Report from the Revival Alliance Gathering Inception Meeting

On November 24th 2010 a vision casting meeting was convened at Kingsgate Church to share and shape an opportunity to host the Revival Alliance at The Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, Westminster. Most present were hearing about the opportunity for the first time.

This report summarizes that meeting.

Present

Dr Francis Agbana, Life Builders International; Joy Ahearn, Guildford Community Church; Bob and Mary Bain, the Welcome Network; Peter Carter, North Kent Community Church; Nick Chandler, Ryan Matthews, Kingsgate Church; Mark Churchward, Southend Christian Fellowship; Sarah Clay, Faith Life Church; Tim Eldridge, Harrogate New Life Church; Christen Forster, Dave Jones, Ann Handford, River Church; Richard Pennystan, Christ Church Fulham; Rob and Lizzie Purnell, New Life Church; Philip Whitehead, Chiswick Christian Centre; Melissa Wiggins, Integrity Publishing.

Content

Christen Forster shared how the opportunity had arisen for a prophetic gathering of church leaders hungry for the fire of God with the leaders of the Revival Alliance. After initially exploring the possibility for a large conference he had secured the Emmanuel Centre in Marsham Street in the heart of Westminster. Although a smaller venue, this location has a history of significant outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He the shared the prophetic word that had come to him while preparing for this inception or vision casting meeting meeting on the 24th November. This prophetic word is included here as it was given on the day.

At the heart of this word was the revelation from Ezra, Zechariah and Haggai that the work on a new temple would re-start after a 14-15 year break. Christen shared how he had asked the Holy Spirit what had happened 14 years before 2011 and had immediately remembered that it was the time at which the continuous outpouring meetings that had come out of the "Toronto Blessing" effectively stopped in the UK. This felt significant as the Revival Alliance are the fruit of that move of God, all having had their ministries turned upside down by it. In addition, the centre of this outpouring in London had been the Emmanuel Centre, the venue previously selected for this gathering.

After sharing, other prophetic words came from other attendees:
 
Peter Carter, North Kent Community Church: Five or so years ago, God had given him the exact same word from Ezra in relation to the work that started with the Toronto outpouring. He had been reminded of this in the week previously and just the day before had shared this with his leadership team.

Ryan Matthews , Kingsgate Church: Shared how the number 14 had prophetic significance related to new spiritual seasons. He reminded us that Smith Wigglesworth had prophesied the start of a revival like the world had never seen when the Word and Spirit came together is days when New Churches and denominations would seem to be waining.

Someone highlighted the prophecy given in 1907 by William Seymore during the Azusa Street Revival about the world wide revival coming in 100 years time. This is now underway in many places and so must be coming to the UK.

Christen Forster, River Church: Highlighted the experience of the Revival that came out of Cape Town in 1860 - a story he had come across just a couple of days before. Church leaders where invited to a gathering to call out to the Lord for revival and the Spirit had come powerfully on their time together. There where 395 in the meeting and 50 days later revival broke out all around Cape Town in the churches that had been represented at the leaders meeting (reported in “Breath of Heaven” by Ken Terhoven).

Ryan Matthews, Kingsgate Church: Focussed on the importance of leadership unity from Psalm 133.

Tim Eldridge, Harrogate New Life Church: Shared the example of Paul Revere who famously spread the word of the English arrival during the US war of independence. Paul Revere had spent the year before spreading vision and creating alliances so when the moment came there was a network that understood how to respond. Tim felt this was part of what was happening now.

As a group we started to pray for the inception now of what God would give birth to in Sept 2011. Peter Carter shared that God had asked him how long it was between inception and birth. As a trained medic he knew the answer was 9 months and 7 days, which would give a due date of Sept 1 if inception was 24th of November. September 1 is the start date of this Revival Gathering.

Proposal

A very loose framework had been brought to this meeting so that participants could really shape content. During discussion further shape emerged and in meetings since Christen has developed further ideas and proposals. These are all summarised below.
 

A three day gathering focused on leaders who are carriers of the fire:

This will be from Thursday afternoon, 1st September through to Saturday night September 3rd.

It was proposed that, instead of named delegates filling seats, we should let churches, ministries and organisations sponsor seats and then use them for multiple people. Other Westminster churches will provide overflow/prayer gathering space for extra attendees. It is hoped that, weather permitting, we can have times where ministry moves outside to Parliament Square so everyone can join in. And we will explore getting prayer space inside the Houses of Parliament.

This would mean that participants would move between the main hall, overflow space, sessions where everyone who can crushes into Marsham Street, open air ministry, prayer in the Houses of Parliament, open air gatherings, eating and sightseeing as they desire.

Sunday Multi-site Preaching:

The members of the RA would preach in 4/5 locations in and around London. Venues and details TBC, but at least one would be focussed for youth, under the Glory Revolution banner.

Monday, Strategic Leaders Consultation:

This would be for senior leaders only - giving space for real dialogue with the remaining members of the RA, UK national leaders of significant ministries and leaders of significant and hub churches.

Publicity, Networking and Invitation:

It is proposed that word is spread leader to leader. Everyone who is coming should be encouraged to invite someone else until places are gone so that everyone comes out of relationship. To that end it is hoped that early in 2011, hub churches would host days for leaders like the one held on the November 24th.