The Day after 'AzusaNow,' God Sent Revival to a Humble Coal Mining Town in West Virginia

Mark Ellis : May 19, 2016
God Reports

"The Lord did it. It was a sovereign move of the Lord."

(West Virginia)—[God Reports] The day after 70,000 people jammed the L.A. Coliseum to cry out for revival, God sent the wind of the Holy Spirit many miles away to a humble town of 500 in West Virginia coal mining country. (Photo: Mackenzie Lester/via God Reports)

"We've prayed for many years for this," says Mitchell Bias, pastor of the Regional Church of God in Delbarton, West Virginia. His church had a live stream from the AzusaNow event on April 9th with their own prayer gathering, but little did he know what would happen, beginning the next day.
 
It seems Pastor Mitch had invited Matt Hartley, a 31-year-old evangelist from Tennessee, to preach at the church's "spring revival."
 
"I felt impressed of the Lord to connect with him," he notes. "I knew he was a young evangelist."
 
After Hartley checked his schedule, he proposed April 10-13 for their event. "He came and started that Sunday. We had tremendous services the morning and evening on the 10th," says Pastor Mitch.
 
The next day Hartley spoke at a chapel service for the church's Christian school in Williamson, the adjacent town, which Pastor Mitch describes as another "tremendous" gathering.
 
On the 12th, Hartley spoke at a prayer club meeting at Mingo Central High School at the invitation of the students. The club normally has 30-40 students show up, but everyone was shocked when 450 students arrived—more than half the high school. (Photo via God Reports)
 
"He (Hartley) preached the Gospel, preached against sin," Pastor Mitch recounts. "I know it's not popular, but he did. It wasn't a lengthy sermon."
 
At the end of the message Hartley gave an altar call. "He gave an invitation and 150 students responded to receive Christ. There was a lot of emotion. They cried. He prayed for them. They were touched. It was a move of God," Pastor Mitch says.
 
"The Lord did it. It was a sovereign move of the Lord." (Photos: Kaleb Hanshaw)
 
Two days later, another prayer club meeting was held at the same high school. About 450 students came, and 150 more students received Christ!
 
Meanwhile, Pastor Mitch's church continued their revival services at night. "The crowds continued to grow at our church," he recounts. "We wanted a revival. We wanted a radical move of the Lord. But we didn't anticipate this would happen," he says.
 
Young people from the high school began attending in the evening (services), along with others, and the word spread that God was stoking the fires of revival. (Photos: Revival at the high school/Kaleb Hanshaw/God Reports)

"By Saturday we were going to have a break and let the evangelists have a break." But some of the students decided they wanted to organize a rally at the stadium.
 
Some 2500 to 3000 students from 25 schools in the area jammed into the stadium. Hartley preached and again had a great response as the Lord touched many hearts with salvation. (Photo: Mackenzie Lester)
 
"The next Sunday morning and evening we had huge attendance at our church. After the Monday evening service we realized we couldn't accommodate the crowds," Pastor Mitch says.
 
One student, Mackenzie Lester, received the Lord in that first week and posted this on her Facebook page: "I'm so happy to announce that my best friend and I made the most amazing decision tonight, we completely gave our lives to God. Three days ago my life was changed for the better and I have pastor Matt Hartley and Kaleb Hanshaw and the rest of the prayer team to thank for that."
 
"They have really opened my eyes, and made me see such wonderful things that I've never..."
 
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