An evangelist brings a revival to Lacoochee, saying, "If we ever need to cry out for this area, we need to cry out now."
By MOLLY MOORHEAD
Published August 16, 2003
LACOOCHEE - Even the relentless rattling of an electric fan in the back of the church couldn't drown out the voices.
Inside the tiny building off Mosstown Road, old spirituals and fiery praises rose through the heavy summer air during a three-night revival last week.
"We are standing in his presence on holy ground," sang one woman.
The music went on uninterrupted and undiminished for nearly an hour.
"What did you do when you got up this morning?" another woman belted out to the crowd of about 30.
"I put on the armor of the Lord," they replied.
Fifty-four-year-old evangelist Rosie Hughes Bristol led the revival, which she advertised with fliers bearing the words "Come expecting miracles from God."
Bristol, a native of San Mateo who now lives in Dade City, has been leading revivals for years. She took the past two years off to care for an elderly friend.
"Now I'm back on the road doing what my calling is in life," she said.
Revivals got their start in Christianity in Europe during the 18th century, and the tradition gradually spread to the United States. The Great Awakening of the mid 1700s started in New England, and as it spread it carried religious fervor into the newly settled South and West.
The gatherings, sometimes called tent revivals or camp meetings, are meant to renew faith. They're usually lively and fervent, and modern revivals often incorporate visual media.
Bristol, the sister of Dade City minister May Ross, said she doesn't know many people in east Pasco. She hasn't talked to folks much about the recent events around Lacoochee - some residents' distrust of law enforcement, the fatal shooting of a sheriff's deputy, the current efforts at reconstruction.
But she said she has heard enough to know that spirits need lifting.
"I think forgiveness and deliverance is what's needed," she said.
On the first night, the scene inside Missionary Baptist Church looked like a step back into the Old South. People fanned themselves in the pews. They joined hands spontaneously and clapped in the absence of instruments. Familiar hymns such as What a Friend We Have in Jesus filled the air.
Bristol's message, on drawing near to God, touched on many Bible verses. She talked about repentance and Jesus' return and the need for a savior. She sprinkled "amens" throughout the sermon and rocked from side to side while talking, her hands in constant motion.
Six men approached the altar during a prayer call, privately telling Bristol their intentions. She gripped their hands tightly, whispering a prayer while the rest of the crowd sang and clapped. Oil - Vigo brand extra-virgin olive oil straight from the bottle - anointed their foreheads.
It was an evening of celebration and reaffirming faith. But Bristol also used the occasion to acknowledge the problems that exist and emphasize the role religion can play in solving them.
"If we ever need to cry out for this area, we need to cry out now," she said.
