Praying Pastors Experience a Spirit-Infused Epic Moment

The presence of the Holy Spirit abounded during a two-day meeting of senior pastors to pray for revival and spiritual awakening, a key organizer of the gathering recounted.
"There were many who believed this was an epic moment," Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, told Baptist Press.

"Some even declared it was the greatest spiritual experience with their peers that they had ever had, anywhere, at any time," Floyd said. "Pastors were able to be in an unthreatened environment ... leading to complete authenticity."

The Sept. 30-Oct 1 Call to Pray for Revival and Awakening drew 175-plus pastors from 27 states to the gathering at a hotel near the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

A separate gathering of youth pastors praying for revival among youth met at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

Johnny Derouen, professor of student ministry and one of three organizers of the latter meeting, said the prayers of the 30-plus youth pastors and students were "rich."

"We want to see revival," Derouen said. "We'd like to see a breakout and such spiritual awakening that it doesn't stop. We're hoping it will spread [and] we'll have students everywhere praying for revival."

Floyd said the senior pastors experienced many unique moments, including the joy of worshipping together and praying for others who were hurting spiritually or physically.

The Holy Spirit moved as men shared from God's Word, worshipped and prayed, Floyd said. They didn't focus on church size or matters of polity, he said, but for personal revival and for revival in their churches and the nation.

"Those were holy moments, as well as when men confessed their need to repent and make restitution," Floyd said. "We were broken before God, crying out to Him personally and collectively. God's hand was on so many moments. He answered our prayers."

Floyd was one of five senior pastors who initiated the meeting and recruited a team of 40-plus pastors who served as an invitation team to their peers across the nation.

Hispanic pastor David Galvin, a former SBC second vice president, said he had never prayed with such a large group of fellow Southern Baptist pastors seeking God.

"What Jonathan Edwards said long ago that needed to take place for revival took place," Galvin, pastor of New Life (Nueva Vida) Baptist Church in Dallas, told the Southern Baptist TEXAN, newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. "There is no doubt that God was honored as lead pastors focused on a self-examination of each other and before God."

"[This] was one of the most unique and spiritually beneficial meetings I have ever attended," said Kevin Ueckert, pastor of Southside Church in Abilene, Texas. "I left the meeting very personally encouraged spiritually."  UCN