Worshipers attend tent revival

The 10-acre Durham Ranch east of Sisters provides the backdrop for Godstock, a tent revival meeting that, according to organizers, is "looking to lead people to Jesus" over two weeks of nightly worship.

Winfield Durham, owner of Sisters Coffee and a committed Christian, is the prime mover behind the evangelistic outreach program.

The program features speakers from around the Pacific Northwest, music, dance and prayer.

Durham is particularly moved by the meeting's effect on youth, whom he sees as actively seeking salvation.

"When I was that age, I was a party animal, drinking beer and doing all the worldly things," Durham said.

Now, he and his wife Joy are third-year Bible students and active evangelists, trying to turn the tide of what they see as a declining culture.

"We're trying to take our country back for the Lord," Durham said.

On Friday, August 18, a group of Messianic Jews danced and celebrated the Shabbat, exhibiting the shared traditions of Jews and Christians. The dancers consider themselves Jews, but they believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.

The group's first dance opened with a recording of the Israeli Defence Force entering the Old City of Jerusalem during the 1967 war, with the soldiers announcing "The Temple Mount is in our hands" and "At this moment, we are passing through the Lion's Gate."

Music rose as the dancers moved to the song in Hebrew, "Blessed is He Who Comes."

The gathering was small, but represented 13 separate churches. The event continues through August 26. It is presented with the assistance of The Olive Tree Institute of Bend. The tent is located at 68885 Hurtley Ranch Road.

For more information contact the Olive Tree Institute at 388-2563.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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