Joy Cummings, Evangelist

Every month, EFCA archivist Tom Cairns shares an important story from our EFCA history for #ThrowbackThursday. This month, we learn more about one of the traveling evangelists in our movement.

The EFCA has been blessed by many evangelists over the years. Names like the Palermos, Lindquists, Dalzell, Reinhardt, Thorwall, Berggren and many others traveled from church to church to lead revival and evangelism services. Typically a campaign lasted almost a week, and they supplemented their preaching with music from a variety of instruments, open-air campaigns, chalk-talks, magic tricks, object lessons, children and youth events, puppets and audiovisuals.

One of these evangelists was Joy Cummings. For a young boy growing up in small-town Minnesota, life was good with all the outdoor activities imaginable (hunting, fishing, trapping) and strong family ties. Sadly, his father walked out of his life when he was just 12 years old.

His mother remained a major influence in his life. When she accepted the Lord, he was puzzled at first; but when he was 21, Cummings converted too. By the next day, his girlfriend Louise made the same decision.

In 1937, the young married couple moved to Chicago to attend the Free Church Bible Institute, for Cummings had quickly become passionate about sharing the gospel. He was called to be pastor of the Malmo Free Church (Minnesota) and later as pastor of the Rose Hill Evangelical Free Church (South Dakota). During those years, his evangelism skills were honed and many came to know Jesus.

He served 15 months as field evangelist in the early 1950s, and after a time pastoring in Turlock, California, he rejoined the EFCA national office as staff evangelist, traveling widely until his retirement in 1979. He conducted hundreds of campaigns in EFCA churches.

For more on Cummings, see Calvin Hanson’s biography of him, Pure Joy.

Were you touched by Joy Cummings or one of the other evangelists?