More than 40 people made professions of faith in the small Georgia town of Millen as spiritual revival continued to sweep across the state.
“I’ve never seen a move of the Lord like this,” said Millen Baptist Church Pastor Brad Asbury, one of the preachers who recently led revival services in the town’s Pal Theater. “What we’re seeing is a real hunger for God’s word.”
Widespread awakening?
Hundreds of Georgians from across the state have made professions of faith in recent weeks in what denominational leaders hope is the beginning of a widespread awakening.
In Millen, people of all races and ages worshipped together in the historic theater.
“There were youth outside the door an hour and a half early, waiting to get in,” Asbury said.
Asbury advised other churches to arrange evangelistic outreaches in their communities, saying the Lord clearly is at work saving souls in the state.
“He isn’t finished yet,” Asbury said. “When He’s done saving people, He’ll come back. Until then, we have work to do.”
Other revivals
The Millen revival came the same week as one at Pineland Baptist Church in Thomasville where 19 people made salvation decisions.
Two weeks ago in Mount Vernon, it was college students, 20 of them, who made salvation decisions in a chapel service at Brewton-Parker College.
Three days before that, 102 Columbus residents claimed Christ in an evangelistic outreach in one of Georgia’s toughest neighborhoods, one that had become known as Little Chicago because of its high crime rate.
Three weeks ago, more than 1,100 people turned out for a Roopville Road Baptist Church initiative in Carrollton that included a low-country boil, a get-together that centers around a meal of boiled shrimp and other seafoods with sausage, corn, potatoes and other ingredients all combined in the same pot. Pastor Stephen Peeples said seven people made professions of faith at that event.
And in Sylvester, Georgia, more than 100 people made professions of faith during an evangelistic outreach sponsored by a group of area churches.
Georgia churches began to see salvation decisions rise when they returned to pre-pandemic activities, including revival services, community outreaches, block parties and more.
In northeast Georgia, 17 salvation decisions were reported in March at two Christian learning centers where public school students go for Bible studies. Mike Blount, mission strategist in the Tugalo Baptist Association, said those professions of faith were among 30 made since August in the learning centers.
“It’s amazing to see what God is doing,” Blount said.
Other ministry leaders also have used the word “amazing” to talk about recent instances of revival, including at Shorter University where 24 students made decisions for Christ during a chapel service in late February.
In Moultrie, Kingwood Baptist Church Pastor Matt Greene reported 30 salvation decisions during a four-day revival in early February. That’s in a church with an average Sunday attendance of about 80 people.
First Baptist Church Woodstock baptized 99 people on a single Sunday in September, and in Bethlehem, Bethlehem Church baptized 114 on a single Sunday in August.
Sparked by prayer
At Pineland Baptist Church, Pastor Rickey Whitley said the revival was sparked by prayer.
“We asked God to show up and show out,” Whitley said. “We’ve been praying for revival to start with us, as individuals. We felt like if we had revival begin in us first, then evangelism would take place. We’d begin to talk about what God is doing. We’d begin inviting lost people to come to church. We’d begin introducing people to Christ.”
Whitley said his church has seen lives were completely transformed this week, including for one man who had been involved with drugs.
“He got saved, and his wife got saved,” the pastor said. “Now, that whole family is serving the Lord. It’s just amazing what God is doing.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Roger Alford and published by The Christian Index, news service of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
