Southwestern students minister through Revive the Nation during Spring Break

Among the 21 Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College (TBC) students who participated in Revive the Nation during Spring Break, one slept on a pig farm and began his day by feeding the pigs while other students stayed in more traditional accommodations, even some quite nice. As the students and three professors from Southwestern and TBC stepped into various pulpits in 11 states around the nation, they entered into a 50-year tradition at Southwestern that seeks to take the Gospel to various parts of the United States while simultaneously providing students an opportunity to put their classroom lessons to work.

Trey Cole, a Master of Divinity student from Iola, Texas, preached revival services at Cameron Baptist Church in Cameron, West Virginia, and experienced unique accommodations staying at a pig farm with snow every day.

“The church had been so faithful and had been praying for 13 weeks,” Cole said, adding that “a lady prayer walked around the church” praying for revival prior to his arrival. “It was such a cool opportunity just getting to see the power of their prayer.” Cole was excited to experience 10 baptisms, two of which included a 41-year-old and someone over 60 years old. Also included in the number of salvations was the pastor’s brother-in-law, whose wife had been praying for him for more than 30 years.

Revive the Nation, which has existed under a variety of names for over five decades at Southwestern Seminary, allows male students to fill the pulpits to preach revival services at churches that request a preacher.

“Revive the Nation personifies the evangelistic and pioneering spirit of Southwestern Seminary,” said Matt Queen, interim provost and vice president for academic administration and professor of evangelism. “I thank God for introducing ministry partners to Southwestern who have provided gifts that ensure the perpetuity of this innovative initiative. After hearing the testimonies of our student preachers, I’m convinced that this program not only informs their current and future ministries, but encourages the churches and pastors who hosted them.”

The students saw God at work as they witnessed salvations, recommitments to Christ, baptisms, and new commitments to be dedicated to being involved in church again. The blessings from their week at Revive the Nation were shown in many ways.

Tim Ferris, pastor at City View Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas, and Master of Divinity student, saw the “excitement grow in church members as the revival went on” adding “the worship and fellowship afterward reflected a lot of growth in many of them.”

At Sawdust Road Baptist Church in Spring, Texas, “the Gospel was preached and people responded to it by personally coming to testify that the Word touched their lives,” said

Omotayo Adetutu, a Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling student from Nigeria, who spent the week preaching at the southeast Texas church. “They would pray daily for the sinners in their neighborhoods and witness as the Spirit of God moved them.”

Harrison Frueh, a Master of Divinity student from Fort Worth, Texas, spent his week at a rural church, Elk Baptist Church, in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania. In addition to his main duty of preaching, Frueh also went out into the community visiting church members, some of whom were struggling with poor health, and he went around the town inviting people to come to the church services.

Frueh took joy in two salvations that occurred during the services and in seeing the passion a deacon had for his lost brother.

“There was a deacon who expressed a desire to see his other family members saved and after this deacon and I prayed together on Sunday, he shared the Gospel with his brother later in the week,” Frueh explained. “This deacon called us excitedly to tell us that his brother had received salvation and believed in Jesus as his Lord and Savior after he had explained the Gospel to him.”

Frueh counts “the amount of prayers people gave for us and the revival services” as a blessing. Facing fatigue each day was a challenge for him as he “began to not feel well each day during the week, which brought me to an even greater dependence on the Lord. However, once I stepped into the pulpit each night, it all went away and I was able to focus purely on the Word and proclaiming Christ,” remembered Frueh.

He expressed thanks for the “guidance, leadership and constant prayers and encouragement” of Queen and the team who made the arrangements for the students to travel.

Anatoliy Orgunov, a Doctor of Philosophy student majoring in church revitalization and minoring in preaching, from Kyiv, Ukraine, preached at First Baptist Church in Sinton, Texas. Orgunov was thankful to experience God moving in the hearts of other people in the congregation throughout the week. The people of the church warmly welcomed Orgunov, providing him with everything he needed to have a “comfortable” stay. Joshua Robinson, the pastor of First Baptist and a Southwestern Seminary Master of Divinity student, “has an amazingly big heart for evangelism and revival” and “has been a great host,” said Orgunov.

“Being able to get away from the seminary and the laser focus of accomplishing schoolwork to go serve with normal people who are very excited to have you is an incredibly refreshing and motivating experience,” said Glenn Melvin, a Master of Divinity student from Curtis, Nebraska. Melvin preached at First Baptist Church in Ferriday, Louisiana, and experienced “the constant outpouring of love from the host church.”

Christopher Williams, a Master of Divinity student from Madrid, Spain, went to Primera Bautista Church, the first Hispanic church in the United States, located in Laredo, Texas. “It is such a blessing to put yourself out there and really force yourself to trust God to move through you. It can be daunting, but God is faithful,” said Williams.

Rickesh Patel, a Ph.D. in preaching student from Jasper, Texas, preached at Crossview Bible Church in Yucca Valley, California.

“I would encourage any student who is looking to pastor and has the opportunity during Spring Break to participate in this ministry,” Patel said. “I have found that as I am trying to minister to others, that God is ministering to me. This is growth for me in my own walk to truly depend on the Lord for His work.”

Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement and assistant professor of faith and culture at TBC, was “honored to preach” at Gladewater Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, Texas where he delivered a message on evangelism. Darling explained that the church “is in the midst of a revitalization and is seeing great leadership from its pastor.”

“Revive the Nation is a wonderful ministry and legacy of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as we work to come alongside churches to help preach, evangelize, and strengthen local Southern Baptists churches,” said Darling.

Micah Carter, associate dean of Texas Baptist College and assistant professor of theology, provided evangelism training at College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview, Texas.

“The church was welcoming and eager to see Jesus lifted up in their community,” Carter reflected. “It was an honor to serve as a catalyst for evangelistic efforts and Gospel witness.”

Carter has heard from students that served in churches during Revive the Nation and is “deeply encouraged by the joy and gratitude that they had in serving churches and preaching—many of them for the first time. I pray that much fruit comes for the Kingdom from all who participated.”

Revive the Nation allows students to “have an excellent opportunity to help motivate churches to evangelize and make disciples,” said Carl Bradford, assistant professor of evangelism and Malcolm R. and Melba L. McDow Chair of Evangelism in the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions.

“More personally, the students get preaching experience and see God at work among the people of God and their surrounding community,” he added.