by Ken Walker, posted Thursday, April 08, 2004 (20 years ago)
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The Brownwood revival Beginning in Brownwood, Texas, and stretching from Massachusetts to Alabama to Illinois, a 1995 revival made the headlines -– and a lasting impact on countless lives.
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BROWNWOOD, Texas (BP)--A spiritual wave that touched more than 100 college campuses has largely faded into the annals of history, but key participants in what became known as “the Brownwood revival” say it left a lasting impression.
John Avant, former pastor of Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood, Texas -- where the revival originated -- said it stimulated his passion for missions. Previously, he had only been overseas once, but now travels abroad regularly.
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John Avant
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“I can’t explain why, but that seems to be one of the hallmarks of revival,” said Avant, now pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga. “When I went overseas I saw a passion for God I rarely see in the Western world, except when revival breaks out.”
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Chris Robeson
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Rick Cavitt, minister to students at Coggin Avenue for the past 15 years, sees more students going to the mission field than when the revival broke out in 1995.
They include 15 collegians who were among 66 church members who traveled to Mexico in mid-March.
“Our students are a little different today,” Cavitt said of the long-term impact. “They’re wanting to be challenged more. If we said we needed 20 students to go to China, we’d have 20 students ready to go to China.” Read More