Pastor’s wayward son born-again in North Carolina revival

Pastor’s wayward son born-again in North Carolina revival

By Mark Ellis, Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

BURLINGTON, NC (ANS - August 15, 2016) -- He grew up in a pastor’s home, and spent “endless hours” in church. His father traveled frequently, preaching in evangelistic crusades. But the son had a superficial response to his father’s message and after he left home, spent a dozen years pursuing worldly pleasures.

“I’ve been a preacher’s kid my entire life,” says D.R. Harrison, 34. “I traveled across the country with my dad as he preached crusades and revivals, but I never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”

He describes his father as an independent, fundamental, King James Bible preacher. “I grew up under the best preaching you could hear,” he says. “I taught a Sunday School class and led a youth choir, knocked on doors on Saturday, read my Bible and prayed, but there was always something missing on the inside.”

When he turned 21, Harrison left home to “chase after money and fame” and build his career. “From age 21 to 33 I never darkened the doors of a church,” he recounts. “All I cared about was how much money I could make.”

He started drinking and became an alcoholic. “I did a lot of things I never dreamed I would do. I was bitter and angry and God seemed so far away.”

But while he was still pursuing his own path – and had zero interest in God – God’s great love began to draw him in an unexpected way.

On Mother’s Day, May 8th, 2016, revival arrived in Burlington, North Carolina at New Hope Baptist Church. Pastor Randy Hobbs had invited evangelist C.T. Townsend to spend a week in his church, and as the power of God fell many were saved and the revival stretched on for more than two months.

D.R. Harrison happened to own a video production company in Burlington. On May 19th, he was surprised to receive a call from evangelist Townsend, who wanted editing of some videos for a message. Harrison was supposed to be headed out-of-town on business, but two hours before Townsend’s call, the trip was cancelled.

Townsend said he wanted the video editing finished by 5:00 p.m. that day.

“That’s impossible,” Harrison protested. “We schedule our projects months in advance and there’s no way we can do it.”

“D.R., God told me you were supposed to edit this video,” he replied.

“God may have told you that, but you’re not going to get them today,” Harrison said.

“Well, at least try.”

Harrison never edits videos himself, but that day, he edited the video. The video content Townsend gave him reenacted what a lost man would experience when he died and had to stand before God at the judgment.

“It was nothing I had never seen before. I’ve heard it 10 million times,” Harrison says. “But for the first time in 12 years, the Holy Spirit started dealing with my heart while editing those videos.”

Photo captions: 1) D.R. Harrison speaking. 2) Burlington revival service. 3) Harrison with his wife. 4) Mark Ellis.

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About the writer: Mark Ellis is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net), and also the founder of www.GodReports.com, a website that shares testimonies and videos from the church around the world to build interest and involvement in world missions. Mark is also co-host with ANS founder, Dan Wooding, of "Windows on the World," a weekly TV show broadcast on the Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network (http://hsbn.tv), that features the top stories of the week on the ASSIST News Service.

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