‘RALLY’ WILL PUSH PRAYER, EVANGELISM

KINGSPORT — Baptist churches across Upper East Tennessee will gather on Sept. 14 for a special rally aimed at reigniting passion for evangelism and prayer.

The “Who’s Your One?” Rally, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Sullivan Baptist Church in Kingsport, incorporates elements from Project 2026, a national prayer and evangelism initiative.

John Butler, pastor of East Rogersville Baptist Church and one of the event organizers, said the rally emerged from conversations with denominational leaders and a broader multi-denominational prayer movement focused on reaching one million people for Christ.

“We’ve been so distracted,” Butler said, referring to recent divisions within Southern Baptist circles.

“Evangelism has been typically the one thing that has united us when there has been a lot of controversy, and this just seemed like a good thing, a good fit.”

The rally represents a collaboration between multiple Baptist churches in the region, with Sullivan Baptist Church pastor Jeff Strong serving as host. Butler said the choice of Kingsport provides a central location accessible to churches throughout Upper East Tennessee.

The evening will feature Roc Collins, team lead for evangelism at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, and North American Mission Board vice president of evangelism Tim Dowdy as speakers. Local church choirs plan to join together for worship music throughout the event.

Collins sees the rally as more than just another church meeting.

“This is an opportunity for Tennessee Baptists to come together with a singular focus,” Collins said. “When God’s people seek God’s face with a pure heart, that is fertile soil for revival. We desperately need God to move in power across our state. This could be the meeting that sparks revival in Tennessee.”

Butler emphasized that the rally largely targets bivocational pastors and church leaders who may not have opportunities to attend larger denominational meetings or conferences.

“In Rogersville, there are two pastors that are full-time pastors, and I’m one of them,” Butler explained. “The bivocational guys often don’t get to travel and get exposed to a lot of this.”

The event will challenge attendees to identify “your one” — a specific person they will commit to praying for and sharing the gospel with. Butler said the goal is to spark greater evangelism efforts across the eight-county Upper East Tennessee region.

“My goal is I would love to see Upper East Tennessee not only lead the state, but maybe lead our nation in a passion for this,” Butler said.

Nancy Duggin, prayer catalyst for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, said she believes God is already moving behind the scenes.

“I’ve been praying Psalm 79:9 as I prepare for this rally: ‘Help us, O God our Savior for the glory of your name!’ ” Duggin said. “I believe that God has been the driving force behind John Butler’s work. We are praying in faith for God to sweep across our state as we focus on bearing fruit for His kingdom.”

Butler noted that while the numbers may seem ambitious — the national goal involves reaching one million people — the mathematics work out to just 0.3% of the U.S. population. For a city like Rogersville, with about 6,000 residents, that would translate to reaching just 18 people.

“The numbers are very doable at that 0.3%,” Butler said. “What would happen if God began to do what he has done closer to the 15, 16, or 17% that we’ve seen in other great awakenings across our nation?”

The event will conclude with two prayer times — one focused on church engagement in the campaign and another for personal commitment to pray for specific individuals.

For Butler, the rally is an opportunity for spiritual renewal.

“I have a deep desire to see revival within the context of the church,” he said. “I believe this initiative has the potential to help us spark that next great awakening.” B&R