Teddy Knapp is the literature ministries coordinator for La Sierra University and assistant student literature ministries director for the Southeastern and Southern California conferences. He and fiancée Susan Santos work as a team to motivate, worship and share the love of Jesus through literature evangelism.

“We weren't sure a literature evangelism program would work at LSU, but we were very wrong!” says Sam Leonor, campus pastor. “Teddy and Susan have energized and empowered a group of students to do things they would never have dreamed they could do. Their work in mentoring their team is already bearing fruit in students who are assuming leadership roles on our campus.”

The ministry of literature evangelism is well into the second year at La Sierra University, and 12 students are working in the program. La Sierra University matches 50 percent up to $3,000 on all the earnings from book sales for students. Last years’ literature evangelism sales totaled $40,000, with an average of seven or eight students working per quarter three nights per week.

“When we announced at the first University Worship this school year that we were looking for students 74 people expressed an interest,” says Santos. “La Sierra University has a great matching program for students and perfect weather.”

“Ellen White says that this is the greatest training for any line of work,” says Knapp. “This work complements the school well and vice versa. It provides a spiritual focus where people can talk about faith.”

Knapp himself is a convert to the Adventist faith through literature evangelism. About seven years ago, Knapp’s sister, who was a colporteur, gave him Doug Batchelor's book, The Richest Caveman. “I gave my heart to Jesus and have been working in literature evangelism ever since.”

“This is a great opportunity to tell others about God,” says Janina Irving, sophomore psycho-biology pre-medicine major who began her work with literature evangelism when it started at La Sierra. One time, Irving went to the home of a mom and little girl, and the mom started crying and said that she knew God had sent her. The woman had recently divorced and said God was telling her He loved her. “I said, 'God does love you,' and then we talked, read the Bible and prayed. This is one instance of many.”

There are really three reasons to be literature evangelists, according to Santos — help your finances, enhance your walk with God, and increase your interpersonal skills. Santos, who also works with the literature evangelist team, recently went where a lady purchased books and was later baptized. It turns out her son was an Adventist minister in the Chicago area, and his mother had never accepted Jesus until Santos sold her ministry books.

“I'm a strong believer in students taking advantage of the La Sierra University literature evangelism program (directed by Teddy Knapp) for several reasons,” says Lawrence T. Geraty, LSU president. “It's a great way to get the best literature into the hands of our neighbors. It teaches students lessons of reliance on God while they develop their abilities to meet people and share their faith. Plus it is a great way to earn money for their university expenses. Besides what they earn in this program, the university matches their earnings according to a formula. I speak from experience, because I earned my way through college and graduate school by doing such door-to-door work for seven consecutive summers.”

“I vowed to myself that I would never do this,” says Irving. “But you can really see God working with you. The books do help, and when a door slams in front of me, I think that God wants me to get to someone else quicker.”