Prayer to precede Evangelism Conference
‘Prayer warriors’ set to prayer walk pews as Ridgecrest hosts
By Allen Palmeri
Senior Writer
January 10, 2006
JEFFERSON CITY – Officials are hoping for 2,000 in attendance when the 2006 Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) State Evangelism Conference is held Jan. 23-24 at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Springfield.
“Sharing Jesus Through the Spirit-filled Life” is the theme of this year’s conference. Being filled with the Holy Spirit simply means to be under the control of the Holy Spirit, said MBC State Evangelism Director Bob Caldwell.
“There are days of my life that I don’t give control of areas of my life to God, and it quenches the Spirit,” he said. “I just ask God to give me the strength to bring every area of my life under the control of the Holy Spirit. I believe in those moments of our life we’re filled with the Holy Spirit, and we’ll see more people come to Christ by accident than we’d ever see on purpose.”
Part of the pre-conference application of that involves the coordination of a group of college students in an all-night prayer vigil for the conference. Jeff and Angela Carson and Emily Foreman, student evangelism associates with the MBC, are organizing the event, which is designed to cover the sanctuary in prayer from about 9 p.m. Sunday to about 9 a.m. Monday. College students wishing to minister through this method of prayer can contact Angela Carson at 800-736-6227, ext. 618.
“They’re going to do their best to pray at every pew,” Caldwell said. “They’re going to prayer-walk that building. They’re also going to have people stationed at different areas of the auditorium reading the Word of God. They’re going to read every word from the inerrant, infallible, precious Word of God from cover to cover throughout the course of that night.
“I think it will be awesome to think that that building will have been prayed through for about 12 hours, non-stop, and that every word of the Bible has been read out loud throughout that auditorium before the state evangelism conference even starts.”
Johnny Hunt, pastor, First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga., is scheduled to give two messages on the second day of the conference. Hunt will give a message on the afternoon of Jan. 24 and then come back with the final sermon of the conference that evening before a closing prayer that is scheduled for around 9 p.m.
Also speaking at the conference will be:
John Avant, vice president of evangelization for the North American Mission Board, and a pastor since 1979; Robert Coleman, distinguished professor of discipleship and evangelism, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Mass.; and Randy Singer, an attorney who serves as chief counsel and special assistant at the North American Mission Board.
Worship will be led by Chuck Sullivan, who has ministered in music with such evangelical luminaries as Ravi Zacharias, James Merritt and Chuck Swindoll. MBC promotional material lauds Sullivan as “one of America’s premiere worship leaders.” Other musicians include Legacy Five, www.legacyfive.com, a Southern Gospel quartet who have had 10 Top 40 radio hits.
The host hotel is Sleep Inn, 233 El Camino Alto, (417) 886-2464. It is located about two miles from the church at the Campbell Avenue exit. The MBC rate is $60.19 for two double beds.
Other hotels in the area are: Quality Inn & Suites, 3930 S. Overland Ave., (417) 888-0898, $59.99 (two queens or king); Residence Inn, 1303 E. Kingsley, (417) 890-0020), $134 (one-bedroom suite, two queens or king); Arbor Suites at the Mall, 1550 E. Raynell Place, (417) 887-8383, $59 (studio suite, king bed); Baymont Inn & Suites, 3776 S. Glenstone Ave., (417) 889-8188, $58.50 (single or double); Clarion Hotel, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave., (417) 883-6550, $59.95 (double queens or king); and Hampton Inn, 3232 S. Glenstone Ave., (417) 882-6611, $78 (two doubles or king).
For information about the conference, call the MBC at (573) 636-0400, ext. 655 or 1-800-736-6227, ext. 655.