Making History in Emanuel County
Rick Gage Crusade Draws Crowds of More Than 10,000
Wesleyan Christian Advocate, By the Swainsboro Blade
Evangelist Rick Gage has been filling football stadiums for more than a decade in small towns across America. Many were skeptical that he could do it in Swainsboro which claims a population of only 6,943.
Emanuel County’s citizens were astonished when thousands flocked to Tiger Stadium at the local Swainsboro High School for a four-night crusade. By the conclusion of the Rick Gage Crusade, 878 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 524 first-time professions of faith.
More than 40 churches worked together in what pastors claim is the greatest sense of unity and spirit of cooperation of churches ever seen in Emanuel County. Churches came together across denominational lines with a united goal of loving and reaching people.
Crusade Chairman Russell Collins and Co-chairman Pastor Jamie Archer worked on crusade planning and preparation for over a year and enlisted more than 200 committee workers.
“The crusade was absolutely the most wonderful move of God this county has ever experienced,” says Archer. “The mighty outpouring of God’s Spirit sparked a revival that will continue. God moved in power in countless lives, and the huge impact of this crusade has changed this county forever. We are already working diligently to follow-up on the many decisions that were made. Blundale Baptist will baptize more than 50 people in the days ahead.”
Among the many who will be baptized will be five family members of one of Pastor Archer’s members who attended church alone for years. Words are inadequate to describe her joy at seeing her husband, three grown children, and future-son-in-law make first-time professions of faith in Christ during the crusade.
Milton Gray, Finance Chairman for the crusade and member of First United Methodist Church, marvels at the provision of God. “The crusade far surpassed any of my expectations. Our community is on fire for Christ now. Everywhere you go, people are talking about what God did and continues to do.
“God even worked in our budget. Although it was large, everything came together perfectly. Our financial response was almost identical to our budget. It was the best money we ever spent. A call for Christ was issued like we’ve never had before in this community, and God showed up and changed and transformed lives for all eternity.”
Miracle stories abound in Emanuel County. “God has visited our county in a miraculous way,” said Cail Pressey, Pastor of Hawhammock Baptist Church. “Relationships were healed; families were reunited; prominent citizens were led to faith in Christ by people broken with love for others; church members were saved; denominational and racial barriers came down. There is a different atmosphere in our community.”
Counseling Chairman, Pastor Ray Jenkins, of Oak Chapel, is enthusiastic about continuing what the crusade started. “My heart raced,” he says, “as I looked at those standing in line waiting for counselors, and there stood my grandson and his fiancé. What a personally elating time it was to lead them to faith in Christ. A couple I had been talking to and praying for for a year and a half got saved at the crusade. The miracle stories just go on and on, and we will see to it that they continue.”
Businessman Ken Warnock recounts the thrill of seeing so many come to Christ. “God answers prayer,” he said. “All our prayer vigil rallies and preparation were rewarded as God saved so many. How do you describe the tremendous impact of seeing a hardened, 78-year-old man, a 74 year-old woman, or a 20-year-old who had just moved to the community come to Christ? As Christians, we have been renewed, refocused, and recommissioned.”
Karen Carter worked diligently to make the crusade a success. “My husband was so excited about the crusade and what God was doing,” she says, “that even though he works nights, he took his supper break to park cars. My ten-year-old son attended planning meetings with me and was jubilant to be included as a helper.
“I still can’t get over the blessing of seeing several young guys get saved who had come to the crusade with coolers of beer in their cars. Instead of leaving the crusade to go party as they had planned, they went to the fairgrounds and poured out every bottle of alcohol after they gave their lives to Christ. It was amazing! There is no greater joy than being a part of seeing people come to Christ in so great a way.”
Betty Dunn, wife of Associate Pastor Fred Dunn, speaks with intense emotion about the crusade, “Our church worked tirelessly, with an enormous vision for lost souls. I humbly stand in awe at what was the most glorious, mighty moving of God I have ever witnessed. I am beside myself with gratitude that I was able to have witnessed people saved as they stood in the vast, marvelous presence of the Holy Spirit.”
The first night of the crusade, Bo Pilgrim, Chairman and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, the second largest poultry corporation in the world and a Fortune 500 Company, gave a stirring testimony. He concluded his talk by presenting each person in the crowd of 2,000 with a gospel tract in which was included in its folds a twenty-dollar bill.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley, gave the testimony of his life story Monday evening of the crusade. More than 130 youth and adults flooded the football field where trained counselors assisted them in making spiritual decisions.
Swainsboro native, Ben Troupe, starting tight end for the Tennessee Titians, shared a vibrant testimony with Tuesday night’s crusade crowd.
During the days of the crusade, Gage and his crusade team conducted daily noon luncheons focused on vibrant testimonies and prayer. They visited three prisons where 70 inmates made first-time professions of faith in Christ. Decisions were also made at the Mel Blount Youth Home and the Paul Anderson Youth Home.
The GO TELL Crusade team also visited local middle and high schools, conducting Gage’s On Track School Assembly Program dealing with life’s choices and addressing the dangers of issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide, and premarital sex. Students were invited to attend the crusade.
Wednesday night was the culmination of Gage’s outreach to Emanuel County when more than 4,500 attended the crusade, including 2,500 youth who were treated to a free pizza blast prior to the evening service. University of Georgia first-string football players Russ Tanner, Josh Brock, and D.J. Shockley held the students at rapt attention as they shared their personal testimonies and challenged young people and adults to live for Christ. After Rick Gage preached, hundreds flooded the altars, culminating in 458 decisions for Christ that night.
“When I looked up into the stands, I was awe-struck by the number of teen-agers,” said Pastor Archer. “We had worked and prayed, and God swept scores into the kingdom. It was one of the most absolutely wonderful moves of God I have ever seen.”
Coaches Brandon Jernigan and David Johnson of Swainsboro High School were Co-chairmen of the crusade’s Youth Committee. “I am overwhelmed by what God did,” says Jernigan. “We prayed over every seat in Tiger Stadium, and they were filled just about every night. After the stadium filled on Wednesday night we had to seat kids anywhere we could fit them, all over the grass and on the track.
“Wednesday night was a sight I will remember forever as young people poured to the altars in droves. Our high school is known for its athletic prominence, but the victory of this crusade far outweighed any human victory we’ve ever experienced.”
Sunday evening after the crusade, Coach Jernigan’s church service did not include a sermon. Says Jernigan, “Our people overflowed with praise reports and testimonies, and it turned into a Praise and Worship Service. Our churches and our entire community have been revived!”
Rick Stanley, who has spoken at four Billy Graham crusades, says of Rick Gage, “Rick Gage has a heart for the towns that most people overlook. His mentality is that there is nothing small in the Kingdom of God. And God moves in mighty ways like He did here in Emanuel County.”
“God has burdened my heart to take the gospel to as many towns as possible in my lifetime,” Gage says. “Everywhere I go, people are personally embracing the gospel message. It is hope for the individual, for society, and for the world. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people, but it will be eternally worth it one day.”
Rick Gage has witnessed more than 250,000 decisions for Christ through his many evangelistic outreaches in America and abroad. Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries include crusades, summer youth camps, school assemblies, GO TELL Sundays, and overseas mission trips.”
For more information about Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries, please call 1-866-I-GO-TELL; email at info@gotellministries.com or visit his website at www.gotellministries.com.
