Gospel revival

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The rafters were shaking with a powerful gospel message, punctuated with the throbbing backbeat of a bass guitar, two layers of rhythm guitar and the percussive snap of the snare drum. The congregation stood with arms raised, singing with the music, praising the Trinity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Two weeks ago, this was the scene at the north end of Garfield Street. In this neighborhood sits a long, ochre-colored building with a small parking lot and a sign that simply says "Iglesia del Camino, Servicio Domingos, 10 a.m. Asambleas de Dios."

At first glance the building might remind you of an Army barracks. According to Pastor Sam Silva, that was its previous incarnation during World War II. For the past 25 years, it has served as the house of worship for a predominantly Spanish speaking Christian congregation in Pocatello.

Recently, the Iglesia del Camino -- English translation, Church of the Way -- sponsored a four-day revival by the Flaming Sword Ministries, featuring DeWayne Tartsah, of Anadarko, Okla.

The Flaming Sword Ministries brought a small cadre of preachers supplemented with musicians to the former barracks building to pray, testify and sing about the powers of the Holy Spirit.

Tartsah had called Sam Silva and his wife, Judith, and said he felt a need to bring his revival services to the church. He had been here previously in 1993 and told the Silvas that he had been praying and felt a need to bring his ministry back to Pocatello.

"Evangelists, they come to town expecting our friends to fund their ministry," Sam said, "but something interesting happened. The group, they came up with all the expenses. It was a group of about 13 and they paid their hotel rooms, meals, airplane tickets."

Sam said that the congregation collected about $1,000 in offerings during the revival, far less then the total costs to bring the revival here.

"They came without a motive other than to preach the word," Judith said. "It was very inspirational to see people come to the church not wanting anything other than to preach the word."

Saturday night's service began slowly and moderately, people shuffling into the church, young men and women leading their children in. The younger children, toddlers up to 6 or 7 years of age, hid behind their parents legs, shyly looking about while their older brothers and sisters, eyes darting impishly, laughed slyly and claimed their seats in the pews. From the rear of the church, Pastor Sam and Judith greeted everyone with a handshake and a hug. There was a buzz in the air that came from the front of the church. The band was setting up, tuning their guitars, and the amplifiers emitted an electrical drone of background noise as the church began to fill up.

After a brief introduction by Sam, the band, led by Greg Thomas Jr., from Owyhee, Nev., started the evening's service with the song, "Jesus is a Rock." The congregation responded by singing and clapping in time to the music. The band kept playing and the church filled up. The music seemed to draw people into the little church. It was a synthesis of rock, country and gospel with the verses emphasizing and praising Jesus or the Holy Spirit.

Thomas, Alfred Harney on bass, of Owyhee, Nev.; Tommy Carpenter, on guitar, of Lodge Grass, Mont.; and Jaime Orozco, on drums, of Blackfoot; played for 20 or 30 minutes before taking a break. Sam offered a brief sermon before turning the pulpit over to the Flaming Sword Ministries.

Frank Marquez gave a short testimony on his faith and the trials and tribulations everyone faces nowadays, calling for anyone from the congregation to give testimony. A woman walked to the pulpit to praise God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and then the band resumed its country-flavored gospel music.

As the band picked up the tempo, the congregation stood with arms raised high and singing louder with increasing fervency. At times the band slowed the tempo, allowing a member of the congregation to come to the pulpit to give testimony about how Jesus died for mankind's salvation and the strength that can be gained through the Bible. Upon completion of the testimony, the band would pick up the tempo.

As the service continued, the atmosphere in the church became warmer and more intense. Frank Marquez introduced DeWayne Tartsah. When Marquez began his introduction, Tartsah marched up the center aisle to the pulpit. Tartsah started preaching with a fervent intensity that electrified the people.

As the band sang a single refrain, "the Holy Ghost Power," Tartsah called for anyone to come up to the front -- anyone in need of healing or redemption -- to come up, punctuating his calls for participation with "Hallelujah, Hallelujah."

A woman left her pew and approached Tartsah. He placed his open palm on her forehead and prayed as the band continued playing. Fellow members of the Flaming Sword Ministries gathered around the woman, all praying, raising their arms to celebrate the power of prayer and worship.

A powerful confluence of faith, word and music took control of the congregation. As they prayed over the woman, she began to cry and teeter. Another woman came forward, followed by another man. Tartsah moved constantly, back and forth, from one person to another, praying and touching their foreheads.

Suddenly, he stopped moving and concentrated his efforts on one woman. She began to sway as he and others prayed around her. Then she fell backward into the arms of two men. Gently, they lowered her to the floor, where she lay, with eyes closed, praying fervently. Someone covered her legs with a blanket.

The front of the church had become crowded with people praying, Tartsah moved through the crowd, touching foreheads, echoing the chorus that the band sang and calling for the Holy Spirit to descend. Two and then three people lay on the floor as others came forward to pray.

One man walked up to the front, and Tartsah focused all his energy on him. Tartsah chastised him for his loss of faith, and the man nodded in agreement. Then as Tartsah began praying, the man began to stumble like a drunkard and Tartsah exclaimed, "You're drunk man! You're drunk with the faith of the Lord!" With that, the man fell to his knees, arms raised high in prayer.

Later, after the revival, Sam explained that what occurs is not an out-of-body experience but rather a spiritual renewal.

"We believe that when the spirit of the Lord touches somebody, you receive something that is very real," Silva said. "There's a lady who comes to the church, and she literally gets drunk in the spirit. She cannot stand; she falls because she gets drunk."

"It's just that the power is so much, you're body can't take it," Judith said.

By Bill Schaefer

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