Faithful gather for revival

April 5, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSONFrontiersman reporter

WASILLA - This past weekend, shouts of "hallelujah" and "amen" filled the former location of Safeway grocery store in the Cottonwood Creek Mall, as thousands of worshipers from around the state gathered for a 4-day evangelical revival conference. Sponsored by Valley churches, Crossroads Community Church and Northwind, the event packed the mall for four straight days.

Event organizers estimated that roughly 1,000 people attended the first two nights of the conference, which was billed, "On Earth as it Is in Heaven." The final two nights, Saturday and Sunday, were free to the public as internationally known evangelist Randy Clark spoke to crowds of roughly 1,400 people, telling them that God wanted to heal their ailments, both physical and emotional.

With his image projected onto two large screens and surrounded by video cameras, large speakers and sound equipment, Clark spoke to a captivated audience Saturday night.

"Some of you may be troubled in your soul by an evil spirit," he told the gathered faithful as they sat in folding chairs in the warehouse-like building. "Not all physical illness is caused by afflicting spirits. However, we do believe as much as one-fourth of physical illnesses are caused by afflicting spirits."

Approximately 60 to 70 people stood when Clark asked those who thought they were spiritually oppressed to rise and receive God's healing. Clark prayed for spirits to leave people and then asked those who thought they were healed to wave their hands. A dozen or more waved their hands over their heads. Clark said his goal was to reach at least 500 headings by night's end.

Hundreds of people joined Clark as he prayed for bad backs, neck aches, skin disorders and an assortment of other physical and psychological ailments.

"It's been powerful," said Christy Newell, of Palmer. "You see a lot of people getting healed - a lot of physical headings and a lot of emotional healing."

Newell attended all four days of the conference, and she said she was challenged to "step up in my faith." She said she also experienced physical healing.

"I've got acid reflux, and it's really settled down quite a bit," she said.

The goal of the conference, according to event organizes, was to bolster faith in current Christians, while evangelizing those who were not.

"In our church, we do this fairly often, but not in a big setting where we put it out to the public," said Crossroads Pastor Dennis Hotchkiss. "The main purpose is to reveal the love of Christ."

People attended the conference from all corners of the state. Hotchkiss said he met people from Fairbanks, Soldotna, Homer, Sterling, Minto and Barrow, along with thousands from the Mat-Su. While the two churches hosting the event were nondenominational Christian, the conference itself was open to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation.

Wasilla resident Phillip Ward said he came with his family, Saturday night.

"I came to increase my faith and to see what the Lord is doing in Alaska's churches."

Contact Joel Davidson at 352-2266, or joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.