The Fellowship Tract League is a ministry somewhat attached to Fellowship Baptist Church of Lebanon Ohio. They publish tracts which purport to be useful for getting people saved. Before I bash their tracts, a few good things about this ministry are worth mentioning:
- The tracts use the Authorised Version of the Bible in English (the KJV).
- They give it all away for free, including shipping. That’s quite amazing, actually.
- Conveniently, their tracts are numbered.
- Just a few of the tracts are okay.
There are a few bad things about this ministry – mainly one:
- The tracts generally present a false gospel. This makes them unfit for the purpose of being a gospel tract.
Generally the tract layout is as follows
- The verses that back up the real gospel are shown
- At the appeal, a different gospel is substituted: the appeal to “repent of your sins” or “change your life” is added (sometimes subtly)
- A prayer is offered, in which you “accept Jesus” and “turn from your sins” (and do almost anything except ask him to save you, believing that he can and will – something extra must be added, and faith must be diluted.)
Adding in things that are elements of Christian growth has the effect of downplaying salvation by faith, and exalting other weaker and more confusing approximations of salvation:
- Salvation by the power of a choice
- Salvation by “acceptance”, as if you would say “okay, fine, you can save me.”
- Salvation by a willingness to change my life (i.e. a false promise)
- Salvation by giving up control (only in a few)
There are a number of strange features in these tracts:
- Random capitalisation (e.g. pronouns for God when not quoting scripture and “Hell”). This makes the message look stupid.
- Quotation marks used for emphasis (e.g. Jesus paid for your sins “in full”). The actual effect is de-emphasis!
- The resurrection is almost never explained, and generally only represented by a single verse, and that verse is almost always Romans 10:9, given without any commentary. Surely this should be a larger feature of the gospel?
The specific errors in their tracts are:
- Repent of your sins
- Repentance means being willing to turn from sin
- I will change my life
- You will change my life
- I will obey you as Lord
- Take control of my life
- Hell is separation from God (this is just wrong)
A few of the tracts are actually okay, although weak. The borderline tracts are the ones that quote the “turn from his wicked way” verses without exposition. I don’t really know how to feel about those.
These are the tracts, by number, with the briefest description of the type of error they insinuate into their gospel presentation:
- 101 ABC It’s Simple to be Saved willing to turn from sin, obey as Lord 😠
- 102 After Death, What? repent of my sins 😠
- 103 All This I Did for Thee must repent, turn from wicked way 😠
- 104 God’s Message to You willing to turn from sin, give control 😠
- 105 Are You a Christian? meh ok ish
- 106 AIDS and the Blood repent from your sin 😠
- 107 Death: It Happens Every Day willing to turn from sin 😠
- 108 Where is Your Destination? meh romans road
- 109 Eternal Life is a Free Gift change way of life 😠
- 110 God Loves You repent of sins 😠
- 111 God Says “Please do not go to Hell!” repent of my sin 😠
- 112 God’s Last Name is not Damn repent of sins 😠
- 114 I’m a Pretty Good Person repent of my sin 😠
- 115 Heaven or Hell? repent of sins 😠
- 116 I Must Tell You This as your lord and saviour 😠
- 117 I Must Tell You This as your lord and saviour 😠
- 118 Is Jesus Christ Your Saviour? repent of my sin 😠
- 119 Mary’s Command kinda ok
- 120 Paid in Full kinda ok
- 121 Satan, god of this World repent of my sins 😠
- 122 Saved, Sure and Serving exhortation for believers
- 123 Someday You Will Stand Before God meh ok but no resurrection
- 124 The Burning Hell willing to turn 😠
- 125 From Narcotics to the Nazarene change of life 😠
- 126 The Grace that Saves willing to turn 😠
- 127 The Romans’ Map to Heaven willing to turn 😠
- 128 The Romans’ Road to Heaven willing to turn 😠
- 129 The Romans’ Road to Heaven romans road, slightly off save me from my sin
- 130 Where Are You Going to Spend Eternity? change way of life 😠
- 131 One Heartbeat Away… willing to turn 😠
- 132 You can be Debt Free! willing to turn 😠
- 133 The Ten Commandments ok faith not law, but no resurrection
- 134 You Have God’s Word On It willing to follow 😠
- 135 The Second Coming pretrib nonsense no cross no resurrection but nothing badly wrong 😒
- 136 It’s a Honey of a Deal willing to turn 😠
- 137 My Best Friend turn from your sins and be sorry 😠
- 138 Be a Winner! turn from your sin 😠
- 139 Is Something Missing? turn from your sin 😠 [ there’s a 139b too now ]
- 140 Your Charisma Gift repent of your sins 😠
- 141 This Could be Your Last Five Minutes Alive repent of your sins 😠
- 142 Christmas in Your Heart willing to turn 😠
- 143 The Gospel According to Karate repent of my sin 😠
- 144 choose to follow forever 😠 [ dead link – discontinued? ]
- 145 What You Miss by Being a Christian repent of your sins 😠
- 146 The Shocking Truth sincerely desire to turn from sin 😠
- 147 Mormonism has Another Jesus meh ok, but no cross, no blood, no sin
- 148 God Loves the Unborn ok, but no resurrection
- 149 Have You Believed Another Gospel? willing to turn 😠
- 150 Hear Ye Him! meh ok ask him to come into your heart
- 151 The Only Doorway repent of sins 😠
- 152 How to get On Target repent of sins 😠
- 153 How to get to Heaven repent the enigmatic 😠
- 154 I’ll Do It Later weak no cross no resurrection 😠
- 155 Absolutely Free turn from sin 😠
- 156 Man’s Most Asked Question turn from sin 😠
- 157 The Tie-Breaking Vote sorry for my sin 😠
- 158 Three Truths Every Native American should Know turn from sin 😠
- 160 The Qur’an Testimony quran but Jesus not the Son of God
- 161 A Search for Atoning Blood ok but no cross
- 162 Who Was the Fourth Man in the Fire? repent of sins 😠
- 163 Messiah: His Suffering and Death Foretold meh enigmatic repent
- 164 Messiah repent of sins 😠
- 165 Heaven changed life 😠
- 167 How to be Saved and Know It turn from sins 😠
- 168 Three Truths Every Jehovah’s Witness Should Know repent of sins 😠
- 169 Why I Choose to Abstain from Alcohol repent of sins 😠
- 170 Man’s Most Asked Question turn from sin 😠
- 171 Three Truths Every Mormon Should Know repent of sins 😠
- 172 The Blood good except for hell separation from God
- 173 True Victory good
- 174 Life’s Greatest Decision ok but enigmatic repentance and separation hell
- 175 How to get to Heaven stop sinning wow 😠😠
- 176 Who is the Real, Biblical Jesus? repent of sins 😠
- 177 What if You Had Been Here? good, but light on scripture
- 178 Final orders, army repent of sins 😠 [dead link – discontinued?]
- 179 Final orders, air force repent of sins 😠 [dead link – discontinued?]
- 180 Final orders, army repent of sins 😠 [dead link – discontinued?]
- 181 Final orders, navy repent of sins 😠 [dead link – discontinued?]
- 183 Final orders, coast guard repent of sins 😠
- 184 Thank You for Your Hospitality meh invite him into your heart
- 190 All This I Did for Thee changed life Isaiah 55v7
- 191 God Loves You repent of sins 😠
- 192 Eternal Life is a Free Gift changed life 😠
- 193 Where Are You Going to Spend Eternity? changed life 😠
- 194 After Death, What? repent of sins 😠
- 195 You Have God’s Word On It repent of sins 😠
- 196 It’s Simple to be Saved changed life isaiah 55v7
- 197 I’m a Pretty Good Person changed life and be genuinely sorry 😠
If you absolutely have to use tracts from this organisation, try to stick to the ones that are “ok” or at least “meh”.
For the record: your part of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not that you feel sorry, nor change your life, nor that you stop smoking, nor that you genuinely hate smoking, nor that you give something to God, but that you trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe: that you call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord in faith. Salvation is not “repent of your sins”. You should do as much repenting as you please of as many wicked things as are in your life, but first get saved by faith.
Did you get saved by a fellowship tract league tract?
[ Update: 2023 – The PDF’s on their site are now dead links – I linked to their store site instead, which also shows the content of the tracts ]
[ Update: 2025 – Turns out I linked many to lowshiptractleague by typo. Oops.]
I used Chick tracts for MANY years, then I was showed about the lordship salvation and immediately quit using them. Then I found Fellowship Tract League. I reviewed a number of their tracts very carefully, as I am responsible for what I order people to read. I chose #130 “Where are you going to spend eternity” I have been using these tracts for a year or more now. Then I ran across your website here and read the article about Fellowship Tract league making a business out of the Gospel and I am seriously against that. SO I looked at the list to see if that tract was on the list of “repent of your sins” It does show up on the list but I read the entire tract again, and it doesnt mention anything about repenting of sins. only about trusting Christ for salvation and nothing else. But like Jack Chick’s tracts. he puts “be willing to turn for sin” in ALL of his tracts, so I stopped using them altogether
Didn’t Jesus say to “REPENT” when He started His ministry. I’ve visited Fellowship Baptist church, and have met some of the spiritual Christians ever. Your article on them is false: may God deal with you: you need to repent!
Charles – the specific phrase in tract 130 is “with all your heart you believe Jesus Christ can save you from hell and change your way of life”. The trouble there is the “and change your way of life”, which teaches that you are saved by the change of life – that the change of the way of life is part of the deal – your works. This is rather different from what the Ethiopian believed with all his heart, that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God”.
Richard – I’m glad you met great people from Fellowship Baptist church, but I have not met them, so I can’t comment on their persons. Mark gives us the following words from Jesus: “repent ye, and believe the gospel”. To repent is to change your mind: there are things that men must set aside in order to believe the gospel: that they are the children of Abraham, or that they will be saved by their works, or that their sin will be passed over without punishment. When the kingdom of heaven is at hand, it’s a good time to let go of those things and believe the truth. I don’t think that this is your view of “repent”, but you should change your mind about that.
I have used their tracts for years. They have never charged money for their tracts. What is the problem in asking people to repent? Did n’t Jesus, Apostles and the Bible teach that? I am not sure about them making a “business out of it”. It is very hard to do such a large ministry by one single church without the help of God. I have given out thousands of these and will continue to do so. Peace.
People do need to repent: they must change their mind, and believe the truth. This is not the meaning loaded onto the word by these tracts though: they pretend that “repent” means a changed life. If salvation is by the promise of a changed life, then that’s a false promise; or if it’s a true promise, then it’s works. Salvation is not by works, but by faith, without works.
You are seriously misguided and ill informed. There’s so much here to correct that I won’t start a petty quarrel over this but I do believe your worst understanding is of repentance. John the Baptist preached on it, Christ himself preached on it on almost every occasion and the Bible as a whole is vastly adhered to the understanding of it.
I hope you end up finding a good mentor who can help you dissect the richness of the Gospel soon. Love you, Brother
This is not a petty quarrel: if “repent of yer sins” as we hear it today is part of the gospel, you had better be sure you do it right. Who lays this on people as a condition of salvation? They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders. Nobody can bear that burden, but Jesus said: my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Here’s a video Pastor RA Smith rips on false repentance
looks like the writer of this articl has a problem with the King James Bible, because the scriptures in the tracts are from it. Receiving the Lord as Savior is easy to understand format so anyone may understand. Sir maybe you need to pray and then read the Romans Map to Heaven. I have used the same verses from my Bible for over 40 years, and they are the same ones I came to realize my lost condition and was saved. sorry you are way off base. Please repent and ask Jesus to save you before it is to late. Death come to all, and all not saved will be in HELL for ever.
The King James Bible is right, and the scriptures from it are the best part of these tracts. The trouble is always at the end, where it switches the appeal to “repent of your sins” rather than “repent and believe the gospel”.
these tracts lay the ground for the introduction of Jesus as Lord and Saviour.Once the door is open then the plan of salvation is given.Many have seen this through these gospel tracts.Keep up the work and may God bless you.
A blank paper just as easily lays the ground for an believer to personally deliver the plan of salvation: but giving an incorrect plan of salvation is inexcusable. These tracts are not fit for purpose.
Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Satan must love this discussion. He’s gone to great lengths to divide Christ’s followers, and this is a perfect example. Fight over whatever you don’t like, rather than thank the Father for those telling us about a way to live and love here, and eternity with Him.
A first time reader
If you think that you are saved by the way you live and love here, then you are not saved at all. Either you are saved by grace, or by your work: and if by work, then it is not by the grace you get through faith:
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
I have read these tracts and the ones I have read are in perfect alignment with the teaching of Christ and his apostles. Really don’t understand why people wring their hands and become critical of the word “repent,” when the new testament is replete with Christ and the apostles calling for it. In it’s Greek form it simply means a changing of the mind or heart. If you will look at Mark chapter 6 Jesus sent the apostles out to witness (not that different than handing out tracts, except they preached) Read what Jesus said of those who refused to listen (much like people condemning people handing out tracts). Jesus had some very harsh words for these critical unreceptive people. SEE Mark 6:11. Then what does the next verse say Mark 6:12 – “And they went out and preached that men should repent. SEE Acts 3:19. As one great Baptist preacher said, repentance and faith are inseparable. So I urge all of my Christian brothers and sisters that if you agonize and have trouble over the word or, more appropriately, the meaning of repentance, then you are arguing against John the Baptist, Peter, and our blessed Savior himself.
Perfect alignment my foot. Repent does indeed mean to change your mind (in English, and also in Greek) – but where does the Bible say “repent of your sins” with such perfect alignment that these writers are so bold as to substitute the words of Christ with this phrase? It’s no there. Paul had harsh and critical words for an angel from heaven that preaches another gospel. If you hope to get people saved, open your own mouth according to the scripture, and don’t preach in the words which man’s wisdom teaches. Submit yourself to the righteousness of God. If your repentance does not lead you to faith, then it is vain.