America's Growing Revival Movement

One of the most persistent prayers within the American church in recent years has been for revival. From the heartland of America to the panhandle of Florida, to the east coast city of Baltimore, many say the rumblings of revival are ringing through the land.

Lee Grady is the editor of the Christian magazine, Charisma. Charisma has for years been reporting on the work of the Holy Spirit in churches throughout the country.

"Now we are seeing that there are pockets all across the country beginning to erupt," says Grady. "At Charisma we get reports coming in from churches all across America saying this is what's happening in our church. And what we're seeing is that the revival patterns that we saw happen at Pensacola back in 1995, are repeated in local congregations."

One of those local congregations is the Smithton Community Church in Smithton, Missouri. For more than three years, over 100,000 visitors from every state in the union, and more than 40 nations, have poured into this tiny church in the middle of nowhere. "Christianity Today" calls Smithton the "Cornfield Revival." Pastors Steve and Kathy Gray lead the church.

"People walk away from Smithton saying, 'I've got to serve Jesus more. I've got to love him more. I've got to be loyal. I've got to seek the kingdom of God first,'" says Steve.

"To me what revival is, is restoring God's people back to their God and back to the book of Acts," says Kathy.

The Grays say the restoration of pastors and ministers has been the hallmark of the Smithton revival.

"But now we're hearing reports all the time," says Kathy. "We get e-mail all the time, faxes from our pastor friends who have been touched by this revival, and they're saying, 'You know what? Now when I'm preaching and when I pray for the people, things are really happening. Lives are really being changed. There's a new power in my ministry that's never been there before.'"

Gray believes Smithton is an example of what could happen in small churches throughout America.

"What if the power of God begins to show up in the local churches of America?" asks Steve. "Smithton is a picture. It's like God drew a picture and said, 'Look, this is kind of what I could do at your place.' Now it has to get in the local congregations. And the people have to open their hearts and say, 'Yes, we've got to have a move of God and we've got to have it here, and the power of God has to be at our altar.' And that's where it's going."

One altar where the power of God fell is the Rock City Church in Baltimore, Maryland. On January 19, 1997, hundreds flocked to the altar. They felt a powerful sense of God's presence that led many to both deep worship and repentance.

Pastor Bart Pierce says God answered their prayer to rend the heavens. He says God simply showed up in the church and for more than two years they've entertained his presence in a deeper way than before. It's transformed the church.

"When revival hits a church that church will never be the same again," says Pastor Bart Pierce. "We have found that what God is doing right here in Baltimore is that He's reviving our hearts for a new passion for Him, and a fresh commitment to one another. And then a tremendous overwhelming comes in our hearts for the lost."

The impact of the revival has spread. On May 2nd, 85 churches in the Baltimore area will exchange pulpits in an unprecedented display of unity.

"We're seeing it affect the churches," says Pierce. "We're seeing it affect the police in the administrative levels like that. We're seeing it affect the political powers here locally. We're seeing it affect the educational folks in this area. It's really starting to affect this city."

South of Baltimore, in Pensacola, Florida, at the Brownsville Assembly of God, crowds still come from all over the country and the world to be a part of what's been called the "Brownsville Revival."

"We're seeing people get right with God, that once knew the Lord," says Brownsville evangelist Steve Hill. "We're seeing backsliders get right with God, but also first-time conversions. They come every week by the hundreds -- by the thousands people come and get right with God."

The Brownsville church has taken the revival to the nation through its "Awake America" crusades. And through its School of Ministry, more than a thousand students are being trained for ministry and missions. These three churches tell only a portion of the largest story of revival in America. For example, despite the national tragedy in Littleton, Colorado, last week, that exposed the dark side of teenage life in America, more than 70,000 teenagers gathered in Pontiac, Michigan, last weekend and dedicated themselves to reach this generation of teenagers with the gospel.

Charisma reported some of that generation had been affected by a revival in this church in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jonathan Benz is the associate pastor.

"Our young people have been so impacted," says Benz. "They are leading people to the Lord at school. They're praying. They're prayer-walking their schools like never before. I would say evangelism has been the real by-product for the teenagers."

These signs provide the backdrop for the belief many have that widespread revival will come to America.

"It's exciting," says Grady. "There are tremendous hopeful signs that we're on the verge of a major awakening."

"We're right at the beginning of it, the greatest awakening this nation has ever seen," says Hill. "I'm watching it with my own eyes. It's going to sweep across this nation."

"I believe with all my heart that we will see an eruption, a wave beyond any wave we've ever seen, hit America's beach," says Pierce.