Birmingham Special Meetings

May 28-31, 2009

There was great excitement among the members of the Apostolic Faith Church in Birmingham, Alabama, as their annual revival meetings began on May 28. Numerous visitors from the nearby branch churches attended the Thursday evening service. The choir opened with “Now Let Us Sing ‘til the Power of the Lord Comes Down.” God’s Spirit could be felt as several gave victorious testimonies of what God had done for them. One lady testified of how God helped eliminate her identity theft problems after having a purse stolen, and even though the thief had used one of her credit cards, she ended up losing nothing—all of her personal property was returned.

DeLiso Pressley preached a very inspiring message on “We Don’t Have to Worry or Fret, for God is Still in Control.” She read Daniel 2:1-6 and related the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. She said that when Daniel was in danger of being killed with the other wise men and magicians because no one could interpret the king’s dream, God gave Daniel the interpretation. Instead of being killed, he was promoted, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. DeLiso concluded with the encouraging reminder that God will turn difficult situations into victories for those who put their trust in Him.

On Friday evening, the guest minister was Reverend Sammie Fears, the pastor in Anniston, Alabama. The theme for his sermon was “Salvation,” and he took his text from 2 Corinthians 5:17. He related what it means to be delivered from the penalty of sin, and the difference Jesus made in his life when he got saved. Reverend Fears encouraged the congregation to remain prayerful and obedient to the Voice of God. Many were blessed as they tarried around the altars to pray.

There was a sing-a-long and evangelistic meeting on Saturday evening. In addition to the musicians from Birmingham, those visiting from branch churches also provided special music. A combined choir sang “Ride on, King Jesus,” and the choirs from Birmingham and Aiken, South Carolina, blessed the congregation with songs of victory. The guest speaker was Reverend Eli Segres, the pastor in Aiken, and he used 1 Peter 2:9 to bring out what it means to be in Christ Jesus.

The Sunday morning service began with two choir selections, “I Am Redeemed,” led by Norris Bush, and “It Is Well with My Soul,” with soloist Stanley Pressley. Visitors attended from Anniston, Alabama; and Atlanta, Carrollton, and Columbus, Georgia. The presence of the Lord was evident as the congregation lifted up their voices in singing the songs of Zion. Reverend Segres preached about a Christian’s body being the temple of God, using 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 for his text. He said that holiness should be manifest in Christians’ lives in everything they do.

The annual revival meetings in Birmingham were an inspiration to all who attended, and the blessings received during the services and around the altars will be treasured for a long time to come.