Revivals break out at two state universities

As students returned to colleges nationwide last month, some were unsure what to expect with headlines about pro-Hamas protests. But something good has happened. Revivals at two public universities have broken out at Texas A&M and Ohio State.

At  Texas A&M University around 1,500 people attended a recent outreach event, and dozens of students were baptized.

Pastor Tank Whitmore of New Life Church spoke at the gathering from Isaiah 6 about the “conviction, cleansing and commissioning that follows a genuine encounter with God.”

“This was followed by testimonies from students and former students, sharing how God saved them, set them free, healed them physically and is now using them to change the lives of others,” he says.  “As the altar was opened, there was an invitation given to profess faith in Jesus through water baptism, receive prayer for healing, and receive prayer for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The night concluded with a commissioning of those who wanted God to use them on their college campus, all declaring, ‘Here I am. Send me.’”

Last September, New Life Church held a similar gathering on the Corpus Christi campus, with a reported attendance of around 1,000 students and more than 100 being baptized. When contrasting the two events, Whitmore told CP that he believed the greatest difference between the two was the increase in the activity of the Holy Spirit compared to last year.

“We saw an increase in physical healings, deliverance and people receiving a baptism of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “We had many who were baptized last year in attendance. And many who attended last year were leading and serving at this year.”

Last week, days before the Texas A&M gathering, a large group of students, including members of the university’s football team, came together for a revival event at Ohio State University, in which around 60 attendees were baptized.

Revival on the Ohio State campus

Ohio State football players (L-R) Emeka Egbuka, Gee Scott, J.T. Tuimoloau and Kamryn Babb help baptize people on the Ohio State campus, Aug. 25, 2024. (Photo posted on X by @AlanaTempleton)

It’s a similar story at Ohio State University where the Buckeyes are expected to be one of the best teams in college football this year. But before kicking off the new season, many players focused on sharing the gospel on campus, where as many as 1,000 people attended a recent revival meeting.

Running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau and former wide receiver Kamryn Babb led the service, according to “The Daily Wire.” The event organizers, which included churches from the Columbus area, set up four tubs filled with water where around 60 students who attended the meeting were baptized at the end of the night.

During the meeting, the football players talked about their faith in Jesus, and the crowd participated in singing worship songs. Babb, whose playing career was cut short by four ACL-related injuries, discussed how he didn’t realize how broken he was before he felt “the weight, the love, the grace, the mercy of God wrap like a blanket.”

Ohio St football players leading other students to Jesus! @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/mJwYNaGIja

— Dr. Derwin L. Gray (@DerwinLGray) August 26, 2024

“I was just doing my thing, because it was fun, and I’ll tell you this: I was on High Street, and I enjoyed it,” he told the crowd. “I had fun. But at the same time, I didn’t recognize my condition. I was spiritually dead. I could go out there, and I could smile and laugh, but on the inside, I was broken.”

After the players shared their messages, around 50 attendees joined them on stage to pray before many decided to be baptized. After people were baptized, volunteers helping with the event led them to a nearby building where they gave them Bibles and helped them read through scripture.

“We were praying for years and years for an event like this, and we were praying with expectation,” said Egbuka, who is expected to be the team’s top receiver in the upcoming season. “We serve a miracle-working God. So we definitely had an expectation when it came out, but God did increasingly and abundantly more than what we thought. So, we’re just blessed and thankful.”

The revival meeting wrapped up the first weekend on campus after the start of the fall semester, which began on August 20.

–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice