|
Amazing Graces
Spiro Sueref reports on the amazing outpouring of the spirit that occurred at this year's 25th national Welsh conference at Trinity College in Camarthen at the end of August 2005.
|
|
|
What a conference it was! It showed all the signs and wonders of renewal. The blessings and conversions, the healings and the powerful move of the Holy Spirit. This national conference will be remembered and talked about for many years. The theme was "Images of His Son" and the image of Jesus from the Turin shroud was projected to around 12 ft high on the stage wall, making a powerful impact on all those who entered the hall. Our main speakers were Ros Powell, a lay woman with a powerful ministry from the Midlands and a return visit from Fr Jack McArdle from Ireland, who had recovered amazingly from a serious illness and moved everyone to laughter and tears with his inimitable style of preaching. For some there was an anticipation that the Lord would move in some special way. Even so there were periods of doubt, leading up to the conference, whether to even have it all, as numbers had fallen over the last few years. But what the Lord did exceeded everyone's expectations and I believe the effects will continue to ripple across Wales. Symbolically other denominations were holding events at the same time on the campus, which gave a great sense of unity. Powerful words of knowledge Ros Powell introduced a new item in the programme during the conference - a 7 am, early morning prayer meeting called "Fresh Manna for the Day" Here, during the praise and worship, people received pictures and words of knowledge which would then be shared during prayer at the main conference. The effects were astonishing as these words often spoke directly into people's lives, creating a huge sense of expectancy. The numbers were low, but the upside of this was that it created a great sense of fellowship as people had a chance to get to know everyone. As the week progressed you could feel people's tensions and stresses being lifted by this and the praise and worship. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament all night long Overnight adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which had been introduced at last year's conference, was done again this year. The Lord was placed in a new monstrance called "St Michael and all the Angels" in the main conference hall and in procession carried some 300 metres through the campus to one of the lounges of the accommodation block. There was no shortage of volunteers to take turns through the early hours, as people found themselves drawn to adoration rather than sleep. By Wednesday night more people had arrived as day visitors and many were touched at the healing service. Such was the presence of the Lord that some, who only intended to come that evening, returned the following day. The following morning Ros Powell spoke on spiritual warfare and the power of God's kingdom and invited people to be commissioned as soldiers of Christ. Many people came up to be prayed with and, such was the power of God that some people were touched by the Holy Spirit while they stood in the queue. There was so much happening that you could see the people leaning forward in their seats to see better what was going on. During the lunch hour, everyone was talking about what they had seen. Four people felt such an anointing that they asked to share with everyone what had happened to them. As a result of this it was decided to deviate slightly from the planned programme to allow these four witnesses to share their experience after Mass. As they spoke, one could clearly see the effect this was having on the rest of the people present, raising their faith levels. Mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit When they had finished their testimony and were about to return to their seats they were called back up to the platform to receive further prayers. Then they, in their turn, prayed for everyone in the hall. As prayer began a mighty anointing came down on them. The power was so great that two of them were slain in the spirit simultaneously, falling with such a force that the sound of them hitting the floor reverberated throughout the hall. As I had my arms over their shoulders, I fell down with them. The same thing happened to the next two. Pat Williams, the Welsh NSC chairperson, was then also prayed with and received a new gift of tongues. As the four on the stage prayed for those in the hall, people started to sway and laugh and more people fell on the floor. It was an incredible experience. By the end of the conference you could see people lingering on as if they wished the experience would never end, like the disciples on the mountain of transfiguration.
|
|
|
 |
