MODESTO CALIFORNIA REVIVAL BEGINS

In January 1994, when Glenn and Debbie became pastors of Calvary Temple Worship Center in Modesto, California, they had a strong sense from the Lord that revival would take place there. In one of their sermons, "Why not Modesto?", they asked why Modesto couldn't be known as a city that had been visited by revival. In early 1994, they presented the congregation with the vision that God had given them. After this "vision Sunday," the congregation went into a forty day fast. Individuals signed up for specific days on which to fast and pray. The entire procedure was repeated again a year later. In early January, a three day fast was declared, and the church building was kept open throughout the day. Those who could do so met together for prayer daily at noon. Members of the congregation came and prayed over names on cards that were placed on the altar. The cards were then left on the altar for the next team of intercessors. Pastors of many congregations in the Modesto area began meeting together weekly to pray for the city.
On January 15, 1995, the church began holding performances of a play, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames," directed by a husband and wife team from Reality Outreach of Niagara Falls, New York, a group founded by Rudy and Karen which makes use of local church members to produce dramas. The play was originally scheduled for three days, but due to popular demand, a total of twenty-eight performances were held for a period of seven weeks, ending March 16. In an Article entitled "Prayer and Fasting Precedes Revival in Modesto, CA," Jann, pastoral secretary of Calvary Temple reported in the April, 1995 edition of the ISLAND CHRISTIAN HERALD published Christian Herald Publications in Victoria, B.C. (pp. 1, 17), that most nights, over nine hundred people responded to the altar call, in an auditorium that seats 2200 people.
According to Jann, "As of this writing, approximately 81,000 have attended the performance with 90% each night seeing it for the first time. At time of printing, 33,000 decision packets have been handed out, and of that, (confirmed) 20,000 returned with signed decision cards. Over 250 churches have been represented with hundreds of people added to the churches in our city and surrounding communities in less than one month. People come as early as 3:30 pm for a 7:00 pm performance. There are over 1,000 people waiting to get in at 5:00 pm, and by 5:30 pm the building is full. Thousands of people have been turned away; some from over 100 miles away. . . . Husbands and wives are reconciling through salvation; teenagers are bringing their unsaved parents; over 6,000 young people have been saved, including gang members who are laying down gang affiliation and turning in gang paraphernalia. . . . The revival is crossing every age, religion and socio-economic status. . . . We have many volunteers coming in every day, and through the evening hours to contact 500 to 600 new believers by phone; special classes have also been established so that new believers may be established in the faith."
At each performance, a show of hands was given each night indicating first-time attendees, who numbered between 85 and 90 percent of the audience. In an unpublished letter to Madge of the Island Christian Herald dated April 17, 1995, Jann wrote that "when the doors were opened at 5:00 p.m. the people waiting would literally run for seats. By 5:30 p.m. the building was filled to more than capacity, with people standing along the walls and sitting on the floor in the altar area. . . . Hundreds responded to the altar [call] each nigh: 700, 800, 900, 1,000 plus each night; entire families, gang members, homosexuals, children, aged, businessmen, teens, all ages, races and socio- economic groups were coming forward to receive the Lord. . . . Revival was beginning to sweep through Modesto and the outlying areas. The sanctuary was full for every performance and a show of hands was given each night indicating first time attendees. 85 to 90% of the audience indicated they were seeing the drama for the first time. Some churches moved their Sunday evening service to Calvary Temple encouraging their congregation to attend the drama and bring unsaved friends and family members. Churches from many mile surrounding Modesto have been affected by the drama. Local Pastors and Priests of various denominations said there is a new passion and love for God in those who already had a relationship with the Lord, they have received many new converts and their churches are filling up. One local church had to add a third Sunday morning service and another had to ask their members to give up their seats so visitors could have a place to sit. . . . Local Bible book stores said they were selling more Bibles than usual. A local psychologist said much healing had happened in the lives of some of his clients who had attended the drama--far more than what the usual counselling sessions had ben able to do."
Karen, wife of Rudy, founder of Reality Outreach Ministries, had had a vision in prayer several years previously with respect to the drama, in which she saw long lines of people waiting to see it, and a church that was hosting the drama for a long period of time, giving unselfishly. During the time of the production, Rudy told the cast and crew of Calvary Temple that he believed that they had found the place that had been seen in the vision.