Our Vision
For GREATTFUL 4 God to be a movement that sparks the next Great Awakening within the Church
The church as a whole has evolved over time. Abraham, Moses, the Prophet Samuel, David, and John the Baptist all did their part in cultivating the church, as we now know it, and Jesus “the head of the Church” opened the doors to all. Within the last, several hundred years various individuals have continued that significant effort with their own divine visions, which has influenced and aided the church in advancing its execution and undertaking of the Great commission.
Martin Luther’s “95 theses”, gave us a greater understanding of God’s written word and that his word is the central religious authority. Martin helped to establish the importance of Faith in regards to Salvation. https://www.history.com/topics/reformation/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses https://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/about_driv.html
Jonathan Edwards objected the idea of predestination.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/predestination
George Whitfield believed in fervent, heartfelt faith and the need to experience a “new birth”.
Gilbert Tennent ached for an improvement in the condition of the church. The first iteration of “The Great Awakening” and the profound radicalism of the times altered our overall understanding of Faith development. Three more iterations of “The Great Awakening” would occur, up to the 1970’s
Dwight L. Moody’s evangelicalism, His missionary work established a “Mission Sunday School” and “Civil War Outreach”. https://www.moody.edu/about/our-bold-legacy/d-l-moody/ Moody and his wife Ira D. Sankey contributed to the growth of “gospel hymns”.
The Holiness movement forever changed Daniel S. Warner and caused him to forsake denominational hierarchies, trusting solely in the Holy Spirit and the Bible.
Rufus M. Jones studies in Mystical Religion (1909) and his interpretation of spiritual religion in Western Culture helped to influence others. Others like; Howard Thurman who began his journey towards a philosophy that stressed an activism rooted in Faith, guided by Spirit, and maintained in Peace.
Thurman would eventually meet Mohandas Gandhi, which this interaction provided Howard with a new interpretation of the New Testament gospels, laying the foundation for a nonviolent civil rights movement. Thurman believed the basic goal of Jesus’ life was to help the disinherited people of the world change from within, so they would be empowered to survive in the face of oppression.
https://www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/people/howard_thurman.html
Howard Thurman’s ideas would later influence Dr. Martin L. King Jr. while he was learning to integrate spiritual growth and social transformation.
The Hopeful and Faith filled vision, I have for GREATTFUL 4 God is that it will be a movement that sparks the next Great Awakening within the Church, causing a Unification of the Body, and do an even more profound constitution of work.