When you hear “revival,” Zach Bryan’s song might be the first thing to pop into your head.

Revival is defined by Biola University as “a moment in history when the hearts of many of God’s people are awakened to greater love and commitment to Christ.” Revival is happening in Auburn, and I am so grateful to be a witness.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023, will hold a special place in many lives, including mine. Students were invited to Neville Arena for a free night of community and praise. What looked like a casual worship night with a message from JP Pokluda and Jennie Allen radically changed to a night of praise, salvation, forgiveness, and freedom.

dreams To reality

The thought of students coming together to worship God inspired a movement. Coach Chad Prewett’s wife, Tonya, dreamed the moment into existence. With the help of others, including Coach Bruce Pearl, thousands of students attended, and the event was a remarkable success.

Call to Action

Jennie Allen knew she wasn’t leaving the stage without allowing students the opportunity to confess and enter God’s kingdom. She called on students that were feeling a tug at their hearts to relinquish control to the Lord. Hundreds of students responded to the call of salvation.

Emotions

As Passion City Music took the stage, emotions filled the air. Excited. Loved. Free. Worthy. Happy. Relieved. These are just some of the feelings that were present. Those who had been hurting, struggling, and lonely were free. Those who were defeated by sins were free. Those who didn’t know the love of Jesus were free. Those who needed to realign their life with Christ were free.

There are no words to explain the raw emotion and energy in the arena. As the room was filled with worship, Jennie Allen asked the crowd if anyone wanted to get baptized THAT NIGHT! As the team configured logistics, the invite was extended to the crowd. Jennie told us to make our way to the Red Barn to witness and participate if we felt called. Of course, I couldn’t say no to that!

Red Barn

At the Red Barn, a massive crowd was formed to celebrate God’s work. Happy tears were shed, and hugs were exchanged. Ellie Hubbard, who was in attendance, said, “Unite and the baptisms that followed were two moments that I will genuinely never forget. As I walked to the Red Barn from the arena, I tried to soak in every second, because I don’t know if I’ll experience something this special again. I witnessed so many friends get baptized including my close friend Haidyn O’Neal.”

Coach Hugh Freeze had the honor of baptizing an Auburn football player. The Auburn community was a witness to the university’s football coach selflessly taking part in a life-changing event for his player. I am proud to be a part of a university and community that prioritizes faith.

I hope this becomes an annual event on Auburn’s campus. It truly was life-changing and life-giving. I believe this event impacted more than the Auburn community. It even sparked news articles from local and country stations, including Fox News and WSFA.

Be Well, Auburn.