Evangelistic Meetings Bring Hope to Harrisburg

Story by Lahai McKinnie, First Lady, Hillside Church

The Hillside church in Harrisburg, Pa., recently hosted a tent revival titled, “Hope for Today,” which resulted in 74 new members through baptism and profession of faith.

When Donald McKinnie, Jr., Hillside pastor, learned there hadn’t been a large-scale evangelistic campaign in Harrisburg for more than 40 years, he knew it was long overdue. “I wanted to see souls come to the Lord,” he says. He also wanted there to be “a great impact on our city where lives would be transformed and the community would be enhanced.” McKinnie and members united months before the meeting to fast, pray, plan and engage their community.

In preparation, members distributed flyers and built and decorated the stage inside the tent. Neighbors were fascinated watching it all come together. “I’ve lived here for years, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this,” says Jonathan Arvelo, a resident who lives across the street from where the meetings took place. Five nights a week, community members could hear upbeat music and powerful preaching all along State Street, a major roadway leading to the state’s Capitol building. There were nightly giveaways, including grocery and gas gift cards.

Conklin Gentry, an Allegheny East Conference (AEC) evangelist, preached nightly sermons on topics ranging from worship to sanctification to prayer. As the days turned into weeks, it became evident that many of the guests who had been attending the meetings on a consistent basis were experiencing positive changes in their lives. During testimony time, Victoria Mickens stood up and declared that ever since she began coming to the meetings, she had not picked up a cigarette. “God took the taste away from me,” she professed.

Halfway through the meetings, after the topic of the Sabbath was introduced, church members and Bible workers invited the community to experience the gift of the Sabbath and worship with them. To this extent, the congregation worshipped under the tent during the divine hour instead of in the church building. Afterward, everyone enjoyed a boxed fellowship meal.

Following Sabbath service on the last day of the revival, the congregation marched a few blocks from the tent to the church building. The Truth Tabernacle Pathfinder Drum Corps from Hillside’s sister church in Dallastown, Pa., led the way. The march from the tent to the church was symbolic of their journey with Christ, for they could physically see how far God had brought them. “My life totally changed,” says Mar McBride, a new member.