DALLAS (ABP) — In a day when tent revivals are things of the past, a group of churches has decided to resurrect the once-common event. They're conducting a 40-day tent revival in downtown Dallas, led in part by Gaston Oaks Baptist Church.
More than 20 Dallas-area churches, seminaries and ministries are taking part in the outreach, held under a tent at Dallas Bible Church from April 9 to May 18.
Bruce Troy, pastor of Gaston Oaks, said he can't wait to see results. He is one of 40 revival pastors scheduled to preach at the event. In addition to leading prayer groups and compiling a video documentary of the revival, members from Gaston Oaks are financing the event.
“All of my ministry life, I have been involved in doing things to reach the city,” Troy said. “The church is in the city.”
Organizers invited 2,900 churches within a 30-mile radius of downtown Dallas to participate. The Christian leaders are holding daily morning prayer services and evening worship services, and more than six Christian choirs will join them during worship times.
Wayne Shuffield, director of missions, evangelism and ministry teams for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said he is participating because he has seen “the effects of fervent and urgent prayers of God's people and the blaze of spiritual awakenings” that come from such revivals.
“[T]he time is now for all Christ followers to pray anew, ‘Lord, do it again!'” he said.
Kyle Martin, the event coordinator, says the post-Easter timeframe is significant because the primary scripture related to the event, Hosea 6:3, explains how “the Lord will come down on his people like the spring rain” refreshing the ground.
“It's an attempt to reach the 30-something group that might not attend normally,” Martin notes.
Veteran local TV weatherman Troy Dungan, who played a part in “The Dallas Revival” promotional video, concurs. He predicted that a “spiritual rain” will impact the city during the revival.
On May 3, a National Day of Prayer event normally held at Dallas City Hall will be under the revival tent.
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