Bill Krick began working for the Central California Conference as the director of student literature ministries on Jan. 1, 1999. Heather, his wife, joined him as a Bible worker. Eight years later, Krick has seen this program dramatically expand across the conference and around the Pacific Union. SOULS West, the Pacific Union’s leadership training school for outreach evangelism in Scottsdale, Ariz., now supplies most student leaders and church Bible workers. Six union conferences have their own student literature evangelist directors, and Larry Carter has been hired as the Pacific Union director of literature evangelism.

When did your passion for door-to-door ministry begin?

When I was a theology major at Walla Walla College, I worked for a year with Project RESTORE in Seattle, Wash. I was one of 12 Bible workers assigned to a declining inner city church. A public evangelistic series capped off our work, and a whole bunch of people were baptized. That church went from 70 regularly attending members to at least 70 at Wednesday night prayer meetings.

It sounds like it was a life-changing experience.

The power of door-to-door work intrigued me. Soul-winning is so effective when God matches you up with people who have needs. This past summer was my 16th consecutive year in door-to-door literature ministry.

The church has a rich and unique history in door-to-door literature work. Would you give us a brief history lesson?

Before 1900, 75 percent of all books purchased were door-to-door. The church’s publishing work began in 1880. The mission was to spread the three angels’ messages to as many people as possible. Sales were for cash and the local churches followed up the Bible study interests.

That sounds a lot like how the current student literature ministries program works.

Yes, the magabook program has made it possible to cover a lot of territory with message books sold for cash. We are back to the basics going door-to-door with the unique three angels’ messages for earth’s last days.

You were working at Pacific Press as director of student literature ministries for several unions, including the Pacific Union, when you were called to Central California. Why did you decide to come?

My wife, Heather, and I prayed about it for three weeks. President Jerry Page believed a conference-based program would be more successful and he also wanted to get more Central kids involved. I was already running the Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Nevada-Utah conferences’ summer programs. Central would contract with those conferences so their summer programs continued. The Lord made it clear to us this was the next step for us.

That sounds like a very big job description. How was it accomplished?

Good leadership is how you get the job done. I was so privileged to be trained and mentored by Larry Carter, and I inherited his training model. We recruited from those experienced young adults across American that Larry had trained. Today, nearly 100 percent of our program leaders are students or graduates from SOULS West. These young adults are trained Bible workers with mentored field experience.

Why are the Bible workers so important?

Literature evangelism and Bible work go hand-in-hand. People who buy spiritual books have just made a spiritual decision, and they may be ready to make additional spiritual decisions. At the door, students offer personal Bible studies either one-on-one or through correspondence. A Bible worker is ready to immediately follow-up.

The conference has expanded the Bible worker’s role in local churches beyond the summer program. How does that work?

We’ve learned that when a SOULS West Bible worker continues to work with the local church members for the next nine months, more Bible studies are completed, more people are baptized and more new interests are discovered, especially if the church hosts a public evangelistic outreach. A third-year track has been added to the SOULS West curriculum for this expanded training.

How is this growing ministry resourced in Central?

It has been through God’s awesome and miraculous leading! The camp meeting evangelism offering not only helps make the student literature ministries program possible, but also provides a one-year stipend for a local church Bible worker. The congregation provides housing and other needs.

In the final analysis, how do you see the Youth RUSH program benefiting the kingdom of God?

Door-to-door literature evangelism, however uncomfortable it may seem, “is the best preparation for other lines of missionary labor” (Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 330). Somehow the chemistry of aggressive outreach, group fellowship and Bible study, and the mentorship of the trained young adult leaders is a winner. Our youth gain an experience which will fit them for the time of trouble and for eternity. My hope is that these young people, with their skills and experience, will lead the charge in the final events of earth’s history.