Revival Sparks Reported in Spartanburg, SC, and There's a Big Plan to Take It Statewide

ANALYSIS

An incredible move of God is stirring in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Over the past two years, there has been what locals are calling the beginning of a revival, and they are looking to take it all the way to the capital of the state. 

It began with different outreach ministries sharing the gospel throughout the city, student-led clubs in high schools holding Christian rallies during lunchtime, and city-wide prayer meetings that bridged church, racial, and generational barriers. It is now moving toward a citywide multi-day evangelistic crusade taking place June 6-8 at the county fairgrounds. The organizers are looking to then move on to a statewide crusade in Columbia, South Carolina, in the fall. 

There are no "big names" or "big bands involved." In fact, the main speaker for the crusade is Jacob Ebersole of World Harvest. He is a local evangelist who has done work primarily overseas but felt stirred in 2023 to shift his focus to his hometown. The worship music for the event will be led by a mass gospel choir of 200+ people from the area.

What is happening in Spartanburg is a great model of how the Church in other cities could approach reaching their communities.

Our nation needs a move of God, but every move of God always begins at the local level. Jesus made this clear right before his ascension when He told His disciples in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Over the past decades, it has been documented that there has been a clear spiritual decline in America. Not only that, but the moral fabric of our culture has been seriously damaged. Historically, whenever there is spiritual and moral decline in our nation's history, the country has been ripe for an awakening. 

For those who are unaware, there were two revival movements that took place during the history of our nation that affected every part of the nation: the First Great Awakening, which took place in the 1740s, before the Revolutionary War, and the Second Great Awakening, which took place in the early 1800s. There have been numerous regional and societal moves of God since then, but nothing as all-encompassing as the First and Second Great Awakenings. Our country, our cities, and our communities are ripe for a move of God.

What is happening in Spartanburg is truly unique and different from the standard crusade/gathering model that we have seen in more recent years in bigger cities across America. Most of us have heard of mass events taking place in cities; however, what is happening in Spartanburg does not fit the mold.

That standard model, regardless of the organization, is a one-night event with lots of big Christian bands and a big-name speaker. They tend to draw mainly Christians. Also, the normal way they operate is that they are orchestrated largely by an "outside-the-city organization," and this can make it harder to sustain long-term impact in the city within which the crusade is held. So, what makes Spartanburg different? What makes it a model for other cities across the country?

Right now, local churches and local Christian organizations are working together in an out-of-the-ordinary way to bring about a revival. Local people and local groups are coming together in unity from all across the city to reach their neighbors with the gospel. This effort is crossing denominational barriers. Christians are going to the streets to reach the lost and have started ministering in the prisons.

There is also a massive scope of involvement from all age groups. From young adults to those older in the faith, and every age in between, they are all working together to reach their city. This move of God is crossing generational barriers.

Perhaps one of the most noteworthy things happening is that the preparation for the evangelistic crusade has crossed racial barriers. African American churches and Anglo churches are working together to bring this crusade together. There are also Hispanic and Russian churches involved. For there to be this kind of unity and singular focus among churches composed of different ethnicities is astounding. For this to happen in a semi-rural area of the South says a lot as well. 

Those involved are planning on packing the local fairgrounds. They have a giant tent that can accommodate thousands, but their expectation is to pack the fairgrounds field and to exceed the capacity of the tent. They are having pastors, leaders, and hundreds of men from all over the area come a week earlier to participate in the "raising the tent" event, where they will be praying at the fairgrounds for a move of God in the city.

Every night of the outreach, churches and local organizations are going to be "feeding the city" by providing free dinner for everyone that attends the crusade. This is a monumental task, but they are doing it. I recently spoke with one of the organizers, and they are legitimately gearing towards providing thousands of meals every night.

Unity will be on display in so many ways. The mass Gospel choir will be composed of people from different churches from across the city. And churches of all sizes are getting involved: local megachurches as well as smaller churches and ministries.

All of this makes what is happening in Spartanburg noteworthy and unique. If you want to get involved or to find out more about it, click here.

David Hoffman is the director of Kingdom Enterprises in Tucson, AZ.