In the beginning of the charismatic movement in Pittsburgh, one brethren church opened its doors for services every Sunday night. People from all over the city came and parking was now at a premium. I can still remember the excitement we felt when we became part of the move of God.
Tears rolled down each face as the guitars strummed and we would sing:
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul
When at the cross, my Savior made me whole.
My sins were washed away and
My night was turned to day.
Both doctors and nurses would sit up front and would call out healings that God performed right there while we worshipped. The gifts of the Spirit flowed freely.
“Someone is being healed of left leg paralysis.”
“Someone’s arm is being healed.”
“Your son has left, but he is coming back.”
“You had pain in your abdomen but now it’s gone.”
They told us it was the word of knowledge, and every healing was claimed. There were amazingly accurate and meticulous descriptions of God’s power in our midst. Our children played quietly in their seats as we sang.
Around this time, Pittsburgh hosted a charismatic conference. It was a great event and it was at that conference when we learned to raise our hands, lift our voices and close our eyes as we sang to God. Fred Price came to Pittsburgh and he was invited to preach in our little church. There were so many people at that service that we opened all the windows so those who had to stand outside could hear. When it was time to take up offering, the people outside reached in and took the offering plate so they could have a chance to give. We had never seen anything like it. It was at this point we were introduced to the faith and teaching of Kenneth E. Hagin.
During this time, we left our denominational church. It was a radical move, but we were led to a church which met in a small building in a fairly decent part of town. The roof leaked, there was little parking, and the services were long, but it was packed to the brim each Sunday with people from many denominations. The praise and worship was longer than the whole service in our previous church. We loved it.
The church rocked back forth as people sang and spoke out words of encouraging scripture. There were adult Sunday School classes and teaching right from the bible. You could hardly find a seat each Sunday. Our Catholic, Methodist, and Lutheran friends, as well as friends from other denominations, met there and we had fellowship in each other’s homes each Sunday afternoon. It was so exciting.