The strumming of guitars, beating of drums and screaming of thousands of fans might give the illusion of a run-of-the-mill rock concert, but this isn’t a normal concert. It’s a ministry event.
SoulStock, held in Athens each year, seeks to spread Christ to youth and unite churches of different denominations.
Jimmy Swanner, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Athens, in Limestone Baptist Association, has helped with the event since it began in 1998 as a youth rally called Rockin’ with Jesus. "It has just grown from there," he said.
This year’s event, held May 3, marked the largest crowd in the event’s history, according to SoulStock directors. Rod Carroll, minister to median adults and media at Lindsay Lane Baptist Church, Athens, in Limestone Association, said about 20,000 people were there.
Jensen Porter, 14, a member of Emmanuel Baptist, was one of those in attendance.
"I really liked it; it was really good," Porter said. "I liked the bands a lot, and it is a good way to witness because it is a concert, a place to go and hang out."
Phillip Presley, a SoulStock organizer, said although he doesn’t have the exact number of decisions made at the event, he knows at least 50 people made some type of decision. He added the total number of people saved as a result of SoulStock could never be calculated.
"There are lives saved that we never hear of," Presley said. "We don’t always see the results that night but we plant the seeds."
Other Baptist church sponsors of the event included: Bethlehem Baptist, Hazel Green; Emmanuel Baptist, Athens; Resurrection Baptist, Sommerville; First Baptist, Athens; Round Island Baptist, Athens; First Baptist, Tanner; Clements Baptist, Athens; West Highland Baptist, Athens; and The Brook, Madison. Limestone Association also helped sponsor the event.
For more information, visit www.soulstock.com. (TAB)
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