By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Leaders of Any One in Knoxville were, from left, Kevin Perrigan, director, Carson Springs Baptist Conference; Jeff Williamson, Impact camp director; Brent Beeler, minister of youth, New Hopewell Baptist Church, Knoxville; Robbie Robison, evangelist of Nashville; and Keith Jones, minister to students, City View Baptist Church, Knoxville, and volunteer with Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
KNOXVILLE — Brent Beeler, Knoxville minister of youth, knew God might be up to something when in August he along with some other youth ministers were asked by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at South-Doyle High School to meet with them.
Just a few weeks earlier he had been asked to help the Tennessee Baptist Convention hold a rally at the school.
The FCA leaders asked him and the other ministers to help them start a revival in the school and community. The students explained that they had been talking over the summer about revival via a group chat and praying about it.
Beeler waited for the right moment and then announced — “Your prayers have been answered.” He went on to tell them about the rally. The students were thrilled as they realized their prayers had been answered.
Then Beeler told them the name of the rally, “Any One.”
Beeler saw shock on their faces. None of the students spoke for many seconds.
Finally, a student told Beeler that just a few weeks earlier, they had changed the name of FCA to “Fellowship of Christian Anybody.”
“Hallelujah,” exclaimed Paul Brooks, copresident of the FCA. Brooks, a member of New Sevier Home Baptist Church, Knoxville, explained later, “and people don’t shout in our church. … God had just done something that no one expected.”
“We were shocked,” said copresident Nate Wilkerson. Several students were moved to tears.
“To say that all of us had goosebumps would be an understatement,” recalled Beeler.
Recently, after weeks of work on Any One, the FCA members admitted they had faced obstacles. Beeler noted that many personally invited members of the school, which has about 1,100 students, to attend. The FCA has about 60 members. They also distributed cards and posted posters provided by Beeler’s church.
Luke Fall, an FCA member, said they relied on Acts 5:39 — “But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God. …” Wilkerson added that they “expected obstacles” from the devil.
The plan is for “a movement,” not just an event, added Olivia Snapp of the FCA and Stock Creek Baptist Church, Knoxville.
They also want to help students who “claim to be Christians to be drawn to Him,” said Wilkerson, who is a member of Mount Olive Baptist Church, Knoxville. “It starts with us. He (God) can start a revival in Knoxville which will move through our state and throughout our country.”
“We want to start a movement towards Him … towards loving Him. We want to be devoted rather than committed. … We hope that this won’t stop,” added Brooks.
“From day one this has been God. It has had God all over it. This has nothing to do with New Hopewell or anything else. This community needs to know Christ,” said Beeler.
“This whole thing has been a blessing from the start,” he concluded.
