Historical Committee
|
|
Gathering at the Hearth: Stories Mennonites
Tell
A collection of twenty-eight stories from Mennonite History
by John E. Sharp
Herald Press, 2001
Order from Provident Bookstores or call 800-759-4447
|
by Ford Berg Beginning in 1951,"tent revivals" made a huge impact on many Mennonite communities, from Florida to British Columbia. While the charismatic Brunk Brothers, Lawrence and George R., II,, led the way, others, such as Howard Hammer, Andrew Jantzi and Myron Augsburger, followed. These Mennonite evangelists, while borrowing the medium from Protestant Revivalism, shaped the content to include such "Mennonite" themes as discipleship, nonresistance, and nonconformity to the world. Some objected to the emotionalism of the mass revivalism, while many others, like the "Franconia Cowboys," gave fervent testimonies and demonstrated changed lives. The Brunk brothers, Lawrence and George, pitched a tent seating 2,500 people in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on June the fourth, 1951. Soon, a second tent was added, but still these tents could not hold the crowds. Each night crowds came and the tents overflowed, until after five weeks the tents were moved to an airport on the edge of the city. Attendance reached a peak of 17,000 on the final Sunday evening, July 22, seven weeks after the meetings began. Lancaster County had never seen anything like this. More than 1,500 people, mostly Mennonites of the Lancaster area, signed decision cards, although additional thousands were stirred as a result of the revival meetings. An outward indication of the effectiveness of the meetings was demonstrated by Mennonite farmers who plowed up their fields of tobacco. Others threw cigarettes, pipes, whiskey, playing cards, jewelry, and other items which they felt had been a hindrance to their lives into an offering rack marked "Offering for Baal." Because revivals cannot possibly be measured by numbers, the real and total effect in the Lancaster area is unknown. That it is great is certain. Several thousand in the community were saved or restored. Many, it is reported, were living lives of formality, with little apparent understanding and appreciation for the true Gospel of Christ. Maurice E. Lehman, one of the ministers of the East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church which sponsored the campaign, reported in the September 4, 1951, Gospel Herald, that "The Evangelist preached against sin for many nights at the beginning of the revival. This preaching brought conviction of hidden sin of the flesh and spirit. Many church members confessed sin and 'got right' with God. Brother George Brunk made the statement that this is a cheanup program as well as an evangelistic campaign.… We who have witnessed this great revival can say we will long remember it as one of the greatest events in our day." From Lancaster the Brunk brothers moved their equipment to the Franconia Conference, in the Philadelphia area. A huge tent, with a seating capacity of six thousand was set up toward the last of the campaign. The work was supported by all of the bishops of the conference and almost all the ministers and deacons. As at Lancaster, interest was great from the beginning. The crowds ranged from 2,500 on Monday and Friday evenings to 10-12,000 on Sunday evenings. Admittedly, the large crowds were not the heart of the revival, but rather the personal lives changed and committed to Christ. The same startling results were experienced as at Lancaster. A revival campaign was next opened near Orrville, Ohio, for a period of four weeks. Here the same powerful messages, audience singing, and prayer support wrought mighty events. Dozens came forward in response to the invitation to seek a new or better experience with Jesus Christ. Here, too, there were the skeptical, the hangers-on, and those who wanted nothing of the meetings, but the interests of the masses prevailed. Although no accurate count is known, it seems that approximately one-third of the people in the Ohio meetings were members of the Conservative Amish Mennonite Church, with a small sprinkling of Old Order Amish present. Many traveled twenty-five, fifty, and even one hundred miles. Also included were members of the Wisler church, and various other conservative groups. Many non-Mennonites also attended freely. Following the successful Ohio meetings, the evangelistic team returned to Manheim, Pennsylvania, not far from the earlier location in Lancaster city. While the attendance at this place was fair, apparently opposition, mostly indirectly, by some leaders of the church in that area had its effect on the lower number of people who responded publicly. During the winter of 1951-52 the Brunk brothers held two series of meetings in Florida, one in a Mennonite center, and the other in a non-Mennonite location. Calls to conduct revivals have come from many states, and meetings are now booked for a couple of years in advance. Many requests have been turned down. How did this phenomenon begin? The beginnings of this revival movement go back to 1946 when the two Brunk brothers, Lawrence and George, concluded a revival campaign in Richmond, Virginia. On their way home from one of these services, the brothers agreed they would enter evangelistic work when possible. When the plan did not seem to materialize, Lawrence one day stood in the midst of his poultry flock of five thousand broilers and asked the Lord to give him as many souls as there were chickens. He promised God that if he could make $5,000 clear, he would place the entire sum into the needed evangelistic equipment. By 1951, Lawrence was surprised bountifully by not only $5,000 profit, but the astounding sum of $35,000. Lawrence placed this sum into expensive tents and traveling equipment, and soon the first revival campaign began in Lancaster. Of the two brothers, George does the preaching. A Bible teacher at Eastern Mennonite College, he has given up his teaching to do fulltime evangelistic work. A graduate of William and Mary College and Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia, George is well aware of church history which disclosed the excesses, the weaknesses, and the blessings of previous revival movements in various denominations. He also, by the nature of his thorough training, is well acquainted with various aspects of theology, and handles well such persistent problems as divine healing which recur at mass revival movements. Both Lawrence and George are tall men, about six-feet-four, and have strong voices to accompany their stature. While they speak and preach frankly, one is impressed by their sincerity in wanting to make every meeting a spirit-directed meeting. They must repeatedly stamp out patterns of thinking which resemble hero worship and which direct credit to the evangelists rather than to the Lord. They are insistent on this, and want no credit for themselves, for as they wisely know, the movement will crumble if God is forgotten. Lawrence, the song leader, directs the large audiences in gospel songs and hymns. It is apparent that the audiences relish this part of the evening's program, as evidenced by the response. What are the services like? There are daily prayer meetings, some preceding the evening meetings which begin at 7:30. Lawrence opens the meetings by having the audience sing many hymns and gospel songs. The a cappella, congregational-type singing seems never to fail in lifting the spirits of those present. After a short devotional period and further singing, George begins his sermons. He speaks on such subjects as God's Barriers to Hell, From the Glory of Jericho to the Disgrace of Ai, and The Sins of the Flesh and the Spirit. The sermons generally average an hour in length. After the sermon the invitation is given. By this time the audience has heard much direct preaching, some which is new, and much which is familiar. The speaker draws his illustrations from life, from children, and practical experiences, all of which have tremendous effect in leading people to make decisions for Christ. Most of us who are accustomed to sitting in our regular Mennonite services have a new experience when we witness those who walk forward in response to the invitation. For three nights, as I attended the meetings in my home community, I sat awed. One, two, three persons soon walked forward. The number mounted, increased so that I was unable to watch the whole proceeding. I saw friends, relatives, and others walk to the front. There were calls for additional personal workers. The evening hour became late, 10:00, and the meetings were still going strong, although some parents with children had wended their way out of the tent. As personal workers dealt with those seeking help, opportunity was given for those who wished to give their testimony for their Lord. There was no difficulty whatever in obtaining witnesses. As those in the prayer room found peace with God they were urged to testily before the large audience. I sat in my seat entranced, tears flowing down my cheeks at times, as I entered into the joys and concerns of those who spoke. There was the seventy-year-old Christian who proclaimed his love for Christ. The very young, the youthful, the middle-aged, and the silver-haired gave their testimonies. To be sure, no golden tongued oratory appeared. These were largely people who knew not what it means to stand before others to witness. They stumbled in their speech; they walked timidly; many did not say all they wanted to say, for one forgets on such occasions. Testimonies continued while those in the prayer room filed out to the platform. I was amazed to see an Amish man walk to the microphone. He stumbled a little in his speech, said something about finding his way, and then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He handed them to George, who was standing nearby guiding the folks to the microphone. The cigarettes were plopped on the pulpit, and the joyful man completed his testimony. Another cigarette "sucker," as George put it, found his release. Soon another speaker was telling his story. It was evident that many Christians had now really found their Saviour meaningful. An approximate ten-minute period produced the following: A relative of mine, in his halting English, told of the many children he has and how he wants them to know Jesus Christ as Saviour. Next two young girls sang their praises. Then came a young man who had been a Sunday school superintendent in a large church for several years. He said that he had malice in his heart, that he wanted to confess it. He had been influenced to make this confession, he explained, because his pastor had made a similar confession several days before, and that certainly he too should confess if his pastor could do it. It was after eleven when the meetings were dismissed, although generally the huge tent was nearly empty, except for those who lingered, some with loved ones who had found themselves anew, others with acquaintances, all marveling at this thing which had come to pass. One evening I saw a young man whom I have known for twenty years suddenly walk out from his position to go to the front where those seeking help were standing. In a moment, he returned - with a small, sleeping child on his shoulder. I soon understood what he had done. He had obtained the child from the arms of his sister and her unfaithful husband so that they could go into the prayer room unhindered. Soon the couple stood before the microphone asking for prayers, and the young man, known to be unfaithful to his wife, pledged a new start. On another evening, previous to the evening which I attended, the evangelist, George, had given the invitation, and the usual numbers walked to the front. Suddenly, a man and a woman, both of whom had walked down different aisles, raced across the front and threw themselves upon each other's shoulders. Neither had known the other was present, and, you see, they were man and wife separated for months. In the Franconia Conference there had been for years a gang of young Mennonite boys who delighted in reckless driving and daring stunts, much to the chagrin of other Christians and fellow church members. They were remarkably converted at the meetings and now engage in prayer meetings and Christian work instead of the former "rough stuff." Obviously, the effect of the revivals in the local churches is profound. In the large Franconia Mennonite church, near Philadelphia, for example, in a regular Sunday morning service, over 130 responded to an invitation to confession of sin and reconsecration. Significantly, this was the first invitation ever given in that church. In another church nearby there were 85 confessions and testimonies on a Sunday morning during an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Untold other miracles, including many acts of restitutions, known only by God, prevailed and still continue. The theme of the Brunk brothers revival campaigns is "The Whole Gospel for the Whole World." While the effects of the revivals can only be measured by God, visible results have been bountiful, and thousands have been blessed. The brothers are giving full time to the work, and plan to do preaching in the South, too, in areas where churches are few. They believe strongly that others than Mennonites welcome a revival too, and want to go through some of the Southern area and "rough it" if necessary, even if expenses are not met. At present they are conducting meetings in Ontario. While there are the obvious opponents, some who are skeptical and others who feel that the mass revival technique stirs up individuals but does not give satisfactory answers, the Brunks feel assured that they are being blessed of the Lord. Only time will reveal the great mysteries of the Gospel, and only time will disclose how many people have been saved through this revival movement. This motto for George and Lawrence Brunk is fitting: "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." (II Cor. 4:5). [Mennonite Life, July 1952, pages
119, 122-124] Reprinted with permission from Gathering at the Hearth: Stories Mennonites Tell edited by John E. Sharp, Herald Press, Copyright 2001. The book is sponsored by the Historical Committee of the Mennonite Church. |
Revive
Us Again: Brunk Brothers Tent Meetings