One of the difficulties
for gospel groups was deciding which bookings to "take on". At one stage,
the crossBeaTs were receiving about 4 booking requests per day.
Clearly, a large number of these had to be refused. Early on, when
the Rev John Banner joined as secretary and spiritual
adviser in June 1964, he and the members of the group
set up an elaborate (and perhaps over sophisticated) system for considering
bookings.
When a request was received for a date which was free,
a questionnaire was sent out (no copy of this is available) asking for details
of the type of meeting, the number of Christians supporting it, and the prayer
backing etc. When this was returned, a decision was made as to whether to
take the booking on.
It is accepted now that this must have seemed a
little pompous and over bureaucratic to those making requests, but given the
number of requests coming in, the group felt it important to find out whether
the meeting was evangelistic (this was their emphasis) and the extent of the
prayer backing and follow-up. A card index system was used to keep
records.
The following cards (especially the later, typed, ones) give
examples of the kind of details requested and upon which decisions were
taken. They also show the kind of expenses
charged. For the first trip to the Catacombs
in Decemeber, 1964 the charge was £3-10s.
|
