Very few of today’s young people — and even middle-aged people — have experienced an old-time spirit-filled church service with gospel preaching, singing, praying and shouting, and people walking the aisles to give their lives to Jesus.
They have heard their parents and grandparents talk about old-time revivals and camp meetings, but very few had experienced it, that is, until this week, when a group of six young men from the community, all under the age of 21, came together for a youth-led revival hosted by First Free Will Baptist Church.
These young men — Hunter Greene, Stetson Stafford, Tyler Street, Jake Johnson, Tyrell Hughes and Kagan Young — for months have been praying for revival, a spiritual awakening, and a genuine movement of God not only among young people, but the community and nation, as a whole.
Those who fear revival is a thing of the past may need to check out what is happening this week at the series of meetings. There is something going on in Elizabethton that looks like an old-fashioned, sin-killing, rafter-rattling, devil-defying, soul-saving, Bible-believing, life-transforming, Christ-exalting, Holy Ghost revival.
First Free Will Baptist Church was jam-packed Sunday evening for the opening service of the meeting with almost 600 persons in attendance. Several churches in the area dismissed their services for the evening so their youth could attend the services. The youth came, but so did all other ages, and together, they almost lifted the roof as voices joined together in praise, prayer, and the congregational singing of an old hymn “I’ll Fly Away.”
The services are being led by the youth, from the music to the preaching. At the conclusion of Tuesday’s service, 15 persons had been saved, and countless others had re-dedicated their lives or sought help in some other way. Tuesday evening, a gentleman by the name of Joel suffering from Parkinson’s disease, arrived at the church in a wheelchair, but when he left the church at the end of the service, he got up out of his wheelchair and walked from the front of the church to his vehicle in the parking lot.
The services have been intense with people praising the Lord, and filling the alter for prayer. There have been prayers for the lost, for the sick, for those addicted to drugs, for the leaders of our county, city, state and nation.
At one point in his sermon Sunday evening, Hunter Greene declared, “Trump isn’t going to fix our nation. Hillary can’t fix our nation. It must be done by the citizens and families of our nation and our churches.”
Although the crowd was not as large as the opening night of the service, the auditorium of the church again filled quickly Monday night, that evening mostly with young people.
You may not identify with Free Will Baptists, old-fashioned gospel singing, Bible teaching and preaching, sermons that call sin an abomination to God or strong appeals during an invitation, but revival is being experienced this week in Elizabethton.
This evening, Jake Johnson will be preaching. Johnson is a student at Happy Valley High School and attends Valley Forge Free Will Baptist Church. The service begins at 7 p.m.
The cast of young preacher is supported by a number of pastors in the area, who have sat with the young men in the area usually reserved for the choir.
Saturday, Josh Scalf will share his testimony with the youth, after which there will be pizza in the Christian Life Center of the church.
Although the revival is youth oriented, Hunter Greene, one of the organizers of the event, emphasized that the revival is for all ages, all denominations, and all people. “There’s no dress codes or stipulations,” Greene said.
“We have prayed and sought God’s will, and He has brought together a wonderful opportunity. The theme of the revival is ‘Desire the Fire.’ We are seeing God pour out His power and glory on us like He never has before,” Greene added.
The Valley Forge Free Will Baptist Praise Band is presenting special music each evening. Sunday evening, the youth choir of First Free Will Baptist sang.
First Free Will Baptist is located at 706 First St. off Elk Ave. and Broad St.