Dear Pastor:
Rick Gage is implementing an idea that I believe is surely from our Lord. Our city of 21,000, Plainview, in the Bible belt of West Texas, had watched 30 years go by, 25 of them while I have been pastor of College Heights Baptist Church, without a city-wide evangelistic effort of any kind. While most churches dwindled during that period, people were actually thirsting critically for the gospel. Many of our churches, Baptist included, quit using revivalism in favor of more "sophisticated" approaches to not reaching people.
The initial meeting with Rick in February of 2011 was intriguing. While many of the pastors from several denominations were obviously "dragging our heels," me included, mostly concerning timing, Rick was gently trying to persuade us that it was not too late to schedule a crusade in 2011. I was amazed that after a couple of extra planning meetings the group voted to go for it. The event was scheduled for October 2-5, at our high school football stadium.
To make a long, long story very short, the crusade team was asked to stay for the entire week because the response was so overwhelming, proof positive that revivalism is not dead. Hundreds got saved, and hundreds more made meaningful commitments of other kinds. Our church was blessed beyond measure.
The idea I mentioned first is Rick's vision to take Billy Graham-type crusades to our nation's small towns. It stands to reason that the smaller market requires a smaller budget, which made it financially feasible for us. But the ratio of decisions-to-population was proportional to the grand crusades we have seen in metro areas.
Rick's counseling and follow-up preparations are comparable to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The churches that invested most heavily in time and personnel are enjoying the greatest benefits in terms of number of baptisms and other blessings of revival.
Perhaps you too have heard about a meeting of pastors considering a Billy Graham Crusade decades ago, in which the pastors spent a half hour criticizing the cost, effort, lack of follow-up, and other negatives. Finally one pastor rose and said, "Brothers, I like the way Billy is doing it better than the way we are not doing it."
I urge you to give Rick Gage an ear, and let him share his spirit and vision with you and with any other pastors you can get into his presence. I truly believe you will be blessed, and your city may be changed forever.
Sincerely yours,
Don Robertson
Pastor, College Heights Baptist Church
Plainview, Texas
