First Joplin reaches football team in revival
JOPLIN—A revival involving players and coaches from the Missouri Southern State University football team has helped spark a fresh fire here in First Baptist Church.
On Aug. 5 the whole team and coaching staff came to hear Texas Evangelist Jon Randles preach. There were eight decisions for Christ and around 40 recommitments from the team and staff. Then they hung around to eat.
“We fed over 300 people lunch that day,” said First Joplin Pastor Robert Morgan.
Morgan, who has been senior pastor of the church since Jan. 7, is excited about what the Lord is doing. Normal attendance for revivals at First Joplin has been 70-75; this revival averaged 175. Sunday worship attendance is now up to an average of 185.
“It’s been a joy,” Morgan said. “Good things are happening. First Baptist has been through some tough years, and so they were kind of down. Our attendance is up 50 percent from a year ago, and I would say we’ve had more additions in the first eight months now than they had total over the last three years.”
Randles, who often speaks in chapel for Big 12 Conference football teams, also spoke one day to the Missouri Southern State team along with separate talks at three area high schools—Joplin, Carl Junction and Webb City. Morgan was also glad that a luncheon for business leaders at the local country club drew 100.
“We want to reach out and make a difference in Joplin,” he said.
There were two other salvations from the week of revival, and two families joined the church.