Churches huddle to kick off GO TELL Crusade

Churches in the tri-cities, along with churches, faith and community leaders of every denomination and Christian faith persuasion across Northeast Texas have joined forces to pack Sam Parker Field in Mount Pleasant next month for an old-fashioned faith crusade.
This three-night GO TELL Crusade kicks off Mother’s Day Sunday (May 12) and features former collegiate football coach turned author and world evangelist Rick Gage.
Co-chairmen of the Northeast Texas Crusade event are Cliff Butler and Steve Capps. Speakers at the kickoff banquet for the crusade on March 18 that packed the Mount Pleasant Civic Center included Bo Pilgrim, Mr. Gage and a crowd of area pastors and church and community leaders. The kick-off banquet, spearheaded by Brian Lee, drew movers and shapers from across the Northeast Texas area.
Rick Gage, once dubbed “the small town Billy Graham” by an Associated Press reporter because of his emphasis on holding crusades in small communities, is founder of GO TELL Ministries, based in Atlanta.
Mr. Gage’s life story is chronicled in his book, “More Than a Game: How I Found Out That Life Is Much More Than Football.” The book’s foreword is written by Mark Richt, head football coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
In 1986, Mr. Gage walked off the football field, leaving what many saw as a promising career coaching collegiate football, to venture on to the field of full-time evangelism. A few years later, he became the founder of GO TELL Crusades, Inc., stepping out to lead evangelistic events around the world.
Roger Alford of the Associated Press wrote, “Gage fills stadiums just as full as the Rev. Billy Graham does. It’s just that the stadiums are much smaller. The Texas native takes his GO TELL Crusades to the small towns that other preachers might see from the air on their way to big cities. Like Graham, Gage preaches the same Gospel, offers the same invitation to would-be believers, and sees multitudes walk toward the platform to accept Christ.”
In 2012 Rick Gage Ministries reports holding four crusades in four states, drawing more than 40,000 men, women and children. Crusade efforts in the four states reached out to 13,000 students from 30 different schools, according to RGM reports. Over 80 churches participated and more than 3,200 commitments were reportedly made.
Other speakers for the crusade include author Ken Freeman, Hispanic evangelist Jose Alvarez and author Tony Nolan. Also on the crusade slate are the Outcast BMX and skateboard athlete’s team.
A student rally is being planned during the crusade week, and May 15 of the crusade has been designated as Student Night with free tacos for students, beginning at 6 p.m.