Chevon Petgrave
Chevon Petgrave
Chevon Petgrave
Chevon Petgrave
Chevon Petgrave
Chevon Petgrave
Chevon Petgrave
After years of planning and preparation, the Revelation Speaks Peace (RSP) evangelistic meetings resulted in nearly 50 baptisms. Hosted in Raleigh, North Carolina, the RSP meetings were a collaborative, area-wide effort of the South Atlantic and Carolina conferences, the Voice of Prophecy (VOP), and the churches of the Raleigh-Durham area.
Glen Altermatt, evangelism coordinator for the Carolina Conference, first approached Shawn Boonstra, VOP speaker, and Alex Rodriguez, VOP evangelism coordinator, about conducting an area-wide meeting back in 2017. Though such requests are usually lined up for three or more years, an opening for 2019 became available when another event canceled.
During the next 18 months, Rodriguez and other VOP team members met regularly with pastors and church volunteers for training and mobilization. In September 2017, leaders from both conferences gathered with Boonstra for an RSP Rally at the ARC (Family Life Center) at the Raleigh Church. Hundreds of members committed to diligent preparation during the coming months. More than 65,000 invitations to enroll in Bible studies were mailed to residents of the area in March 2018, and teams began the follow up.
However, there was still a need for a suitable location. Hundreds of inquiries and searches proved fruitless, and so event coordinators decided to rent a tent the size of a football field and set it up on fairground property. The weather posed additional problems. Rainy weather necessitated the installation of a floor, so pastors and members rallied to install 1,100 sheets of plywood; 10 industrial space heaters were needed to heat the tent. Winds in the area one night gusted up to 39 miles per hour, but, thankfully, the tent never had to be evacuated.
The meetings kicked off with a week of archaeological explorations presented by Tony Moore, speaker for Biblical World. Each night Boonstra welcomed guests and introduced Moore, who presented the archaeological discoveries of Egypt, Israel, and Iraq (Babylon), and how they correlate with the Scripture record. On the fifth night, Moore invited Boonstra to share additional matters he had studied relating to ancient Babylon. At that point, Boonstra presented the first portion of Daniel 2, and invited the archaeology guests to come back Friday night to learn more.
Despite the cold and the rain, hundreds of members and guests continued to attend to hear Boonstra present biblical truths relevant to these times. Charles Haugabrooks and Christine Wollman were the featured musicians. In total more than 1,800 individuals attended, nearly 900 of whom were guests.
By the end of the meetings, more than 50 individuals had made the decision to be baptized. Many others are continuing to study with members so they can be baptized as well. The success of the event stirred a desire in many church members to continue doing evangelism.
“A large number of members of the 13 participating churches have become active in witnessing and sharing Bible studies,” said Haskell Williams, Carolina Conference ministerial director. “It is this involvement that will keep the outreach going. That is the largest goal and the best accomplishment.”
is a senior public relations major in the School of Journalism and Communication at Southern Adventist University and will graduate in December, and a summer intern at Carolina Conference.
is the director of ministerial and personal ministries at the Carolina Conference.
Carolina | August 2019
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