Come Holy Spirit - David Pytches
Jesus did not begin his ministry until after he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. David Pytches writes about the importance of the Holy Spirit in his own ministry and in the life of the Church. |
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In my early days in church circles one heard nostalgic
references to the revival in Wales at the beginning of the last
century. Then I learned from my father that his life and ministry as a
country rector had been radically renewed and refreshed through a
revival in Suffolk in the early l920’s. I later discovered
that there had been frequent revivals in the history of the Church all
over the Christian world. These revivals signified bursts of new life
– new hope, new vision, new energy and new power. There
appears to be a fundamental life/death/resurrection principle at work
in the Church.
Mary and I went out to Chile in l959, staying there for seventeen years
with a mandate to church plant in urban environments. I vainly imagined
that once we had learned the language this would be fairly
straightforward. We had many lessons to learn. We were sent to
Valparaiso This had been the birthplace of the Methodist Pentecostal
Revival in l909 - which spread from there (not without sad divisions)
right across Latin America. There was clearly something very dynamic
about Pentecostalism.
But by then we had heard so many off-putting stories about such
movements that we really wanted to steer clear of them. I later
realized that part of the reason renewal gets a bad name is because the
new experience is so unfamiliar to leaders that they often
don’t know how they are meant to handle it in the local
church. They do not want to quench the Spirit, and sometimes
don’t quite know how to discern whether it is the Spirit at
that stage. Also their lay folk are new to the gifts and make mistakes
which are embarrassing. Any how we had been taught that the gifts of
the Spirit were withdrawn once we had the bible. Responsible educated
church leaders were not meant to be interested in
‘Pentecostalism’!
We saw ourselves in Chile as the via media between those
‘raving charismatics’ and the many
‘nominal catholics’. (In those days only about 10%
of the 80% of those who call themselves catholics in the republic were
regulars at mass). We stumbled along as best we could and saw people
being converted. But then how could we keep them motivated and
energized to “get up and go” at whatever the cost.
The embarrassing thing was that the
‘Pente’s’ had somehow got it - their
churches were growing as we see in the Acts of the Apostles. We badly
needed something they had. We loved our bibles, read them, and prayed
devoutly but could not make the connection somehow.
By l968, rather worn out, we were ready to settle back into a parish in
the U.K. But whilst at home, to our surprise, the Lord called us both
independently and quite unmistakably back to Chile. We reluctantly
obeyed. The last ten years had been especially tough for Mary having to
cope with all the usual children’s ailments etc. And I was
frustrated with breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries in trying
to make our beloved Anglican Church fit with the Chilean culture.
Climbing the gangway of the SS Pasteur at Southampton, (unknown to me),
Mary had prayed: “Lord I can’t get off this boat as
I am getting on it. Do something – please!” In her
desperation she began making extra time to read her bible and pray at
some isolated spot on board ship.
Then mid-Atlantic she was suddenly caught up by the Holy Spirit in a
powerful anointing which changed her life and ministry. I found it
quite a challenge waking up in bed with a charismatic! I was still
cautious, but after a few months I asked her to pray for me
–tongues and all - if she had to. But I did not have a
‘cloud nine’ experience like Mary. The Lord knew I
had a vast amount of repenting to do - first over pride, then for
negative criticisms over things not right about other people,
especially I thought the bishop! Following that difficult process of
repentance I began seeing life in a new way and found a new joy.
Something really good had happened.
In early l971 we decided to convene a conference for the whole
Valparaiso region. Many came forward for prayer for a fresh filling or
anointing of the Holy Spirit. This led to a significant new beginning
in at least one of our church plants. They began to see many new
converts coming to the Lord. At one baptism there had been over a
hundred new believers – (Twenty five years later I met one of
them working with Ywam on the island of Victoria, Canada).
This church began evangelizing locally. Members began to prophesy and
speak in tongues. We began to see what God could do through a church
which was truly open to the Holy Spirit. But after two or three years
the whole movement began to slowly die down. Their get-up-and-go had
got-up-and-gone, or seemed to be seeping away! Partly I realized it was
because I had moved their leader to another church. However we could
never forget that experience of seeing the wonderful things God could
do through the work of the Holy Spirit in motivating and activating the
laity in a local church.
We eventually came back to take over St Andrew’s church,
Chorleywood, in l977, where they had already experienced renewal.
Whilst much of it had been gently tamed (There was no model in the
Anglican church for handling renewal effectively in those days). But St
Andrews still exemplified that greatest of gifts - love. My secret
prayer was that we might yet recapture that earlier anointing but I
could not imagine how to set about it – except to pray.
Then our friend Eddie Gibbs moved into the parish. He had
worked with us in church planting for a few years in Chile, and been
through the renewal with us, and was now working with the Bible
Society. In the course of studying for a doctorate he had made several
visits to Fuller Seminary in California where John Wimber had been a
pioneer teacher on church growth. He told me about Wimber’s
church in Orange County, and on his recommendation I invited him to
come to Chorleywood.
John Wimber arrived with a large team for the weekend of Pentecost,
1981. We really had no idea of what to expect (let alone why he needed
such a large ministry team) but it turned out to be an unforgettable
week-end. There was a mighty stirring under God. Wimber came not only
to teach us of the ‘now and not yet’ of the Kingdom
of God, but he showed us how healings and miracles were signs of
it’s presence –signs that could be expected to
follow such teaching (Heb.2:4). Wimber’s ministry team in
action showed us what ‘equipping the saints for the work of
the ministry’ could mean. He taught about evangelizing, about
the gifts of the Spirit - prophecy and tongues etc, about loving the
whole church, about going out to the poor and needy with ministries of
mercy and making the Kingdom good news. He taught about church planting
and church leadership.
John’s background as a successful pop-star (The Righteous
Brothers), a Quaker evangelist and minister, a Fuller seminary lecturer
and international church counselor, was unique. His preaching style was
laid-back and humourous, his images were captivating and original, his
personality both folksy, warm and humble. He started his first session
by just sitting with his back to us at the piano and singing one or two
worship songs! The substance of his teaching was biblical, timely and
culturally relevant – his message was Christ-centred and
glorifying to God - his prayer was “Come Holy
Spirit!” There was no emotional whipping up. He just quietly
expected the Holy Spirit to confirm the truth of what he had been
teaching with some sign - and having invoked the Holy Spirit just
waited on God. We witnessed the wonder of some people even being
physically healed. Wimber was a joyful risk-taker for the Lord; an
inspiring model for any Christian leader to follow! He sowed people
with seed-thoughts that we watched grow and flourish.
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New testimonies, new visions, new resources, new energies and new ministries followed. Our Faith Sharing teams under Barry Kissell took the challenges on board and were wonderfully used by God as they went out to churches across the country and abroad. At home we began encouraging leaders from other churches in every way we could through ‘teaching and ministry programmes’ which in time, developed into week-long residential New Wine conferences, (across the UK and abroad) designed for church leaders and church families. These grew by the thousands year after year. Out of them Mike Pilavachi started the Soul Survivor conferences for youth and their leaders. These also began to attract their thousands annually from many denominations. A support network has grown up across the country. New song-leaders have emerged whose songs have gone round the globe. |
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New ministries to the poor have emerged. Clergy retreats and central rallies for women have been convened. Besides all this there has been the encouraging birth and growth of the Vineyard Christian Fellowships in the UK under their own organization in which several of our members have become leaders. We need more of the Holy Spirit today. We must never forget how vital He is. And how He glorifies Jesus.
Jesus did not begin his ministry until after he had been
baptized in
the Holy Spirit. (Luke 3:21-23). Jesus himself explained how he
operated “If I by the Spirit of God do cast out demons then
has the Kingdom of God come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). He
told us we could do the same. “Anyone one who believes in me
will do what I have been doing – and greater
things.”(John l:12). And he told us how it could be done.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon
you” (Acts 1:8). That power was for the Holy Spirit ministry
that the Church needed then and so badly needs today to extend the good
news of God’s Kingdom. It’s there for the asking.
Jesus said: “How much more will your Father in Heaven give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).
What’s more he gives His Spirit without limit (John 3:34).
And we can go on asking for more because we need to – Paul
urged the church to “Go on being filled with the Holy
Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). So come Holy Spirit! Come again!
Renew your churches! Renew their leaders! Renew me! Amen.
