Overflowing joy: Middletown Church experiences spiritual growth through baptism of the Holy Spirit
Many pastors and ministry leaders would erase 2020 and 2021 from history if that were possible. However, Middletown SDA church in Louisville, KY, couldn’t be more grateful for what these past two years brought to our congregation. Through a series of divinely orchestrated events, me and my wife, Pam, received a new spiritual experience by allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us every day.
Ellen White wrote, “The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church is looked forward to as in the future; but it is the privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it, pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven is waiting to bestow it.” (Evangelism p.701)
As Pam and I began our Holy Spirit journey in July of 2020, we received a peace and joy that we couldn’t keep to ourselves. With excitement, our transformative experience began to permeate every sermon preached and every conversation held. Eventually, in September of 2020, I extended the invitation to members and friends of Middletown church to join us in daily baptism of the Holy Spirit. About 52 people signed up. Participants were divided into small groups for a year-long intensive study of Pastor Dennis Smith’s Holy Spirit books.
The Holy Spirit small groups became a space for participants to openly share their struggles. That vulnerability brought us closer together. In addition, God began attracting new people to Middletown’s congregation. We had weekly non-SDA visitors and eventually, more Holy Spirit small groups were created. This past year, nine precious souls were added to the church during a time of pandemic restrictions!
On August 20 to 21, 2021, Holy Spirit small group members experienced the first ever “Hope. Healing. Holy” retreat. The retreat was designed in such a way that all who attended would experience the holiness and healing of God. Pastor Dennis Smith joined the group virtually to introduce the concepts of emotional healing and spiritual deliverance. I also had sermons on God’s love and healing. Attendees broke into small groups in which they shared their deepest wounds, frustrations, and fears. There was also a powerful anointing service. Praises for deliverance and healing lasted close to an hour as many offered spontaneous prayers and songs to the Lord.
The following Sabbath, Middletown Church conducted its first ever Holy Spirit Sabbath. The entire Sabbath service was dedicated to teaching about the role of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life. Those who had participated in the Holy Spirit small groups shared what they had learned over the past 14 months, the miraculous transformations they had experienced, and the blessings they had received living a life filled with the Holy Spirit.
At the end of the service, an invitation was extended to the whole church to take part in this wonderful spiritual experience. Seven new groups were formed with a total of 63 people - one-third were not Adventists. Despite the pandemic restrictions and obstacles faced by Middletown, the power of the Holy Spirit proved He knows no boundaries and can prevail over any obstacles.