altar call

American  

noun

1. an evangelist preacher's invitation at the end of the sermon, asking people to come forward to acknowledge a conversion.

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Etymology

Origin of altar call

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Singer-songwriters Lisa Simmons-Santa Cruz and her husband Francisco Carroll Santa Cruz were going through a challenging time last March when they worked on Snoop Dogg’s 2025 gospel album, “Altar Call.”

From Los Angeles Times

When she was 11, she had a conversion experience during an altar call and vowed to devote herself to Christian service.

From New York Times

The mass baptism wasn’t the only revival this year after an altar call during a regular chapel service at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky transformed into a multi-day revival that didn’t end for more than two weeks.

From Washington Times

To galvanize women, Ms. Yorkin produced a multistate tour through 21 cities that she designed like a political convention; at the end of each event, there was what Ms. Smeal characterized in a phone interview as an “altar call,” with some women pledging to run for office and others pledging to support them.

From New York Times

“I look at Hillsong now, I see that every service has to be better than the last service,” he said “Every conference has to be better than the next conference. Every sermon has to be more powerful, every altar call.”

From Washington Times