Love Song singing "Welcome Back

Here is a clip from a broadcast of the Kathryn Kuhlman TV program, featuring the group Love Song singing the song "Welcome Back", the song which this blog was titled after. The Group is introduced by Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement. You will need a high speed connection to view this video.

Enjoy!

Photos and Newspaper Article from the Jesusthon

As mentioned in my last post, Steve Massengale sent me a package of photos. The package also included several newspaper stories and an article from a "Jesus Paper" published in Missouri.

As always, if you have names for "unknowns" or corrections, please email us.

Here are the photos and story about the Jesusthon.

The scene inside the U.A.W. union hall April 8, 1972

Steve Heifner, John Renfro, Gerry Street

People: Left to Right
Unknown male, Tom Prough, Steve Massengale, Unknown male, Unknown female, Debbie ?, Don Purciful, Karen and John Renfro, Emma Posey, Unknown female, Unknown male.

Onstage

Rick Gillispie, Steve Heifner with back turned

Beth Robey and Emma Posey Praying Together

Steve Heifner and Unknown Male reading the Bible

Steve Massengale and Donnie Adams

Copy of Anderson Bulletin article, April 18, 1972

Picture shows from left to right;

Milford Hickman, Rick Gilliespie, Mike Breese, Mike McDonald, Greg Dunteman

Text of the Article from the Bulletin

Jesus-thon claims success
By Cheryl Johnson
Anderson High School Correspondent

On what seemed like an ordinary weekend, April 7 through April 9, in am ordinary place, the U.A.W. Hall on the 109 bypass, the most “unordinary” thing was taking place. To me, at least, the Jesus-thon (like a marathon), the ’36 hour spiritual presenting Jesus Christ in his true body,” was a new and different experience.

My part of it began in my sociology class at Anderson High School. Beth, before the class period began, invited us all to the Jesus-thon, which was to begin at 7:30 p.m. April 7 and end at 7:30 a.m. April 9. Out of curiosity I decided to go, but not until I had talked two friends into going with me.

When I walked into the Walter P. Reuther memorial Auditorium at the Union Hall, I was rather skeptical, and to be truthful, afraid. The thing I feared most was the unknown. What kind of “freaky” things did Jesus People (or Jesus freaks) do? Would I be accepted?...

We were promptly met by Beth and she hugged me and said, “Praise the Lord, Cheryl.” I asked her how everything was going, knowing that she had been there since the beginning of the experience. “Oh,” she was smiling her ever-present smile, “I’m a little burned out right now, but I’m starting to pick back up.”

Feeling very conspicuous, we went and sat down in the front row of chairs facing the stage where a small group was singing. I would have been content to just sit there and listen to the music rather than get involved in anything that was going on. But contrary to my skeptical feelings, people came over to us, hugged us, introduced themselves and thanked God for us. On lady who introduced herself as “Gerry’s mom” (Gerry Street who runs Gerry’s place on 53rd Street) brought us business cards which read “Smile, God Loves You,” and began telling us about what had happened up to that time. She estimated that 300 people had attended the opening night.

A little later John came up to us and invited us to participate in a discussion about life and death. We accepted and moved into one corner to somewhat isolate ourselves from the music of “Jesus Was A Soul Man” and the murmurings of a prayer group in another corner. The question of discussion was whether the body suffers a physical or a spiritual death. No conclusions were reached, and the discussion changed course and concentrated upon the importance of the physical body. The main disagreement was to the purpose of the physical body – whether it is more than just a temple to house the spirit. One man then joined the group and declared that everything we were discussing was irrelevant. “Jesus is the only thing that matters,” he stated. To this there was a chorus of “Praise the Lord.”

One person expounded on his beliefs in Jesus Christ. “God is perfect and can do anything. I’ve found only one fault of His – His bad memory. He’s forgotten all the rotten things I used to do,” he explained. (more shouts of Hallelujah and Praise God!)

To prevent one group from turning into confusion, one youth suggested we close up the discussion with a prayer. All eight of us held hands and we prayed. For me it was more of a listening prayer – listening to the rest of the group which was praying out loud with many exclamations of “Yes, Jesus,” and “Thank you, Jesus.”

The group broke up but we were immediately called to participate in a total group prayer at the front of the auditorium. Everyone there, about 30 at this time, gathered in a circle, hand in hand. After about ten minutes of out loud praying by anyone who wished to do so, someone led off in singing the folk song “We Are One in the Spirit.”

More prayer followed the singing. On this prayer a young man cried out, “I’m not going to cry in heaven anymore. I’m not going to die in heaven anymore; I’m living in Christ!” The young man then walked into the center of the circle and drew everyone around him to what he called “a closer communion in prayer.”

We left very soon afterwards, and the Jesus-thon continued for fourteen more hours. What was the outcome of the happening? According to Gerry, “It was a coming together of the old and the young. There were a lot of parents there who didn’t feel free to come out to the house, but felt free to come to the Union Hall. They could see their children moving in love and not just playing games, so they came. There was a great freedom.”

Gerry went on to tell of some physical healings that had taken place during the Jesus-thon. He told of a woman from Alexandria who was healed of arthritis and a young man from Florida who had been deaf for 11 years and “his ears were opened.” Another girl was brought in suffering from an overdose. When she came in her pulse was 200. “Everyone wanted to call a doctor, but I told them no doctor could help her,” Gerry explained. Three hundred there prayed for her and according to Gerry, her pulse dropped to 75. “In 15 minutes she was walking around and then she accepted Christ,” Gerry continued. “I believe God is able to back up His word. It was a tremendous success,” commented Gerry.

Coming Soon!

I just received a package of photos and articles from Steve Massengale who worked alongside Jerry Street for several years. The photos and articles are from 1971-72 and they will be posted in the near future.

We Need Your Help!

Hi everyone.

I know from watching the information on our web counter that a lot of people are reading this blog. I believe that some of you are people who participated in the Jesus Movement/Anderson. If so, we really need your input on this page. We need photos and your stories. Without them this page will not be what it should be. Please consider writing an entry for the blog and/or sending us some photos. Also please pass this website on to other people who might be interested in reading it and telling their story.

If you are unsure about what to write or need some help with editing just send an email to missionarymike2004@yahoo.com and we will do our best to help. We really would value your input and participation.

More Photos

Here are several more photos - once again please email us with names or corrections

Blog Editor Mike McDonald & David Holmes 1973-Kilbuck park

Steve Massengale, David Moore, Jerry Street, Donnie Adams, Miguel ?

Probably summer 1972

Photo is probably from a "Jesus festival" in Elwood Indiana

Far left partially obscured, Steve Heifner, 3 unknown males, Donnie Adams, Beth Robey

Jerry brown, Tom Prough, Steve Heifner, Donnie Adams at Brenda Walker's parents home.

New photos

I received these photos from Randy Hornbeck recently. I don't have names for everyone so, if you see someone and know the name please send me an email at missionarymike2004@yahoo.com

This photo is probably from late 1971

A group shot of people at Jerry's

This photo is obviously from the "Jerry's period, as Randy is not wearing eye-glasses. Most of us had quit wearing eye-glasses and were 'claiming" our healing. In the next photo you will see that Randy is again wearing eye-glasses some 2 1/2 years later

Left to right

Randy Hornbeck, Don Purciful, Mike Breese, unknown female, Donnie Adams

This second photo is from the beginnings of the Fellowship of Christian Believers. Taken March 1974

1st row bottom to top L-R
1. Bev & Matthew Saxon, Sharla Hughes & son Aaron, Judy Upperman & her son John
2. Jan Reason, Pam Peterson, Beth Roby, Carol Hepburn, Randy Hornbeck
3. Brenda Walker, Leslie Sempsrott Carol Horner
4. David Holmes, Mike Burnett, Keith?, Steve Heifner
5. Andy Absher, Jim Schweitzer, John Matthews, Donnie Adams, Lawrence Chewning, Bud Sempsrott

The "Jesus-thon"

On April 8-9 of 1972 those of us who were regular attenders at Jerry's decided to have a "Jesus-thon". People were having walk-a-thon's so we thought "Why not?"

I am not sure who first came up with the idea. It caught hold of us though and we began to make plans. Through one of our friends (I believe it was Mike Breese) we were able to rent the United Auto Workers union hall on the old 109 by-pass. We made our own posters, may have had a few advertisements on radio, and planned the meetings. We had the hall for 36 hours. We had bands play, Jerry sang and preached, we shared from an open mike, invited other speakers to participate and just had a good time trying to honor Jesus. People from Solomon's Porch/the Hill stopped in.

Looking back on those days I sometimes wince at our naivete, but at the same time we were young, excited and zealous. Life and faith seemed simpler. Those days will never be repeated but we should remember them, gain insight from them and thank God for all he has taken us through.

Jerry Street seated on the stage at the "Jesus-thon" next to Jerry is Cindy Kachlein, sister of Coreen Kachlein

Jerry on the stage with his Rickenbacker Guitar

Seated with the violin is Karen Renfro

Below is Dave Holmes. He always had a camera with him.

If you have contact info for Dave let us know. We would like to find out if he has any photos from 1971-72

From left to right - Mike Breese, Tom Prough, Beth Robey, Donnie Adams, Steve Heifner

Left-Mike Burnett - Right-Randy Cain

Donnie Adams

Thanks to Kim McBride (the daughter of Jerry Street) for the B&W photos. Thanks to Brenda Walker Williams for the color photos.

If you have memories, photos, stories or correction to this article please let us know.

From Hopelessness and drugs to Jesus - Part Two

On my last blog entry, I shared how I came to "Jerry's Place". Even though Jerry had named the ministry on 53rd St. "Where Angels Rejoice", for some reason, that name never did stick. It was always referred to as Jerry's Place or just Jerry's. As was quoted in the newspaper article posted below, Jerry never did advertise the meetings that he was hosting in the home he shared with his mother Myrtle. This was a spontaneous movement, a local tributary of the movement that naturally flowed into the national river that had already been named the Jesus Movement.

My best recollection is that Jerry had invited a Pentecostal preacher from Indianapolis, "Pop" Bunch, to do a series of preaching meetings that were scheduled to last one week. By word of mouth young hippie types like I was, heard of what was happening and came en masse to investigate. As I mentioned in my first entry, something happened to me that first night that radically changed the course of my life. It is now thirty five years later and the change that took place has lasted.

I not only came to Jerry's that night, I came to Jesus! I believe the day I spent at the farm house (mentioned in my first entry) that afternoon in the late summer of 1971, pondering my life and future, was heard by God as a prayer.....and He began to set in motion a set of sovereign circumstances to birth me into His Kingdom! When I crossed the threshold of Jerry and Myrtle's house that night, I was a young man with a wounded heart. I had been carrying the baggage of rejection for seven years and was in desperate need of the knowledge of God's unconditional love for me.

Having been raised in a non Christian unchurched home, I wasn't even sure that God existed. I can recall going to church/Sunday school with a friend as a young boy on two occasions. I was freaked out by both experiences. I did try to read the Bible once while serving in the army at Ft. Bragg North Carolina. I was lying on my bunk and opened the New Testament that was given to us. A friend saw me and told me to start in the book of Revelation. Well, as you can imagine, that didn't bring me much relief.

The rejection that I referred to was as a result of the night in 1966 when my dad woke me in the middle of the night to inform me that my mom was pregnant ( not by him) and had run off with her boyfriend leaving my dad to raise me and five siblings. I actually joined the army three years later in an attempt to escape the stigma of this experience. So, that first night at Jerry's, I was "ripe for the pick'in."

The meetings at Jerry's continued for longer than a week. I know I was there almost every night for approximately one year. I also know that there was much controversy surrounding Jerry's teachings and at one point several of us left because of them. After thirty five years, I don't recall many of the details surrounding what was taught. But I do know what I caught. I received (whether through Jerry or divinely by the Holy Spirit) a revelation that God loved me unconditionally and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who had died on the cross for my sins. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will return to the earth to establish a kingdom of righteousness, justice and peace and this kingdom is available to me by grace (it is a gift) through faith in Jesus Christ!

I have always been, and will eternally be grateful to Jerry and Myrtle Street for opening their home and allowing God to minister to those of us that did not feel comfortable in the organized church.

Randy Hornbeck

Wow! These two groovy guys are

Randy Hornbeck and Donnie Adams

at the wedding of Jerry Street, 1974

Jerry's Place - Newspaper article and photos from the Anderson Herald

Turn on with God, not with needle, bottle” Jesus Freaks
By Michael Cox, Herald Youth Correspondent
Anderson Herald
January 1972

A few weeks ago I volunteered to write a story on the so-called “Jesus freaks” and the “Jesus Movement”. I decided the most effective means of research would be to participate in a nightly meeting of the freaks.

I visited the home of Gerry E. Street on East 53rd Street where evening meetings are held each day. Before arriving I imagined scenes such as a couple of people sitting around smoking pot or shooting drugs in the names of God and Jesus.

I arrived at Street’s home around 7:45 p.m. and was greeted at the door with a pat on the back and a solemn “bless you” from his wife (Blog editors’ note: Gerry wasn’t married at this time so the reporter must have been greeted by Myrtle “Mom” Street). Passing on into the living room where the meeting was to convene my premature visions seemed to be realized. I caught sight of two long haired boys sitting on the sofa smoking what seemed to be cigarettes. I also noticed a boy, whom many conservatives would term “hippie” quietly reading a Bible. A lighted cross shone in the window and on the wall hung an oil painting of Christ bearing the crown of thorns.

As I fully entered the room I was greeted by a hand shake and many “Bless you’s’”. I spied the packages and found the boys where smoking cigarettes and not pot. One wall bore a poster displaying the words “Forget religion and find God.” I realized I was in for some kind of a night.

Soon the crowd gathered with about 30 people sitting on the floor, standing in the hallway, and others in another room. Everyone seemed to know each other and I know they knew I was a newcomer because of the stares I received. Most of the “freaks” had long hair and looked like teenagers except for Gerry who was middle-aged (editor's note - Jerry was 33 at the time, but looked older) and had reasonably short hair.

A prayer opened the informal service. Everyone joined in a circle with their arms around the person next to them. The words “Praise God” and “Thank You Jesus” echoed with the spirit of God ringing throughout the room. Gerry took his place at the microphone with an electric guitar in his hands. He began singing songs he had composed about walking in the light of Jesus.

When everyone joined in singing “Amazing Grace” all my premature conceptions faded away. Everyone felt the spirit of God and shouted “Turn on with God, not with a needle or a bottle.”
There was not pot or alcohol present. Although some of these kids turned on in the past with marijuana and booze, they now turned on to God and Jesus.

I have never in my life witnessed in any church such spirit of God as in these people. All through the night they shouted “Praise God” and that was just what they did. A short Bible study was conducted with Gerry Street translating the passages of the 15th chapter of John.

Later on I got a chance to talk with Gerry personally. He told me the kids come to his house to get away from drugs because they have found out drugs do not turn them on the way God does.
“I like churches and all but they do not...

(Blog editors’ note: Our copy of the Anderson Herald story is incomplete and ends here.)

Here is a second story from the Anderson Herald

The “Jesus People’s” Preacher
By Mike Cox
Herald Youth Correspondent

Gerry Street coordinator of the nightly “Jesus Spirited” meetings held in his home on 53rd Street in Anderson was once an alcoholic and drug-user. But he turned to Jesus, he says, when he decided alcohol and drugs were not fulfilling him.

Street toured the U.S. preaching the Word of God until last July when, penniless, he purchased the house on 53rd Street. He says he is a firm and faithful believer in miracles and thus, somehow scrapped up the $100 down payment needed.

Street says he never once invited anyone into his home. “they (the kids) just started coming.” He commented. (Blog editors’ note: The copy of the newspaper story we have is unclear here and part of the text is missing.) When a youth or adult has…..Street offers his counsel…..which he terms “non-religious”…. “I have nothing against churches. I think they are good but they just don’t accept me”.

Though he has little contact with official church ministers, Street has hosted independent preachers similar to “circuit-riders”, such as one from Muncie present when these photos were taken.

To some, the “Jesus Movement” seems to be a fad which will soon fade, but Street states, “They really believe. All you have to do is look at them!”

Below:Blog Editor, Mike McDonald with hand raised, Steve Heifener-glasses center, Donnie Adams front center

Above photo - Jerry Street seated center, Mary Montgomery behind Gerry, Gary Hendricks behind right, and Steve Massengale to the left


Above photo: Jerry Street seated front right, Steve Massengale behind with Mary Montgomery next to him. Marla Bell, Diane ? , seated front left. The man teaching is Charles Ressler from Muncie Indiana.

Al (big Al) Praying

Above - Darlene?

If you recognize the people in these photos please send me an email at
missionarymike2004@yahoo.com

From Hopless and Drugs to Jesus - Randy Hornbeck's Story

In August of 1969 I entered the U.S. Army (shortly after graduating from Anderson High School). I was eventually stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina with the 82nd Airborne Division. While at Ft. Bragg, I became more involved with drugs (I had begun to smoke dope in high school). Most of the guys I was hanging with were shooting heroin. I began to do lots of psychedelic drugs and was hanging out at a coffee house in Fayetteville. After eighteen months in the Army, and as a result of my involvement with the local antiwar movement, I went AWOL (absent without leave). I spent three months living in a commune in the Brushy Mountains of North Carolina. I came to the conclusion that I no longer wanted to be a part of Uncle Sam’s organization, so I hitch hiked to Ft. Meade, MD (just outside of D.C.), walked into the Military Police Station and turned myself in. Six weeks later I was released with an Undesirable Discharge.

When I returned to Anderson, I discovered that most of my friends had also become hippies, so I moved into the farm house that they had rented just outside of Summitville. There were several that lived there off and on that summer. None of us worked. Actually, I think Sharla was the only one that worked. We were selling drugs for a living. We were making trips to Atlanta and Cincinnati to buy. Obviously we were also doing a lot of drugs. I was starting to do a lot of introspective thinking. The more I considered the direction that my life had taken; about having been discharged with less than honorable conditions, getting high every day and not really having much hope for my future, the more I became depressed. I recall one afternoon I was the only one at the house and just began to wonder what my life would be like when I was fifty years old. I became very depressed thinking about it. The depression continued for several days.

One afternoon we went to a house in Anderson to sell some dope to some friends. There was a guy there named Terry. Terry and I had been very close in high school. I hadn't seen him for a long time. He had become a heroin addict and was living in Atlanta. The last time I saw Terry prior to this day, he looked terrible. Terry was sitting in the corner strumming a guitar. When I asked what he had been up to, he said something like "just praising God." He began to tell me that he was no longer strung out on heroin and he didn't do any drugs now because of what God had done for him. I remember having a negative reaction to his statement. He started telling me about some kind of meetings he was going to on 53rd Street and then he gave me a card that said, "Smile God Loves You."

The next day, some of us started talking about how much Terry seemed to have changed and how good he looked. Someone mentioned that we check out this place. We were supposed to go to a concert in Cincinnati, so I had mixed feelings. I wasn't really interested in religion and I really wanted to go to the concert, but I couldn't deny how much better Terry looked than the last time I saw him. I think subconsciously I was hoping that I could find some relief from my depression in the same way Terry was relieved of the heroin addiction. So several of us went and got there late.

The house was filled with young hippie types and smoke. The smoking didn’t bother me since I smoked cigarettes as well as joints. Since I had no religious background, I didn’t even think that the smoking might be a bit out of place for a Christian gathering. What did bother me was this old guy (Pop Bunch) that was preaching and he was freaking me out as he walked around the room and squinted at me with one eye closed. At the end of his preaching, he said he wanted to pray for anyone that wanted to receive Christ. I am paraphrasing and actually only assuming that's what he said because I didn't really know what he was talking about. I remember that a girl named Beth asked if I wanted to be prayed for. I was very hesitant at first. One of the guys with us, Jim, coaxed me into the circle that they had formed. I think he wanted me to be the guinea pig so he could see what this was all about. I recall that I approached the experience the same way I did drugs, I’ll try anything once. So I stepped into the circle and they all gathered around, put their hands on me and started making a whole lot of noise (I guess they were praying). I remember most everyone was saying something about Jesus. Almost immediately I felt my feet and legs begin to shake and this rumbling feeling began to engulf my whole body. I thought I was going to pass out.

Sharla then got in the middle and seemed to be having a similar experience as me. I recall that she seemed to get very emotional. When we left later that night, I knew I felt different. Not just different, but radically different. I could tell the depression was gone. I felt happy and hopeful. In the days that followed, Sharla and I wanted to go back, but none of the others were much interested. We began going every night and she and I decided we were finished with drugs. During this time we were letting a local band named Sunshine practice in our basement. One night the lead guitar player showed up for practice and it was the wrong night. They were to practice the following night. So, I stood and talked with him in the kitchen for awhile telling him about my experience at Jerry's. He was asking lots of questions and seemed really interested, so I asked him to come with Sharla and me. He said something like "well maybe this is why I came tonight." So we took him and by the end of the night we were praying for him too. That was Greg Hough’s introduction to Jerry's Place. (Editor’s note: Greg Hough later became lead guitarist for “Petra” one of the first nationally known Jesus Rock bands’. Greg played with the band for several years).I continued to live at the farm house for awhile.

One night I didn't go to Jerry's, I think because I didn’t have a ride. There were several people at the house getting high smoking dope. I was turning them down every time they passed the joint around. One of the guys, Mark, said something like "you can at least drink some wine with us." He seemed to be getting upset with me, so I decided to take a few drinks of the Boone's Farm. It wasn't long before I realized that he had laced the bottle of wine with LSD. Once I began to get off on the acid, Mark appeared to be the devil incarnate to me. I retreated upstairs and obviously had a very bad experience. I remember becoming very aware of the demonic realm that night.

I think I had my first spiritual revelation that night also: with friends like this, who needs enemies. I knew that I had to get out of this environment, so within a few days, I moved back home with my dad. I think Sharla also moved home soon after I did. I then continued going out to Jerry’s almost every night for about a year.

To be continued . . .

Two Streams

The Jesus Movement was a nationwide, if not worldwide phenomenon which reached the youth/hippie/drug counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

That time period was a tumultuous era. We had seen a president assassinated, the widening Viet-Nam war and the rise of a popular youth counter-culture fueled by rock music and drugs. Many American young people were disillusioned with the American lifestyle and our involvement in Viet-Nam. Eastern religions were gaining a stronghold among young people and a large proportion of us experimented with drugs.

To many people's surprise, in the midst of this there was birthed a true spiritual awakening which was ingnored and missed by most mainline, evangelical and fundamental churches in America. Those few churches which recognized and encouraged the movement such as Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel (Smith's roots were from Aimee Semple McPherson's Foursquare Gospel Denomination), reaped a huge harvest. In many places the fledgling movement was left on it's own, with young often immature leadership, trying to find their way toward stability without become the religious institutions they had seen as they grew up.

The Calvary Chapel Association of Churches owes it's existence to Chuck Smith's embracing of the Jesus Movement and his providing oversite and leadership to many emerging leaders. The Vineyard Association of Churches was also deeply affected by the Jesus Movement. Lonnie Frisbee (www.lonniefrisbee.com) a young hippie preacher in California helped bring thousands of kids to the Calvary Chapel movement. Later, Frisbee worked with John Wimber as the Vineyard Fellowship of churches was begun. Today, all across the United States and the world there are many leaders who trace their spiritual heritage back to a coffee shop. house meeting or some other manifestation of this awakening.

Several major cults were born during this period and populated by kids form the Jesus Movement. The Children of God cult, founded and led by David Berg was/is the most notorious, and following them was the group simply called "The Way" based out of central Ohio. Many smaller cults and aberrant Christian groups sprang up also. Young people, often without the benefit of their own maturity and lacking any real spiritual parents fell into the trap of these cults and for some it was a devastating occurrence.

In Anderson Indiana the Jesus Movement manifested itself in two parallel streams among the regions youth (this is a broad generalization). The first stream was birthed out of the Anderson Revival. It drew many of it's adherents from young people in local churches and students of Anderson college. It was centered around the ministry at Solomon's Porch and later "Teen Hill", more commonly called simply "The Hill".

The second stream of the Jesus Movement was centered around a home and a man and his mother on East 53rd Street. in the summer of 1971 Jerry Street and his mother Myrtle Street open their home for young people to gather, listen to Jerry teach and sing, hear speakers from Indianapolis, Muncie and other places and come under the influence of the power of God.

Jerry Street's ministry was not conventional and many religious leaders were wary of him. He was deeply influenced by the 1950's Healing Revival and the fringes of the Latter Rain movement, both of which were known for wild excesses and sometimes bizarre teachings. At times Jerry taught some very unconventional and controversial doctrines. However those who stayed with and knew Jerry in the early 1970's would agree that he was a man of personal integrity. He was not motivated by money, position or power. He genuinely loved the young people he gathered around him and despite some glaring issues he loved God with all his heart. He never manipulated those who followed him and a number of people found Christ during those days in 1971-72.

As we turned from our teens into our early and mid twenties the Jesus Movement began to fade. Our culture was changing, we were growing up, getting jobs and beginning families. The hippie, counter-cultural lifestyle was no longer as relevant and the movement began to morph as we needed new forms to meet our changing needs. The Jesus movement in Anderson gave birth to The Fellowship of Christian Believers, a non-church church which for it's time was, growing, dynamic and innovative. Many of us who had survived the turbulent days of the Jesus Movement became a part of this new fellowship.

Our next post is the story of Randy Hornbeck. Randy was a young man who was seeking peace and meaning and was following the usual path of the late 1960s early 1970s. He came to Jerry's almost by "accident" and found the Lord who had been drawing him all along.

Coming Soon

Next week we will post an article about "Jerry's Place. The ministry of Jerry Street. If you have any memories, or photos you can share please let us know.

In the near future we will begin a series of "Where Are They Now" posts. We want to let our readers know what some of your old friends are doing these days. We hope this will give people an opportunity to reconnect after all the years.

Pictures from Solomon's Porch

Thanks to Brenda Walker Williams for these photos!

Photo #1 - The front porch of "The Porch". Note the "ICKTHUS" sign above the porch. Tom Pickens and Bud Sempsrott.

Photo # 2 - Sharon Middleton, Bill, Eric, Gary Rinker



Photo #3 - Ron McNeil, Don Whitesel, Tom Pickens, Russ Willis. "The Children of Light"

Photo #4 - From left to right - Ron McNeil, Tom Pickens, Don Whitesel, Russ Willis


Photo #5 - Inside "Solomon's Porch" Karl Sempsrott, Leslie (Murray) Sempsrott

The "Love" Revival of 1970 - As I Remember It

By Brenda Walker Williams

February 20th of 1970 at 2 p.m. I received a call from a lady who attended South Meridian Church of God. She told me they had such an exciting service that she was still at the church. A group of students had come from Ashbury College to talk about a revival that had broken out on Campus. The response was overwhelming and Pastor Tarr had decided to continue services as long as the Holy Spirit led. The lady had called Park Place Church to get the phone number of some girls who could possibly help in the nursery. They told her about Roxanne Ogle, Polly Thompson & me. They were willing to pay us each $1 per hour as nursery workers. This was my first paying job (I was 13).

The first night I worked with the 3 & 4 year olds and we had around 30 children in that room. They asked me to come back the following night and I worked in the toddler room with Roxanne. The third night I worked in the infant room. They had a sound system that monitored the service and for some strange reason all the babies were quiet and sleepy that night, so I listened to the service.

The service consisted of testimony after testimony of how God was changing the life of each one who spoke. People spoke about the new and real feeling of God’s Love they were experiencing in their lives. The first night, as I entered the church I had felt something different in the air. Everyone you saw was excited about Jesus and talking about Him in a way I had never heard before. That night I felt compelled to make my way into the service and ask Him to take control of my life. For the full 50 days the Revival I was there (although the first three nights I was in the nursery).

As I remember the theme song we sang each night was "To God Be the Glory", and there was a sign there that read "God's power shows up best in weak people".

The people I remember from those Revival services are Ray Renner (he testified several times), Johnny Cawthon (he later was the leader of the Youth For Christ meetings I attended at North Side Jr. High) and Royce Miller (who went on the witness team to VA with me).

Two times I went out on witness teams. Once I went for a weekend in Ohio and on another occasion for a week (over spring break) I went with a team that went to my grandparents church in Blacksburg, VA, my Uncle Jim’s church in Roanoke, VA, a church in Bristol, VA and another church somewhere in North Carolina.

The way the witness teams’ services that I participated in usually went were: The local pastor would open with a few songs. Each person on the team would then give their personal testimony. Following the testimonies there would be an altar call. Because the Holy Spirit was so strong and in evidence it would not be uncommon for every person in the service to respond to God’s call.

Later in June of 1970 at the Church of God Convention the Fishermen had some type of a gathering I think in the basement of the Student Union Building (Bud Sempsrott, Ray Renner or Lawrence Chewning can correct me if I’m wrong about the location) and Tom Pickens caught the fire. The Fishermen went traveling over the summer. I think in September of 1970, when they returned to Anderson and began meetings at Solomon’s Porch.

The Anderson Revival and the Beginnings of the Jesus movement in Anderson: The Fishermen

In February 1970, a spontaneous spiritual awakening occurred in the city of Anderson which resulted in a fifty day revival, three services a day. Hundreds of people accepted Christ during this time, warranting a full page story in the Chicago Tribune. Lawrence Chewning, then a student at Anderson College (now Anderson University) was very active in this revival, traveling on weekends with other students to various parts of the nation in order to give their testimonies.

In the summer of 1970, Lawrence banded together with several other friends and began traveling full time. They called themselves "The Fishermen" and within a couple of years, evolved into a music group featuring original songs penned by Lawrence. During this time, Christian music was experiencing a breath of fresh air as young people began to write and sing of their love for Jesus in a more contemporary style. The Fishermen became part of this movement and began performing in coffee houses, college and high school campuses, Jesus festivals and outdoor concerts throughout the Midwest, the South and the New England states.

During one of the Fishermen concerts at a Christian coffeehouse in Hartford City,Indiana, a teenager named Ray Boltz accepted Christ. Ray went on to become an award winning Christian recording artist.

Thanks to Lawrence Chewning's web page (see our links) for this post and the following 2 photos of the Fishermen in the story labled "The Fishermen".

The Anderson Revival

One morning in 1970, without warning, all heaven broke loose during Asbury (KY) College's 10 a.m. chapel service.....thus began the "Asbury Revival" which later gave birth to the "Anderson Revival". Students from Asbury college began to spread across the country telling about what God had done on their campus.

Wherever the Asburyians traveled, revival followed. By the summer of 1970, the revival had reached more than 130 other colleges, seminaries and Bible schools, and scores of churches, according to published accounts. It spread from New York to California, and even to South America.

When several Asbury students gave their testimonies at the Meridian Street Church of God in Anderson, Indiana, for instance, the church experienced a spontaneous revival that lasted 50 consecutive nights. According to old clippings from Indiana newspapers, the Anderson church soon became so packed that the services had to be moved to a school gymnasium. Up to 2,500 people a night flocked to the gym in hopes of being touched by God.

This is a brief summary of the "Anderson Revival" of 1970. If you have stories, photos or memories you would like to share please email us at missionarymike2004@yahoo.com

The Fishermen

Here is a photo of the group "The Fishermen" featuring Lawrence Chewning, Karl Sempsrott, and Bud Sempsrott. Probably taken in 1971 or 1972




This hearse is the vehicle they used for a while for traveling. I can remember seeing it for the first time in the fall of 1971 parked at "Solomon's Porch".

Welcome Home

Welcome to this new blog! This blog is the result of conversations I have recently had with several old friends. All of us were a participants in and affected by what is commonly called "The Jesus Movement", that extraordinary time in American culture and history than roughly began around 1967 and ended in 1973.

We all lived in central Indiana during that time period, coming from Anderson, Alexandria, Muncie, New Castle, Middletown and other places, some from across the country.

The primary focus of this blog is to remember the good times and bad times that experienced during those hectic years. We are all older now and hopefully somewhat wiser. Many of the things we saw and participated in have had a lasting impact upon our lives.

This is not my blog, but rather it is our story. The story of a bunch of kids, some who were searching and some who were not. Many of us found something which dramatically changed the rest of our lives.

I encourage you to contact me via email. Tell me your story, send me any pictures you have. Let's hear your "testimony". What did those times mean to you and how do you remember them now?

Missionarymike2004@yahoo.com