America’s Present Crisis Goes Deeper Than Election
A
historic gathering and broad coalition of Christian leaders from across the
United States assembled in Northampton, Massachusetts last week for a
leadership summit in conjunction with the Awakening
America Alliance (www.awakeningamerica.us).
Nationally
prominent Christian leaders from California to Maine and from as far as Florida
to Minnesota reflected on the current condition of America agreeing that it is
in another season of severe spiritual slumber and moral decline just as it was
when Jonathan Edwards preached in Northampton, the epicenter of America’s first
Great Awakening, over 250 years ago.
Leaders
began the Northampton Summit by revisiting the First Great Awakening through a
live reenactment of Jonathan Edwards performed by Mr. Jack Van Ens. They then convened for the purpose of
sounding an alarm regarding the deep spiritual need for reformation in the
Church and setting the foundation for a spiritual awakening in the Millennial
generation and beyond.
David
Kinnaman, President of The Barna Group, shared shocking statistics and insight
from his new release “unChristian” and said, “America is at a tipping point, facing
significant economic, political, spiritual and moral challenges. And
Americans under age 25 -- perhaps like no generation before -- are a critical
hinge between the past and the future. Their optimism, global awareness
and spiritual openness suggest great opportunities; their hyper-individualism,
materialism and rejection of moral boundaries represent some of the major
obstacles. I was pleased to participate in the Northampton Summit and
share the spiritual potential of the next generation.”
“America’s spiritual history is one of
spiritual awakening,” said Billy Wilson, Alliance
executive cabinet chairman. “The year 2008 promises to be a spiritually
critical year for our nation, and the current condition of America demands
united, decisive action. We need
more than one positive election, more than one court decision, more than one
good series of sermons—we must experience a new national awakening in our
generation.”
Mr.
Wilson continued, “We need a grass roots reformation that begins in your home
and in my home! As we respond to
God daily through a life of integrity and by seeking his face we can witness change
in our entire nation.”
One
of the highlights of the summit included a prophetic panel discussion moderated
by Ron Luce, President of Teen Mania, with renowned youth organization leaders
Lou Engle, President of The Call (www.thecall.com), Richard Ross and David
Bryant of Paradise ’08 (www.paradise08.com) and Shawn-Marie Cole and Walt
Kallestad of Reign Down (www.reigndownusa.com). The panel discussion centered
specifically on the youth of America and how their ministry and vision relates
to the need of this generation and these significant nationwide youth events
taking place April through September of 2008.
The leaders at the Northampton Summit addressed the
desperate state of America. Having examined the trends in the culture and the
Church, especially among the young, leaders agreed that a catastrophic future
is possible without God’s extraordinary intervention.
Glenn Plummer, pastor of Ambassadors For Christ
Church in Detroit, Michigan and CEO of Christian Television Network, said,
"The wind of Revival & Awakening in America is actually happening
incredibly in Detroit, Michigan. I was so encouraged by the Awakening America
Leadership Summit because it seems that what is happening in the Detroit
Revival is soon to go throughout the inner cities of America.”
National
Prayer Committee Chairman, Dave Butts, said, “Almost 300 hundred years ago God
met Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Massachusetts. These last few days God met us again in a preparatory work
for revival once again in our nation!”
Participants
of the Summit are a part of the Awakening
America Alliance (AAA), a non-partisan, cooperative effort of the body of
Christ, which has grown from 13 to more than 150 national ministries and
leaders in just four months. Major Christian organizations, ministries and
denominations such as CBN, Moody Broadcasting, Assemblies of God, Youth With a
Mission, Campus Crusade for Christ
and Every Home for Christ have joined the Awakening America Alliance. New members are joining daily.
“We believe that our Lord is
raising up the Awakening America initiative
for such a time as this to be used by Him to help bring revival to
the Church and spiritual awakening to the nation. I encourage
everyone to become involved,” Wilson said.
To learn more about the
Awakening America Alliance and CRY OUT AMERICA, a nationwide 9/11 prayer
gathering, or to become an Alliance partner visit www.awakeningamerica.us.