Kitchener, Ontario Special Meetings

April 9 – 13, 2008

By Scott Wells

The much-anticipated special meetings at the Apostolic Faith Church in Kitchener came, and were over all too soon to please many, but not without first leaving an impression upon many hearts. The choir's first song, “Old Camp Meeting,” seemed to set the tone for the services. Since we have such a young congregation, it was a great experience to witness what some of us had only heard about: the late-night services held years ago, with people tarrying at the altars till the early hours of the morning to receive the rich blessings that God would bestow upon them. We read in God's Word that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and surely the Lord did not disappoint us at this special time.

On Wednesday, the services began with much excitement. You could just feel the expectation in the air! The testimony service was something special as twenty-two brothers and sisters in Christ stood to their feet to give God praise and glory. This would prove to be the norm, as twenty to thirty would testify in each meeting. One brother commented that he didn't know he had to schedule an appointment to get a testimony in! That is enthusiasm that we all love to see!

Reverend Kirk Hewlett delivered a message about the one sick of the palsy who was carried by four friends to Jesus (Mark 2:1-5). Reverend Hewlett pictured the individuals who helped as Brother Compassion, Brother Faith, Brother Works, and Brother Perseverance. He intertwined all four to show the need of each when seeking God for an answer to prayer. This message and service touched each heart, and was a very fitting start to action-packed, Spirit-filled special meetings.

It seemed as though we gained more momentum as the services went on. Thursday's meeting was no exception. Reverend George Burton preached from Luke 5:1-7 and 11, encouraging the saints to get out into God's blessings. Verse 7 says, “And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.” He compared this text to the visitors attending from various locations. We had such great representation, not only from the branch churches here in Canada, but also from the United States. Each brother and sister had come from their respective “ships” (churches) to help us on Kitchener's ship to keep on, and grow stronger in the Lord. During the prayer service, one sister received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and another was both sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. What a time of rejoicing it was!

We are so thankful for our pastors that God has ordained to lead His flock. Each one is a blessing to our hearts. On Friday morning, all the ministers gathered to attend a ministers' meeting. Afterward, the ministers and their spouses enjoyed a time of fellowship as they went out to supper.

The Friday evening service was a gem! The young people's choir sang, “Traveling On,” which charged the atmosphere. Reverend Kirk Hewlett and his wife, Darlene, sang, “Almost Home,” and Reverend Marjorie Reid preached an inspired message. All this was fantastic; however, the altar service once again stole the spotlight. The saints tarried in prayer, seeking God. As the service seemed to come to an end, one dear brother remained at the altar. Soon the other brothers and sisters gathered around him in support to help him seek the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In a similar fashion as the saints in the Upper Room tarried until they were endued with power from on high, so did we with our brother. God did not disappoint! He did receive that wonderful experience, and the saints departed from the church at 1:40 a.m.

Later on Saturday morning, a group of 70-80 saints gathered at the Crossroads Family Restaurant located about twenty minutes from Kitchener in a community called Elmira. This was a great time of fellowship for all present. There was a feeling of rejoicing in our midst for what God had already accomplished, and a sense of expectation for what was yet to come.

Both the morning and evening services on Sunday were inspired. In the morning service, Reverend Vanzel Quinlan preached a message about being vessels of honor. In the evening service, a duet sang, “When the Blood Cried Out,” which said that even though we are guilty of sin, we are redeemed through Christ's sacrifice, which cries out in our defense. Reverend Rene Cassell delivered the last sermon of these meetings, taking his text from Job 33:13-14 and Song of Solomon 5:2-6. He said that this night presented one more opportunity for the Spirit of God to convict those who needed to be saved, and that “as of now, this is your last chance.” He pointed out that we have no guarantee of tomorrow, or of the next five minutes, but we do have the present. We need to make the most of our opportunity right now. As the Holy Spirit lingered, souls were weighed in the balance and found wanting. The saints felt led of the Lord to speak to some of these people, and three responded to the call of God. Two teenagers and a young lady prayed through to glorious experiences of salvation!

The saints at Kitchener want to extend our deepest thanks to all who came from near and far to help out in glorifying the name of Christ. If we never meet again this side of Heaven, we will meet on that beautiful shore!