May 3, 2024
HIAWASSEE, Ga. — Macedonia Baptist Church in Hiawassee wrapped up a fruitful week-long Spring revival last week, seeing seven people profess faith in Christ and 14 come forward to be baptized since Easter Sunday.
Pastor Wade Lott said Macedonia usually holds its revival service each fall but decided to do something different this year. The Spring event was also the first time that Lott had organized a revival service with different speakers each day. Lott sought out preachers that he described as “some of the most gifted speakers in the north part of Georgia.”
The revival and harvest reflect the spiritual movement that began in Georgia in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Steve Foster, an evangelism consultant for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said the state has seen a more than 30% increase in baptisms over the past year and a more than 90% increase since 2020.
In particular, Foster said, event evangelism has been effective in sharing the good news of Christ. “Event Evangelism still works today when we pray, invite lost people, preach the simple gospel message, and with clarity invite people to respond to following Jesus,” he explained. “All across Georgia I am hearing from pastors who are having many people saved at their strategically planned evangelistic events.”
Bradley White, worship pastor of FBC Summit, Miss., for led the church in worship through music for the week.
Though the revival event began on Sunday morning, April 14, Lott said the Lord was already at work in the congregation. “Leading up to revival, we had three people saved following our Easter Services, and three more that needed to follow through in baptism,” Lott explained.
One young lady who received Christ that morning is a teenager and student at the local high school. Lott described her as “having a bad day” when she contacted Macedonia’s student pastor, who works on campus, for prayer. “After counseling with him,” Lott said, “she realized her need for salvation and prayed to receive Christ!”
Thus, the revival services kicked off with a bang as six people were baptized that Sunday morning before the event began in earnest.
Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, taught the first message, telling listeners that Christians are to be “laser-focused about the gospel.” Ezell said, “If it really means that much to you, you can’t help but share.” One mother who was saved that morning came back to be baptized that evening, Lott said, along with her daughter who accepted Christ at camp last summer.
Foster, delivered Sunday evening’s message. On the cross, Foster explained, “God treated Jesus like He had sinned, but He hadn’t, so that he could treat us like we had never sinned.” He then went on to discuss baptism, and how sometimes believers get salvation and baptism out of order. Some people, including himself, Foster explained, were baptized when they were young, though they really weren’t saved. Lott reported that two people responded to the call to be baptized.
Jeff Crook, lead pastor of Christ Place Church, took the podium on Monday, which was dedicated to student ministry. Crook preached on bitterness, and how the power to forgive comes from the grace of God. One person who had been a member of the church for over 40 years prayed to receive Christ that night, Lott said.
Additionally, another student came forward to profess faith in Christ. Lott said, “Our church has been seeking to cultivate a culture of evangelism and we have been using the ‘Who's Your One?’ emphasis from NAMB,” and the young lady was the “one” of several church members. Lott was struck by the fact that a number of people who received Christ had been people that church members were praying for by name through the NAMB campaign
Jason Britt, pastor of Bethlehem Church, spoke Tuesday on faith and the reality and relevance of Scripture. “We have the power to change lives,” Britt taught, “that’s the power of the gospel.” Lott said that following the Tuesday service, another student received Christ that night at home.
Larry Wynn, long-time Georgia pastor and executive director of the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation, spoke on Wednesday. Wynn celebrated the harvest at Macedonia, telling the congregation, “Don’t take for granted what God is doing here, it’s not happening everywhere.”
Describing the impact of the revival week, Lott said, “In my 32 years of ministry, this was the most spirit-filled and effective revival of which I have ever been a part. God truly showed up!”
