October 1, 2026
More than 550 people made commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ during the GO TELL AMERICA Upstate Crusade in Gaffney, South Carolina, on April 19-22, from among the 4,500 who attended the four-night event, according to event organizers.
Fifty churches and more than 300 volunteers assisted with the crusade in Cherokee County that was held at 7 p.m. nightly at the Gaffney High School Stadium. The event was led by Evangelist Rick Gage and his GO TELL AMERICA team from the Atlanta area. Cherokee County also was the site of a Rick Gage Crusade held 20 years ago. Gage was joined by evangelists Adrian Despres and Tony Nolan.
A testimony was given by former Head Football Coach Tommy Bowden of Clemson University. Music was presented by soloist Charles Billingsley and worship leader Blake Goss, including a Community Choir.
As a part of the crusade’s youth outreach, 3,000 students were addressed by the GO TELL team in school assemblies about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, Gage said. He and his ministry team have shared this theme with an estimated 2 million students during ON TRACK assemblies in public and private schools across America.
Dwight Easler, Director of Missions for the Broad River Baptist Association, said, “I am thankful for the opportunity to witness the work of the Lord through the GO TELL Crusade in the upstate SC. The Lord worked in hundreds of lives throughout our area and united churches for the sake of the gospel. We pray, as follow-up begins, that a revival will sweep across our area.”
Serving on the Leadership Team, Dr. Wayne Brown, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Blacksburg, South Carolina, recalled when he served as the 1997 chairman of the Horry County Crusade with Rick Gage in Myrtle Beach and Conway, South Carolina. That was when Brown was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. One evening at this crusade, in the follow-up discussion after the invitation was given, Brown said he spoke with three teenagers from his former church – all of whom claimed they were coming for “full surrender to Jesus!”
An inmate at the county jail asked for prayer for him and his family to be reunited “like God wanted us to be,” including with his wife, to whom he is still married after 25 years.
A 75-year-old prayer partner said he felt convicted by the Holy Spirit to get right with God before he could pray with others. “He convicted my soul. God spoke to my heart, and I had to go out here and talk to God and pray to God first to make sure I was right with Him before I could go talk to somebody else.”
Another prayer partner said a lady received Christ as her Savior and then returned with her two children, who also were saved.
A lady said, “I knew God was telling me to get on the field on my face before Him and confess and repent. If I went, I knew my family would have the courage to go. too. My niece even prayed with her friend. I am so thankful for this crusade and the move God is doing in our community and in my life and my family's lives.”
A 12-year-old said, “My reason that I came forward is to get in contact with Jesus and God, and I want to live my life with Him and with Christ in my heart.”
Another one at the altar said, “I just want to do right. I want to follow Him. I want to serve Him with my entire life.”
Someone else commented, “What a wonderful opportunity to serve and go tell. And what a wonderful group of people GO TELL is. I just praise the Lord for every soul who's saved and for every one of these people who work for GO TELL and do such a great job, encouraging us to follow Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.” Claudia Johnson recounted how she saw her grandson at the altar, receiving Jesus Christ as his Savior. “God allowed me to spot out my grandson. There he was – right in front of the platform. He had accepted the Lord! I started crying and thanking and praising God. I could hardly stop. Oh, the joy!
“To God be the glory for what He did in Gaffney and Cherokee County and how He used Evangelist Rick Gage and His other servants to bring forth the Word with much power. It was a very Spirit-filled experience. Thank You, Jesus!” Johnson added.
Crusade Chairman Vance Hammond said, “I have never been so grateful – and so joyfully tired. The Lord’s wisdom and strength are without limit, and His hand was evident throughout every step of this crusade. In His perfect timing, He placed people in the right place at the right time for His glory, asking only that we continue to pray and work faithfully.
"From the first crusade in 2006 to today, many have received the Good News of Jesus Christ and have been transformed from lost to found. It has been a blessing to see families gathering to worship night after night and students inviting friends to encounter the hope of the gospel. Thank you to GO TELL, our volunteers, partnering churches, the school district, and our community leaders for your support and commitment to this crusade," Hammond stated.
Prayer Team Leader DeeDee Wall said, “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for what He has done in Gaffney through the GO TELL Crusade. Truly, the Lord has shown Himself faithful, and we give Him all the glory. We witnessed His power in the salvation of lost souls, the rededication of believers, and a fresh awakening in the Church of Jesus Christ. Only God can transform hearts the way we saw Him do in these services.
“This crusade was a move of God that brought unity, healing, and renewed purpose to our community. We saw people praying together, worshiping together, and believing together. Hope has been restored, and the Name of Jesus has been lifted high,” Wall noted.
“I want to express deep appreciation to GO TELL Crusades and every speaker who delivered the Word with boldness and compassion. Thank you for your obedience and for allowing God to use you so powerfully in our community, schools, and jail. The worship team, every musician, and worship leaders prepared the atmosphere and ushered us into the presence of God in a beautiful way.
“It was an honor to serve on the Crusade Committee with sincere, Godly men and women. I’m thankful for their dedication, prayers, planning, and hard work behind the scenes. God was faithful to the committee to work in and through us to bring an event where lives could be changed forever. I will never forget the precious young women I had the privilege of partnering with in prayer as they responded nightly to the invitation,” Wall said.
“The crusade has concluded, and our community is not the same as it was when it began. We have been strengthened, united, and ready to carry the Word of God into our homes, our churches, and our community. To God be all the glory for the great things He has done,” Wall concluded.
On the Crusade Facebook page, Ann Stroupe said, “So glad I have been every night. It has really given me a new passion for Jesus.” Tracy Parris said in part on Facebook, “It has been an awesome and worshipful week. What a mighty and an awesome God we serve. God’s presence has been so powerful this week.” Patricia Batchler Reavis added on Facebook, “This week has been awesome. Praising our Lord for all souls saved.”
Brice Cook said, “My prayers were definitely answered: that the lost would find salvation, that seeds would be planted for the curious, and that the saved would grow in faith and obedience. I personally was refueled and encouraged to share the gospel. The crusade touched thousands of people in Cherokee County and the Upstate. The Holy Spirit touched each person differently. Many hearts were softened for the gospel, and many asked Jesus into their hearts. Not only were local folks moved by the Holy Spirit but also folks who were working in the area. “One of my employees met me early on Wednesday morning very excited to share some great news – that a friend who he had invited to the crusade Tuesday night had come to the event with him and got saved that night! He and his friend were working on the same job site nearby, and his friend was from Ohio. We agreed that this was a great example of GO TELL and how the gospel can be spread across the country and world.
“The music was wonderful, the speakers were great, and the weather was perfect. I was personally impressed by the number of prayer partners and their obedience and love that they were eager to share with those making decisions. Also, teenagers were leading their parents to Christ. The prayers, events, scheduling, and setup leading up to the event were all answered and worth every effort.
“With all the blessings that I have already mentioned, one last blessing touched me the most. It was Thursday morning around 2 a.m. A group of about 30 men had stayed after the service was over to help dismantle the stage, load up all the equipment, and clean up the field. We were all getting tired and were ready to go get some sleep, as most of us had to be back at work within a few hours. As the last sheet of plywood was loaded and everyone sighed in relief and headed their way, Dr. Wayne Brown gathered everyone back up in a circle, holding hands (we were all ready to go home and not be standing around any longer). He asked (Crusade Chairman) Vance Hammond to close in prayer (I remember Vance thanking God for each man and challenging the group to always be real men for Jesus!)
“After the prayer and still holding hands, Dr. Brown led us grown men through a skit that was probably from a children’s ministry: sharing our love for each other, sharing our hearts - brought closer together by the cross and doing the right thing in Going and Telling the world. That moment of the crusade (and I was like all the others – tired and worn out) was very special to me, and I will always remember that great feeling. I left that morning with a full heart, smiling, and with a revived relationship with Christ.
To schedule a GO TELL AMERICA Crusade in your area, contact gotellcrusades.com.
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