How to Have a Soul Winning Church by Gene Edwards (Good, 1962, Pbk, 250 pgs, Gospel Pub. House)

Cover and pages have some wear; pages appear to be unmarked. ISBN 9780882435244

How to Have a Soul Winning Church focused on restoring personal evangelism and house church practices to modern Christianity.  The book argues that contemporary church methods have drifted from New Testament patterns due to historical traditions, and it provides a framework for believers to engage in direct, home-based soul winning.

Edwards traces the decline of evangelism from the 1st century through the Reformation, asserting that modern institutional structures like church buildings and pulpits lack biblical precedent. The text advocates for a return to individual, relational witnessing rather than relying on mass evangelism campaigns, offering specific conversational techniques and scripture selections.

Edwards promotes a decentralized, participatory church structure where believers meet in homes, share authority, and function as a living organism rather than a hierarchical institution. The book serves as a manual for pastors and laypeople to train others in visitation and soul winning, aiming to create a culture of evangelism within the local church. Edwards, a former Southern Baptist pastor and pioneer of the US house church movement, writes for Christians dissatisfied with the status quo, aiming to inspire a revival of first-century Christian practices.