns are usually conducted by 15 committees. Fourteen of these will be in operation in Duluth within a short time. The fifteenth, constituting a restaurant committee, often necessary through the comparative inaccessibility of the tabernacles, will not be needed in Duluth owing to the central location of the tabernacle.

Two Thousand Ushers.

The other committees, some of which are already being formed, together with Walker’s estimate of the number required for each, follow: Music committee, including the personnel of three choruses, 2,500; Neighborhood prayer meeting committee, 2,000; ushers and doorkeepers, who will work in relays, 700; personal workers, 500; secretaries, who will take the names of “trail-hitters” at the meetings, 300; men’s Bible class organizers and workers, 500; finance, automobile, hospital and students committees, 500. This, in the round figures of Walker’s estimate, will total a working staff of 7,000. “And every one of them,” said Walker last night, “will have something to do.”

“The most important part of the work,” said Walker, “is the neighborhood prayer meetings, previous to and during the campaign. If Sunday’s coming did nothing else than serve as an incentive for the organization of these meetings, he would have done enough. It is his wish that a great deal of time and care be spent in the perfecting of the committee which will be in charge of these meetings.

Territory Divided.

“The territory surrounding Duluth and the city itself will be divided into districts, these districts subdivided into sections and these sections again divided into communities or, as we call them, neighborhoods. It is our plan to have prayer meetings for two nights each week for three weeks previous to Sunday’s appearance. These meetings will not be held in the churches of the communities but in the private homes. There were 99 conversions reported at similar meetings which preceded the Los Angeles campaign.

“Billy Sunday’s request is that, at these meetings, those who attend pray for the success of the campaign. The attendance at the Los Angeles prayer meetings was recorded at 73,938. There were 7,556 homes open for meetings.

Tabernacle 8,000 Capacity.

The Duluth tabernacle, according to the present estimate, will accommodate 8,000. It will include, besides the main auditorium, the usual rooms that are built in all Sunday tabernacles. The Duluth structure will be of the turtle-back type that is used in a majority of the cities. Its dimensions will be approximately 176 by 224 feet. It will be built on the courthouse grounds at Fourth avenue West from First to Second streets. Sunday will conclude his Chicago campaign on May 19. He will come to Duluth during the following week and will open here May 26. Walker has established his offices on the second floor of the Y. M. C. A. in the offices of Mr. Smithies. He will direct the preparatory campaign from there and will remain here until after the opening of the campaign proper.