There’s something unique happening under a crisp white tent on West Alsobrook Street.
For many, the sight of dozens of chairs clustered under the canopy will evoke memories of the years of routine tent revivals the South used to see every summer. For seven days, Stand Up and Walk Free Ministries will keep the tradition alive with a revival it hopes will claim and restore “victory for our community.”
“There’s a lot of crime going on, a lot of people getting killed or addicted to drugs in the community,” Rhonda “Tina” Hargrove-Davis, founder of Stand Up and Walk Free Ministries, said. “There’s mothers losing their kids. It’s like the younger generation doesn’t have a sense of life, the value of life. I just wanted to be used by God to get to the root of the issue. Where did this come from? How did we get here? What is our role that we played for our children being in the position they’re in? Do we want to take responsibility and accept the part we played in it? We must come together as a community and take back the city, take back our youth. To teach them values, morals and respect.”
Hargrove-Davis was born and raised in Plant City. Thanks to mentors like China Washington, Mother Alice and her “bishop” Calvin “Pee Wee” Callins, she said she was set on a path and called to ministry. She said that calling is “all-inclusive” and hopes to reach every soul that crosses her path.
“God gave me a vision to work with the homeless, with the prostitutes, with the drug addicts, the incarcerated, the mentally ill, etc.,” Hargrove-Davis said. “I launched this ministry on Dec. 15 and this is the second tent event we’ve held since then. He is calling me to set up this tent, to have outdoor ministries in the communities he loves.”
Each day will be filled with a variety of speakers and singers at the tent. At 9 a.m. the day starts with morning prayer. Some days have mid-day words or a feeding the homeless initiative. The evenings feature a guest speaker who will present a revival service.
Chavonda Barnes spoke Tuesday evening to the crowd, basing her testimony on “the thief has been exposed.”
“There is a thief in this city and this thief has meticulously stolen souls,” Barnes said. “He has destroyed families, but tonight the theif has been exposed. Through this revival, this thief is being and has been exposed.”
Pastor Callins will close the revival out on Sunday with a 5 p.m. sermon that is promised to go long into the night.
Hargrove-Davis said she hopes everyone in the community feels drawn to attend. Whether they are lost souls searching for healing or church goers who are ready to experience revival she said the messages will be sure to speak to all who show up with an open heart.
“Each speaker brings hope, brings love, brings patience, brings kindness, all with God’s people,” Hargrove-Davis said. “He told us through love and kindness have I drawn thee, not by beating them with the Bible, not by shouting scripture, not by thinking we’re all high and mighty. We all have sin and fall short of His glory. But just look at John 3:16.”
The hope is the revival will help spark a hunger for God in the community, she said. She wants to see all local churches come together for one goal, to help further the Kingdom of God. When the event kicked off Monday she said it already was drawing a decent crowd. By the end of the week, she said, she believes folks will need to come early to have a seat.
She wanted to thank the pastors that did show up for prayer for the event, knocked on doors and helped pass out flyers and said she hopes to see more come together for the next revival, which she plans to host in July.
For more information about Stand Up and Walk Free Ministries or for a full lineup of the revival’s schedule visit the group’s Facebook page, standupandwalkfree.com, emailrhonda@standupandwalkfree.com or call 863-440-8161.