By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
HAMMOND, La. (LBM) – A 20-week extended revival and tent crusade in south Louisiana has recorded more than 1,300 salvation decisions, and hundreds have been enrolled in discipleship programs.
Moreover, all signs point to the meetings continuing for the foreseeable future.
According to local reports, 513 individuals surrendered their hearts and lives to Jesus during revival services, extended five times, Oct. 17-Nov. 18, at Old Zion Hill Baptist Church, Independence. Additionally, more than 800 covenanted to follow Him during the South Louisiana Awakening Tent Crusade, Hammond, Nov. 28-March 31, a multi-denominational spiritual outreach.
The meetings were paused for April; however, they will resume May 4-5 and will continue after that on Thursday and Friday evenings, according to OZHBC Pastor Gary Dennis.
Old Zion Hill Baptist Church Pastor Gary Dennis baptized one of the new converts who made a decision during the South Louisiana Awakening Tent Crusade. Submitted photo
“The continuation of the meetings is for the purpose of reaching the huge number of people along the Interstate 12 corridor who are not connected to Christ and His Church,” Dennis told the Baptist Message.
Area churches have formed a follow-up team that developed a strategy to connect every new believer from both spiritual events with a local congregation in order for them to begin discipleship training:
— each person who came forward received an email or text encouraging them to find a church home;
— pastors were given contact information and have pledged to reach out to everyone on the list; and
— churches were prepped to form new believer classes.
So far, OZHBC has been blessed to receive 100 adults who made decisions during the awakening of the lost that accompanied the revivals, and each has been enrolled into discipleship classes. Additionally, five new small groups have been formed since January, and additional groups are planned for the summer.
“The point of this is for them to turn around and go through it with others,” OZHBC Associate Pastor Blaine St. Germain said. “We are pursuing the discipleship model of Jesus, teaching everyone who is going through the book ‘how to be’ and ‘then make’ disciples.”
Louis Husser, pastor of Crossgate Church, a Louisiana Baptist congregation in Robert, has led his entire church through discipleship on Sunday mornings since early February. For six weeks, more than 60 people have gathered to learn more about the fundamentals of being a fully devoted follower of Christ through messages on salvation, baptism, gracious giving and sharing one’s faith.
“God is stirring in people’s hearts that don’t even know there’s a tent in town and they are coming, too,” Husser said. “So, it’s incredible that the Holy Spirit is leading people to come into our church who don’t even know about the revival.
“I’m 68 and have seen three great awakenings in my 50 years of ministry,” he continued. “We are seeing another one. It’s a God movement that has come from a prayer that a group of us pastors prayed three years ago when we met to ask God to bring revival to our community.”
Randy Smith, pastor of Cross Brand Cowboy Church, Loranger, also with the LBC, has seen worship attendance increase to as high as 163, for a church that averages 100. He said 40 adults have participated in Wednesday evening discipleship classes, and several are being discipled in one-to-one settings.
“We have come together a lot more since the revival and have felt the presence of God like we haven’t felt in a long time,” he said. “God is moving in our lives and hearts and people are growing deeper in faith through digging into the Word. That’s pretty exciting for a pastor to see.”
OZHBC member David Knight said God has used the revival to transform him from an angry man to a sold-out Christ follower. Amidst an unpleasant work environment, Knight attended the second night of the revival, and the Holy Spirit convicted him of the need to change. From that point, Knight felt at peace and soon asked others to forgive him for taking out his anger on them.
“God had dealt with me for 20 years, but I never gave in,” he said. “That night, DR preached on forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit kicked me out of the chair. I could not get to my feet fast enough to the altar. Even though I was saved, I have never been one to tell others about church and Jesus. He flipped the switch that night and I cried a while. That next morning it was like the weight of the world was on my shoulder. So, I texted those guys and ended up getting right with a bunch of them. It was at that point I realized God was using me and wanted to do something with me.”
Knight said he was not useful to God “with the way I was acting.” Since surrendering all to Christ and finding peace, he has obtained a teaching job “out of the clear blue … and it’s a job I love.”
“The revival has made me aware of things that God may have blessed me with different things in life,” he explained. “When God called me and I finally answered, He made my life completely better. When you’re that angry person all the time and then you’re not, that’s nothing but the Holy Spirit.”
OZHBC member Garrett Kimble said his daughter accepted Christ and his wife and son restored fellowship with the Lord during the early part of the revival.
Another memorable moment was the opportunity to lead a man to Christ in the church parking lot who had intended to commit an evil act against another individual. Kimble said any other time his hardened heart would have prevented him from being willing to share Christ with this type of individual, but His engagement with the Holy Spirit in the services changed him.
“The Holy Spirit changed my heart and showed me that the man needed Jesus,” he said. “God used my weakness that day to witness to him.
“Overall, this revival has had a tremendous, positive effect on my life and my family. Specifically, the Holy Spirit has shown me that true, Holy Spirit revival starts by individual, self-evaluation, prayer and repentance,” he continued. “I’m so joyful that God chose my church and my community for such a powerful spiritual awakening. We have already observed our young people develop a hunger for the word of God. I truly believe that this is only the beginning, and we will see the lasting effects for generations to come.”
BACKGROUND
From the first revival service, which began Oct. 17, a spirit of expectancy was among the community of Independence, according to Dennis. Each night, the pews were packed out in the Old Zion Hill Baptist Church worship center and participants filled the altar as they cried out to God about their respective needs for Him.
In early November, in anticipation of the tent crusade, 355 individuals signed up to pray 30 minutes each day; and two weeks before the crusade, hundreds more gathered for prayer on site, he said. Additionally, 81 were trained as decision counselors.
Meanwhile, due to the extent of revival among believers and awakening among the lost, the initial crusade (originally scheduled through Oct. 21) was extended five times through Nov. 18 (with pauses at various times, including for regular weekly worship). Once that prolonged event ended, the tent crusade preparations began.
