Claudia R. Wintoch
History of Revival
J.D. King
World Revival School of Ministry
Fall Trimester 2001
Content
1. Outbreak of Revival
3. Since the Revival
4. Future of the Revival
5. Controversies of the
Revival
6. References
1. Outbreak of Revival
On March 24, 1996, pastor Steve Gray walked into Smithton Community
Church at 6:12 p.m., after having been away for two weeks. As he opened the
door, walking towards his wife Kathy, he suddenly started jumping and throwing
his arms in the air, as the power of the Holy Spirit hit him. His weights were
thrown off and “indescribable joy and hope” (Gray 1999:16) came in their place.
The same power hit the rest of the congregation as they were rushing to the
front. As pastor Steve Gray started praying for people, they were collapsing
and crying in repentance and brokenness. Another meeting was scheduled for the
following night, and the next, and the next, soon drawing more and more people
from the USA and even other nations. The lives of those hit by the power of God
would never be the same again[1].
2. Before the Revival
For seven years Steve & Kathy Gray were traveling around the States
with a music group. They desired finding a quiet place of retreat between their
trips and settled down in the village of Smithton, Missouri. Certainly a place
that fulfilled that requirement – 532 inhabitants, no gas station, no stop
signs, no soda machine. However, the Lord had something else in mind. After
some time in Smithton, Steve was approached by village people concerning the
small church that had been closed for four years, asking him to take over the
pastorate. Steve & Kathy had already accepted a pastoral position in a big
church in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, and immediately declined that
ridiculous offer. However, the people were persistent and came back two more
times. The third time, pastor Steve decided to be polite and answered by saying
he would pray about it. As he started praying and asking God, what He would do,
His answer was, I would raise the dead.
That settled it for him. In 1984 Steve & Kathy Gray became pastors of the
little Smithton Community Church.
Over the years the church started flourishing, the congregation growing to 150
people. However, over the years the Grays started burning out. In 1996 Steve
was ready to quit the ministry and even leave his wife. At that time, weekly
prayer meetings for revival had been going on for two and a half years. While
pastor Steve wanted to run away and start a new life, he went – encouraged by
his wife – to Pensacola, Florida, having heard of the revival there that had
been going on for a few months. He would spend all day locked into his motel
room, trying to seek God, going to the revival meetings in the evening. Steve
describes what happened in the meeting, when he responded to the altar call:
A man nearby was dressed in a nice, three-piece suit, kneeling and crying as hard as I have ever heard any man. At first I thought he must have committed some really big sin. But as I watched him, I realized he had what I needed. This man was completely broken. I wanted this more than anything else. (Gray 1999:14)
3. Since the Revival
By now about 300,000 people from all over the world have come to taste
of the Lord’s goodness in this outpouring. Their lives were changed forever –
the sick healed, the captives set free, the broken-hearted restored, just as
described in Isaiah 61. Rev. Robert Clement – driving 1,700 miles from San
Diego – shares his not uncommon testimony, being in a struggling church: “Each
time I go up and get prayer, it’s like layers peeling off. Layers of fear,
failure and rejection.” (http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal). The church would
have five services a week with more and more people driving into Smithton,
outnumbering the inhabitants and angering them because of the traffic and the
loud music. It became clear that the revival would have to move to another
place to be able to grow. Several locations were checked out in 1996 and 1997,
yet nothing was working out. Finally God told pastor Gray to shut down the
outpouring services and move to Kansas City. When he asked if the Lord would
guarantee success there, He answered that “He could guarantee that the
Outpouring would end if they didn’t” (http://www.headacheno.com). On March 24,
2000, the fourth anniversary, the church began a series of “Cover the City in
Glory” in Kansas City, visiting local churches. About 60 families were getting ready
to also move to Kansas City to be a part of World
Revival Church of Kansas City. In June of 2000 God provided 62 acres of
land and the first meeting was held on June 30, in a tent that had been put up.
This led to an increase in anointing and miracles, and more and more families
moving to Kansas City to be a part of the revival. The 25,000 square-foot
building was raised up in an incredibly short time, the first meeting taking
place on January 5, 2001, with pastor Steve Gray preaching on “Christ in You,
the Hope of Glory”. The church’s regular e-mail newsletter describes those
first meetings the following way:
Friday night was great, but
Saturday night the powerful presence of God really moved in. […] Praise was
awesome as the people cried out to God for His presence and revival fire to
come. Worship deepened as a surge of people rushed forward toward the platform
and fell to their knees and upon their faces in the presence of God. Our hearts
melted as we again experienced the awesome, loving presence of God that is
beyond all we could ask or think. […]Sunday morning we took another step
forward in the Outpouring of God to experience an explosive increase. The sense
of destiny was stronger than ever before. Memories of the old Smithton
Community Church came to mind as people from the Kansas City area and at least
ten states were packed in, filling the large foyer and spilling over into an
overflow room. Kathy Gray brought a powerful and significant message defining
World Revival Church and our mission. "We are called to carry revival to
the world," she said. (http://www.basileiapublishing.com/SOJan11NL.htm.php3)
4. Future of the
Revival
“We are called to
carry revival to the world and our vision is to touch the world using methods
and ideas old and new with the breath of God on them.” (Kathy Gray, quoted in a
WRC e-mail newsletter, http://www.basileiapublishing.com/SOJan11NL.htm.php3).
The move to Kansas City, the big piece of land and new church building opened
the doors for an increase in ministry. While still in the tent, World Revival
School of Ministry was started in the fall of 2000. Also, the World Revival Network
was created as
“a place for
ministry-minded people to exchange ideas, develop edifying relationships and
become a part of a united voice that promotes revival throughout the world. The
World Revival Network is gathering and equipping with the fire of revival and
the Word of the Kingdom.” (World Revival Network webpage, www.worldrevivalnetwork.com)
Pastor Steve Gray and
his people are already traveling internationally, carrying the fire of revival to
the nations. It is their passion to see the church revived and equip people to
go out and do the same.
5. Controversies of
the Revival
No revival is without its enemies. When the Spirit of God came with
fire, calling people to holy, fully dedicated lifestyles, some church members
left and turned against their former church. Sadly they are spreading their
poison, facilitated by a medium like the internet, accusing pastor Steve Gray
and World Revival Church of spiritual abuse, cultic methods, dishonesty and
more. One of those former members actually admits:
“We had some worldly attitudes that began
changing. Actually, the lifestyle changes we made were needed and have remained
until this day. We felt we were part of THE move of God. This greatly appealed
to our pride.” (1burned2shy, http://www.sosa.org/board/messages/1407.html)
She further claims, without giving any details:
“We began to seriously pray and
search scripture. We took old teaching tapes and found they didn’t line up with
the WHOLE Word of God. We began to match certain behaviors in our church with
things my husband had learned in the occult. We felt trapped. Smithton had
helped release us from the world’s kingdom, but had enslaved us to their own
kingdom. We still went back for a couple of weeks. We were like junkies who
needed that “fix” we received at prayer time. My husband then decided not to
get prayer. We finally left in
January 2001.” (1burned2shy, http://www.sosa.org/board/messages/1407.html)
Scripture exhorts us:
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because
of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the
same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NIV, Matthew
5:10-12).
6. References
1burned2shy, Re: Smithton Outpouring, August 2, 2001, http://www.sosa.org/board/messages/1407.html
Gray, Steve, When The Kingdom Comes. Lessons from the Smithton Outpouring,
Chosen Books: USA 1999
Haywood, Leilani, Outpouring in Southeast Asia, http://www.rophe.com/feb01.htm
McGatlin, Ron & Barbara, Beyond Hunger To Desperation, May 10,
2000, http://www.renewed.net/hsp/0284.html
McGatlin, Ron & Barbara, History & Destiny in Kansas City,
July 1, 2000, http://www.renewed.net/hsp/0377.html
Palmer, Tim, ‘Smithton Outpouring’ has Missouri town leaping & shouting, The
Baptist Standard July 21, 1999, http://www.baptiststandard.com/1999/7_21/pages/smithton.html
Stead, Pam, and Linda Valen, World Revival Church of Kansas City, http://www.jillaustin.org/NewsJune2001.htm
Unknown Author, How It All Began: When God Poured Out Revival on Smithton, Artist’s
Spotlight, http://www.integritymusic.com/new/artist/8-99.html
Unknown Author, Renewal! 2001. Celebrating Victory, http://www.headacheno.com/olivet/renewal2001/smithton.htm
Unknown Author, Smithton Revival, http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal12/12g.htm
World Revival Church, e-mail
newsletter, http://www.basileiapublishing.com/SOJan11NL.htm.php3