Sentinel photo by LIV SUYDAM
Pastor Jenny Hagemeyer (left) and Pastor Bob Landis at the Upper Room Worship Center Cafe Church in Belleville.

BELLEVILLE — More recently, society has been struggling with the overwhelming feeling that “God doesn’t care” due to loss, past pain, and spiritual or physical wounds, making it difficult to find comfort in Christ.

God does care, and He desires healing and comfort for His children so much so that He brought together four community churches to host a tent revival on Aug. 4, 5 and 6 at Belleville Christian School.

“We are praying that people will come and be healed and revived and refreshed because there are a lot of wounded people out there,” shared Pastor Jenny Hagemeyer of the Upper Room Worship Center Cafe Church.

Pastor Jenny received a call from the Lord in 2023 when He laid it on her heart to host a tent revival.

“I was like, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to have a tent revival. I don’t know anything about a tent revival,’ but He laid that on my heart.”

Unfortunately in Jan. 2024, Pastor Jenny lost her husband and in her time of sorrow, the Lord told her to mourn the loss.

“I kept trying not to mourn and then (the Lord) said, ‘the quicker you mourn, the quicker I’ll heal you.'”

When Pastor Jenny finally allowed herself to mourn, the Lord delivered and helped her through her loss before once again laying it on her heart to host a tent revival.

The year before, when it was first put on her heart, she informed her church to pray about the tent revival.

“I’m very much, you know, wanting to know that this is the Lord and I want to follow His ways, not my own, so I told the church to pray,” said Pastor Jenny.

She shared that while writing a review for someone, she realized she was writing a pastor’s letter and said that she didn’t know she was going to write it and that it had been “inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”

From there, Pastor Jenny reached out to Pastor Bob Landis from River Church and he, as well as Ken and Christa Boone from Alabaster House and Vaughn Kanagy from Rockville Fellowship Church began meeting in April.

The four churches meet once a week to come together and pray for the tent revival, not one person is “leading the charge,” everyone involved is being led by the Holy Spirit.

Along with many people praying for this tent revival, River Church and Rockville Fellowship church had people prayer walking on Route 655 and other areas before God brought people together for the revival. There were also times they walked with a cross.

After years in the making, this will be the first ever Big Valley tent revival. It is still unknown if there will be more in the future as it is in God’s hands.

“We just want to give a shout out, Belleville Christian School has been so gracious to us in allowing us to do this.”

The tent revival will include a sermon each night as well as worship and fellowship. There will also be time for baptisms if people are led to give their life to Christ.

Dr. Peter Wyns will be the guest speaker, offering a different message each night of the revival.

Wyns is an international speaker, teacher, and author. Wyns and his wife Joy are senior pastors at Antioch International Church in Fort Mills, South Carolina, and President and Director of the ministry for Christians for Messiah Ministries, Rock Hill, South Carolina. In 2003, he joined Derek Prince Ministry serving as their Director of ministries. He ministered across the USA and also led their Hispanic work around the world. Wyns founded a Christian school and discipleship ministry called Foundation Training Institute in Canada. Dr. Peter Wyns extends apostolic oversight to dozens of congregations and ministries.

He will speak at the River Church in Mifflintown on Aug. 3 at 9:30 a.m. The Upper Room Worship Center church will be joining them.

“We want to create a place where people can encounter the Lord,” shared Pastor Bob. “We’re trying to create an atmosphere through prayer.”

As the churches come together for this tent revival, everyone is welcome to unite in the spirit of the Lord, regardless of their church-going status or affiliated denomination.

In the pastor’s letter, she wrote of who this revival would benefit: people who have not accepted Jesus into their heart, people who praise God and listen to His word, but live their own life the majority of the time, and people who no longer attend church because of the wounds in their hearts.

The hope is to bring together God’s people for salvation, restoration and revival in the time of harvest, by listening to what the Lord has called us to do and be united as brothers and sisters in Christ.