Rebecca Davis

AFA Journal staff writer

February 2015 – Real revival is what pastors and Christian leaders will be seeking at the upcoming Heart-Cry for Revival Conference to be held April 13-16 at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove in Asheville, North Carolina.

The conference is sponsored by American Family Association, Harvest Prayer Ministries, Life Action Ministries, and Sammy Tippit Ministries. Leaders of these ministries are like-minded in their desire to see genuine revival take place in communities, regions, and nations. Held biannually, it began in 1998 as a time for ministers to be refreshed and renewed through prayer and the Word of God while focusing on the necessity of revival.

Conference sponsors believe there is urgency for heaven-sent revival in today’s churches and for a worldwide spiritual awakening. Therefore the conference is designed to kindle an intense hunger for biblical revival by feeding Christian leaders with an understanding of the historical and biblical aspects of revival as well as exposing them to sessions of earnest preaching and intercessory prayer. Attendees will also engage in worship and fellowship, hear encouraging stories of how God is at work in America, and network with others who have a similar vision for revival.

Worship will be led by Josh Davis and Ben Dishner. Speakers include Dave Butts, Bill Elliff, Gary Frost, Nick Hall, Byron Paulus, Richard Owen Roberts, Doug Small and Sammy Tippit, and Alex McFarland.

Purpose and plan
 “While allowing for divergent views to be expressed, Heart-Cry conferences long for a deep work of the Spirit of God to freshly illuminate the Word of God in powerful ways that will bring humble, broken repentance to the people of God,” said Nancy Wells, executive director of the conference. “When that happens, we believe the Lord will draw near in revival and awakening, and the Lord Jesus Christ will be highly exalted in ways that will greatly glorify our Father in heaven.”

Wells explained that the conference employs a three-point action strategy that involves igniting a fresh vision and passion for the Giver of revival; equipping leaders to effectively communicate revival truths; and commissioning leaders to believe God for heaven-sent, Holy Spirit-empowered revival.

Private and public
Sammy Tippit, president of Texas-based Sammy Tippit Ministries, told AFA Journal that he longs for the conference to provide a fresh vision of God and His work that will impact lives personally and in turn corporately. (See related story on P. 16.) He believes that many Christians fail to see revival as something relevant to the present, and as a result, they do not see it as a necessity for this generation. However, Tippit is firm in his belief that spiritual darkness could spread quickly over all the Earth if the message of the cross is not applied to the hearts of God’s people.

“Revival is when God is known as God in our lives,” he explained. “Personal revival is when the believer is growing in the knowledge of God. Corporate revival is when the church is growing in the grace and knowledge of Him. National revival is when God moves in such a way that the nation knows He is God.”

The Heart-Cry for Revival Conference will teach a balanced understanding of biblical revival truths and how to put them into action in one’s own life, church, community, nation, and world.  

Conference information/ registration
heart-cryforrevival.org, 269-697-6124

Resources  
▶ For revival, personal holiness, family and women’s issues: lifeaction.org, 800-321-1538
▶ For mobilizing churches to pray: harvestprayer.com, 812-238-5504
▶ sammytippitbooks.com, 210-492-7501