According to Pastor Jeff Prewer, the upcoming camp meeting at Freedom Life Church of God will have all the markings of a traditional revival – there will be guest speakers and lots of special musical entertainment over the four-day event.
But when you add technology – from video screens to social media platforms and podcasts – the traditional revival setting gets taken up a notch or two.
And that’s just fine with Prewer, because he has David Cole, who is the church’s technology specialist and A/V team director, to make sure everything’s running smoothly for those who attend the revival in person and for those who may watch via livestream or later on the church’s YouTube channel.
As with so many other things, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a monkey wrench into how the church conducted services, Prewer told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Wednesday’s TownTalk.
Prewer said he found it different, but not difficult, to preach in an empty sanctuary which pre-pandemic could be filled with hundreds of people.
“Though the pews were empty, I knew that people were hearing the Word,” Prewer said.
As recorded sermons evolved to parking lot services, Prewer led the church as it made its way back to in-person services.
“We refuse to sit back any longer,” Prewer said. “We decided we’re going forward.
The camp meeting kicks of Sunday, Sept. 25 with services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and continues through Wednesday with services at 7 p.m.
Special guest speakers include Craig Stone from Braselton, GA, Steve Edmondson of Wilson, NC, Tracy Stone, a pastor in Lawrenceville, GA and Steve Hargrove, of Oxford’s White Rock Missionary Baptist Church.
Planning a camp meeting can take months, Prewer said. It’s important to select speakers and musical entertainment that “fit” the church, he added.
“God has blessed us to break barriers and build bridges,” he said, and to “lift up Jesus…I’m looking for men that share that heartbeat.”
Cole said he and his team have to do a lot of preparation as well in advance of each service. “I have a wonderful team behind me,” he said, to make sure that all the equipment and lighting is ready each week.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have caused some headaches at the outset, but from that came creativity and innovation that allowed Prewer’s message to continue to be delivered.
So whether he’s preaching in front of one person who is operating a camera, or 500 people inside a church building, for Prewer, it’s all the same.
“I just preach out of my heart…to please God (and) to bring the word of God to people.”
Just a couple of months ago, the church reached 5,000 people across the different social media platforms. That number has surged to 9,000 since then, with 20 percent of the views from Henderson and the rest from across the nation and globally.
“It’s just awesome to see how God moves,” Cole said.
Visit www.freedomlifecog.org/campmeeting to see a schedule of speakers and musical guests. The church is located at 1001 Martin Creek Rd. in Henderson.
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