Making History in Emanuel County

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.

Spirit of God Sweeps through Fall Crusades

“It was fantastic to see different denominations working together. That is the thing I will take from the crusade the most. I’ve already talked to some other pastors about possibly doing a worship celebration for all denominations once a year.”
- Pastor Stanley Kilgore
North Gardendale Baptist Church

“This has had a great impact on our community already. I don’t think we will truly know the impact for years to come.”
- Pastor Gerald Brown
Warrior First Baptist Church

“What God did was incredible. The crusade had a tremendous impact on our community. The enthusiasm of the young people was out of this world. The glow and excitement on their faces and how they brought their friends was a precious thing to see. We’ll be baptizing many over the next three or four weeks. How thrilling it is that our strong agricultural community – with its abundant harvests – should be blessed with the greatest harvest of all – precious souls brought into the Kingdom of God by the hundreds.”
- Pastor Rodney Weatherly
First Baptist Church Dalhart

“The crusade was an awesome spiritual experience. It really got to me that something so huge could be so personal. It was a wonderful thing to counsel every evening and to see the miracle of changed lives. Young people came by the droves – many of whom I’d helped and cried with.”
- Dr. Matt Turner
Dalhart Family Medical Clinic

Getting Ready to Go Tell

By Natalie Davis

Over 700 people attended a banquet held at Heart of Georgia Technical College’s DuBose Porter Business & Industry Training Center to hear speaker Rick Gage in hopes of organizing to bring his crusade message to Laurens County. Gage, a former college football coach, now leads a large Atlanta-based ministry. Last year, his Rick Gage Ministries held four crusades with over 40,000 in attendance. Area churches have teamed in hopes of raising funds to bring a crusade to Laurens County May 7-10 at Raider Stadium.

Rick Gage Crusade coming to Laurens County

Courier Herald

Rick Gage Crusade coming to Laurens County

Planning event to be held Monday night, volunteers welcome

01/20/06

By BRANDY T. MULLIS

Recently, the churches of Laurens County were presented with the opportunity to host a Middle Georgia “Go Tell” Crusade with Rick Gage. “We are very excited that Rick Gage is holding a crusade in Dublin. He is a dynamic, much sought-after speaker who is making a difference in communities across America,” said Skip Evans, chairman of the local crusade. “Rick challenges, inspires and motivates people of all ages and we believe his life-changing message will have a very positive influence on our community.” Gage, a former collegiate football coach, now leads a large Atlanta-based ministry and his crusade events have been called “small town Billy Graham crusades.” “We feel like this can truly make a change here,” publicity chair Don Clark said, noting that Laurens County is approximately 70 percent unchurched. “We need a major revival in this community.” A successful crusade was held in Swainsboro last year. Organizers hope to continue that here. In 2005 Rick Gage Ministries held four crusades in four states and 40,000 men, women and children attended. As with Billy Graham crusades, local churches work together to make the crusades happen and then do follow-up events. “In order to be successful, all churches, all denominations, need to become involved in this crusade,” Clark said. An event this big will require a great community effort. A banquet will be held Monday night at Heart of Georgia Technical College’s Porter Center at 7 p.m. to kick off the event. Rick Gage will speak, and plans for the crusade will be outlined. Organizers encourage anyone who would like to help to attend the banquet. Tickets for the banquet are available through local churches or by calling 275-6750. The crusade will be held May 7-10 at West Laurens High School’s Raider Stadium.

McBee youth joining Rick Gage on mission

By Ardie Arvidson
Staff Writer
The Messenger
September 30, 2005

Justin Hicks of McBee took more away from the Rick Gage Ministries visit to Hartsville a couple of years ago than a few evenings of inspirational messages.

The ministry’s work made an impression on Hicks and his youth group at Gum Branch Baptist Church. The group attended the Rick Gage Ministries GO TELL Camp in Georgia, and at the camp in June of this year, Hicks made the commitment to join Gages’ crusade to Russia. The group of 19 will leave Oct. 12 for Kirov, Russia, and return on Oct. 21.

For the last six years, GO TELL teams have visited Russia. They first drew their attention toward the city of Bryansk, preaching the Gospel and providing aid. Last fall, they turned their attention to the city of Kirov.

They helped their host church in beginning a halfway house for orphans who are put out on the streets when they turn 15.

The team also visited orphanages where they gave away shoes, meat and dairy products to 1,500 orphans; distributed 1,800 pounds of aid including medical supplies; and gave away 2,000 Bibles and Christian books in the Russian language.

Kirov is a city of 600,000 people 700 miles northeast of Moscow near Siberia with only four small Protestant churches.

Kirov is a high poverty area, said Hicks. “Mothers give their children to orphanages.”

Hicks, son of Butch and Melissa Hicks, said he would be visiting some of theses children in the orphanages and in a children’s hospital. They will be taking to them about the Bible.

“I feel God was calling me to go,” Hicks said. “Hopefully it will help me decide if mission work is something I want to do. I hope it will answer a lot of questions that I have about mission work”

Hicks said he went to the GO TELL camp last year and Gage asked the same question if any of them would like to go with him to Russia. Hicks said he held off and didn’t go.

He is the only one from Gum Branch to make the decision to go. Hicks met some of the youth who are going at camp.

Hicks said he hopes to touch some lives of the people in Russia.

“Maybe God will speak to me, too,” Hicks said.

The McBee High School senior said his parents agreed it was his calling.

“They are kind of scared for me to go,” he said.

Hicks said it was his first time ever going anywhere outside of South Carolina and the neighboring states of North Carolina and Georgia.

“I’m not scared,” he said. “I am anxious to go. I’m real excited. My friends think it is a great thing. They said they will miss me but are excited for me.”

His younger brother, Corey is excited for him, too. Hicks said his brother is more local with his work.

Missing school won’t be a problem, Hicks said. He said his principal has approved his time away from school, but he will have to make up the work.

Upon graduation from high school, Hicks hopes to attend Spartanburg Methodist College. At McBee High he is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and hopes to play baseball this year.

For his journey to Russia, Hicks not only had to make a huge commitment of his time away from school and family, but he had to raise money to go. He raised $2,500. He said his church is very big into missions and helped him raise the money.

“My church is very supportive of mission trips,” Hicks said.

The McBee native had to obtain a passport, and he purchased his plane ticket through the camp.

Hicks said he was told to take with him a journal to keep a record of his journey and to bring his Bible.

The youth said he knows the language barrier will present a challenge to him and others; however, he thinks it can be overcome. He is ready for the challenge he said God has put before him.

Article from the Weatherford Democrat

The Weatherford Democrat
By Danie M. Huffman

When the youth group at Friendship Baptist Church went to camp in June, it agreed to take Jesus across the ocean. They could not think of a better place to visit than Bryansk, Russia.

“The group was impressed during a worship service to go on this trip,” Justin Alllision, the group’s youth pastor said.

The group’s only obstacle to making the trip a reality was money. So, the teens decided to hold fundraisers and work to pay for their trip.

“We took steps toward getting the money to go,” he said. “They held a fish fry, a karaoke night and several garage sales. They raised about $10,000 from the fundraisers and got about $2000 from individual donations.”

After successfully raising the funds, Lacee Stone, Jenni Burks, Andrew Bryant, and Benjamin Bryant were off on their adventure.

The hit Russia’s ground running.

Allison accompanied them on the trip, with Mechelle Bryant, Andrew and Benjamin’s mother.

A total of 29, including 13 others from around the country through GO TELL Ministries went to Russia.

Allison said the group met with six interpreters, who accompanied them through a public school, a few retirement homes, and several orphanages.

A Russian skit team from the city of Kirov performed for children to provide visionary tools to remember the Gospel by.

They passed out witnessing bracelets with beads of black, red, white, blue, green, and yellow. Each colored bead represents a Biblical truth in sharing the Gospel.

“We got to put the bracelets on the kids’ hands,” Allison said. “The thing that stands out the most was watching Andrew put on a presentation for children with the bracelets.”

“It’s not something that would happen in the United States – a school asking Americans to come in and tell the children about their religion and way of life. For that to happen in the U.S. would be extremely unheard of and controversial. But it happened in Russia.”

Benjamin Bryant said he learned he couldn’t be a “back-row Baptist.”

“You have to get out and talk to people so they can know you, so they can respond to you better,” he said.

The teens put on a show for children, sang songs, passed out stickers, and made animal shapes out of balloons.

“They went crazy over the balloons and stickers,” Benjamin said. “They like them a lot. We taught them who God is and what He’s done for them… about dying on the cross for their sins.”

Bryant said about 250 people accepted God and came to know Christ as their Savior from the teens’ action in Russia.

“I’m extremely proud of [the teens],” Alllison said. “I was very impressed with how they acted and ministered to the Russian people. They passed out invitations to an evangelism rally on the streets.”

Allison added the group was excited about speaking to people on the streets.

“It wasn’t a chore for them,” he said. “They chose willingly to do it.”

Benjamin said he believes the group changed some of the Russians’ opinions of Americans.

“I imagine before we came their opinion wasn’t too kind [of Americans] due to the Cold War,” he said. “By the time we left, they were inviting us back. We received a warm reception from most Russians.”

Benjamin said the best part of the trip was visiting the orphanages and putting on the show.

“I just had a wonderful time,” Andrew Byrant said. “It’s a trip I’ll never forget. It amazes me how the kids in Russia are just like the kids in America. They act the exact same, only they speak a different language.”

Mechelle Bryant said the students presented the plan of salvation with power bands.

She said the most memorable thing for her was visiting the orphanages, and she is doing research on becoming a liaison between the orphaned children and possible United States adoptive parents.

“Visiting the orphanages was heart wrenching and heartwarming,” she said. “Most had never seen an American before. It touched my heart so much to see [the children in the orphanages]. They really need homes and someone to love them. The need is so great. I want to know what we can do over here to help.”

Sunday, the group presented a slide show at Friendship Baptist Church, to show the congregation what they learned and accomplished in Russia. Each teen took turns speaking of the trip, their experiences, the people they met and God’s work accomplished through their actions.

An e-mail from Bob Thompson, the GO TELL Ministries mission leader, to the individual group leaders stated the works done on their mission.

While in Bryansk, Russia, the e-mail stated, the group helped distribute 1,000 pounds of food, clothing, and medical supplies.

More than $10,000 raised through GO TELL Ministries was donated to orphanages and churches. The group spoke to three churches, handed out approximately 800 Bibles and tracts, passed out more than 1,000 witness bracelets, and spoke to about 1,100 people in orphanages and hospitals.

Vince Pienski

Dear Rick,

I always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when I pray for you, because of the love you have for the Word of truth, the gospel.

I am grateful for you and your staff’s hard labors in making the Go Tell Camp experience new, fresh, and better each. We have yet to attend a Go Tell Camp where first time and other major decisions for Christ have been made. As a result of our first camp experience in 2000, we have students “going” and “telling” every Sunday night. There is no greater joy than seeing fearless, passionate students sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ door to door and winning their campuses for Christ and it all began with a spark and a “fanning of the flame” every year at your camps.

I would also like to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your volunteer staff team at camps and conferences and would encourage other youth pastors to get involved and get some of their graduated senior high and college students involved as well. Please feel free to give any interested pastors my contact information so that I may share what a blessing it has been to me and my students.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!

In Christ,
Vince Pienski