Gatesville Ministerial Alliance plans countywide tent revival in May

The Gatesville Ministerial Alliance will bring a countywide tent revival to First Methodist Church this month, with Awaken Gatesville set for nightly services at 6:30 p.m. May 17 through May 20 at 2600 East Main St. in Gatesville. Organizers are opening the gathering to families, church members and anyone curious about the revival atmosphere, making the event more than a single-church program.

Evangelist Ryan Barnett will lead worship, joined by local musicians in a format meant to feel distinctly homegrown while carrying a broader message of renewal and unity. Barnett serves as program advisor to Wesley House of Studies at Baylor University, and Baylor says he has more than 20 years of local church ministry experience. The Mid Texas Conference of the Global Methodist Church identifies him as its Connectional Operational Officer, giving the revival a regional connection as well as a local one.

The revival is being framed by organizers as a shared moment for Gatesville and the rest of Coryell County, not just four nights of singing under a tent. The language surrounding the event emphasizes stirred hearts, renewed faith and a move of the Holy Spirit throughout the county, which suggests the alliance is aiming to create something that reaches beyond the church property and into the routines of daily life.

That community focus is already showing up in the lead-up. Debbie Martin, who is serving as prayer coordinator for First Methodist Church, has been visiting congregations around the area to encourage focused prayer before the revival begins. Martin has also been tied to the Coryell County Day of Prayer effort, which called on as many local churches as possible to open their doors for a 24-hour prayer vigil and welcome anyone who wanted to come in and pray.

First Methodist’s role in the revival fits a broader pattern. The church voted unanimously in 2021 to seek membership in the Global Methodist family of churches, and it has remained a recurring gathering place at the same East Main Street address, including when it hosted its 40th annual Harvest Festival. With Awaken Gatesville, the alliance is leaning on that familiar location to draw together congregations, neighbors and the uncertain alike around a single countywide invitation.