Six bivocational churches hold joint revival

Six bivocational churches in south Alabama came together for a joint revival April 9-14 that pastors said left their congregations revived.
   
Pleasant Hill, Bethel, Shiloh, Abanda, Five Points and Milltown Baptist churches — all part of East Liberty Baptist Association — each hosted the revival for one night. Pastors of each church drew the location where they would preach, excluding their own.
   
“One of the biggest advantages of such a movement is bringing the six communities, rural in nature, into a closer fellowship,” said Maynard McGinty, pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist, who coordinated the revival with Jimmy Brown, pastor of Milltown Baptist.
   
The average attendance each night was 75-100 people, and some locations had to set up chairs to accommodate the crowd. Brown said those attending were enthusiastic, adding the worship included wonderful music and fellowship.
   
The revival concluded with a fellowship following the last service.
   
Brown said the revival gave church members the opportunity to hear pastors from across the association, along with becoming acquainted with other congregations.
   
The speakers were evangelistic, but also stressed the importance of churches within the community working together to develop a deeper sense of spiritual closeness among them, McGinty said.
   
Seeing the cooperation among the churches was nostalgic for McGinty.
   
“I find some things that take me back to my childhood as I see the cooperation of the churches, which is not often seen today in towns and cities,” he said.
   
After the continued success of the joint revival, McGinty and Brown are looking to next year’s event. Preliminary ideas for the next joint revival include a combined choir and the addition of two new bivocational churches.