"This is the highest percentage of response I have ever had in all of my evangelistic ministry of over 30 years!" said veteran evangelist Ken Cox, following an evangelistic series held at the Ventura church ealier this year. "I usually baptize or bring in on profession of faith about 10 percent of the non-Adventist interests who attend our meetings. The Ventura church series ended up with more than three times that number!"

According to Pastor Jim Ayars, the meetings in Ventura were very well attended, drawing more than 60 new interested people, most of whom responded positively. Becky Verrault and Brittany Woodruff, Bible worker interns from Souls West, the evangelism training school in Phoenix, Ariz., served throughout the 10-week series. They initiated more than 20 new Bible study interests. "The meetings ended with 30 individuals becoming members of our church family, either through baptism or on profession of faith," added Ayars. "Five more are currently preparing for baptism."

The young interns were gratified to see several people whom they had met merely by going door-to-door with "Magabooks" and offering Bible studies come forward and make their decisions to become members of the church. While visiting homes immediately adjacent to the church, they met Vince. In response to their invitation, Vince attended the meetings and accepted the Adventist message on profession of faith.

Denny Kukich, board chair of Kenneth Cox Evangelistic Crusades, had intended to drive his motor home from Chicago to Ventura to assist with the meetings; however, the cold snap which stopped Chicago in its tracks froze the motor home. Instead, he flew out and found a room in a local Ventura motel. Next door to him resided a man named Arnie. Kukich struck up a conversation with him and invited him to the meetings. By the end of the series, Arnie was baptized.

Ralph and Monica came from Thousand Oaks, bringing with them Monica's son, a resident of Westlake Village. He, too, was baptized. Latrell and Manola came to the meetings after reading Kenneth Cox's initial flyer advertising the meetings and mass mailed to all of west Ventura County. "They, too, enthusiastically embraced the messages and joined on profession of faith," said Ayars. "I believe that what has happened here in Ventura is a foretaste of things to come for all of the North American Division. God, make it happen everywhere."