Are Altar Calls Biblical?

To answer that question right up front: YES!

Now to the details.

I went to Asbury University where we had mandatory chapel three days a week (chapel was the most spiritually formative component of my time at Asbury). It wasn’t uncommon for there to be altar calls to conclude a service. I went down a few times, not to convert to Christianity (I was already a Christian), but for other reasons (read here some reasons for an altar call).

Having grown up (conservative) Methodist, altar calls were part and parcel of my tradition. It wasn’t until I went to seminary that I learned that some traditions poopoo on the altar call. Weird. It was befuddling to me how any Christian could be against a tradition that:

• Provided a means to publicly testify to one’s devotion to God
• Respond to God’s call to go deeper with him by means of making a personal sacrifice to him
• Spiritual mark a monumental/pivotal moment in the life of the believer

So, what’s the deal with altar calls? Let’s explore.

The Origins of Altar Calls

The practice of altar calls as we know them today became popular in the 19th century, particularly through the revivalist movements led by figures such as Charles Finney and Dwight L. Moody. Finney, a key figure in the Second Great Awakening, believed that individuals could be brought to conversion through an emotional and immediate decision. The “anxious bench,” a precursor to the modern altar call, was used to invite individuals forward to publicly express their desire to repent and follow Christ.

By the time of the 20th century, altar calls were widely practiced in revival meetings, evangelistic crusades (such as those of Billy Graham), and many evangelical church services. The call to come forward at the end of a service became a defining moment where individuals could make a profession of faith, rededicate their lives, or receive prayer.

Why Some Churches Embrace Altar Calls

1. Evangelistic Zeal – Many evangelical and Pentecostal churches see altar calls as an essential means of bringing people to a decisive moment of faith. The public response is seen as an outward expression of an inward change (Romans 10:9-10).
2. Biblical Precedent – While the Bible does not explicitly mention altar calls, proponents point to examples such as Jesus calling His disciples publicly (Matthew 4:18-22) and Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, where people were invited to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38-41).
3. Emphasis on Personal Decision – Altar calls align with traditions that emphasize individual choice and personal commitment in salvation. Churches in the revivalist tradition stress that people should have a definitive moment of decision where they respond to God’s call.
4. Practical and Symbolic Significance – Walking forward can be seen as an act of obedience and a symbolic gesture of surrendering one’s life to Christ. Many churches also use the altar as a place of prayer, healing, and rededication.

Why Some Churches Do Not Practice Altar Calls

1. Theological Concerns About Decisionism – Reformed and Presbyterian churches, among others, emphasize God’s sovereignty in salvation. They argue that salvation is a work of God, not an emotional or momentary human decision (John 6:44). Altar calls, they argue, can sometimes lead to false conversions based on feelings rather than true faith. My argument against this is that altar calls are not strictly for conversions. Abraham wasn’t becoming a Christian every time he built an altar to the Lord (he built four!)
2. Emphasis on Sacraments Instead – Liturgical traditions such as Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism emphasize baptism and communion as the primary means through which believers publicly profess their faith. The altar, in these traditions, is not a place of personal decision but the site of the Eucharist. As I see it, going forward to the altar to take communion is very similar in theology to the Protestant altar call. It’s a place to do business with the Lord (much more than a public witness to conversion).
3. Historical and Liturgical Tradition – Many older Christian traditions predate the revivalist movement and thus have never included altar calls in their services. Worship in these traditions tends to follow a structured liturgy rather than an open-ended call to respond at the end of the service.
4. Concerns About Emotionalism – Some critics argue that altar calls can sometimes manipulate emotions rather than foster genuine, lasting faith. Without proper discipleship and theological understanding, individuals may walk forward without fully grasping the commitment they are making.

Different Approaches to Public Commitment

While some churches do not use altar calls, they still encourage individuals to respond to God’s calling in different ways:

• Baptism and Confirmation – In traditions that do not practice altar calls, baptism (especially in believer’s baptism traditions) or confirmation (in sacramental traditions) serves as the moment of public profession.
• Counseling and Small Groups – Some churches prefer personal conversations and discipleship settings for guiding individuals to faith, rather than a public altar call.
• Personal Reflection and Prayer – Churches that avoid altar calls may instead encourage personal reflection, silent prayer, or meeting with a pastor after the service.

Whether a church uses altar calls or not depends largely on its theology, historical background, and approach to evangelism. While some see altar calls as an effective and biblical method of calling people to faith, others emphasize the role of discipleship, baptism, and God’s sovereign work in salvation. Ultimately, what matters most is that individuals are truly drawn to Christ, not simply through an emotional response, but through a lasting transformation in faith and obedience.

The proof is in holiness/righteousness. Come to the altar, speak in tongues, take communion….no matter what the medium, is the righteousness and holiness of Christ manifest in your life in the form of full devotion to God. Do you love your enemies? The answer to that question is the true measure of the depth of God’s work in one’s life.