Almost 35 years ago eternity visited historic Engel Stadium in Chattanooga.
That was the time when an organization I led, the Chattanooga Resource Foundation, began to shepherd a move to have a true, city-wide, inner-racial, gospel “Crusade” in Chattanooga. (Such things are no longer called crusades. After 9/11 this faded from use.)
Over five nights, Dr. E.V. Hill filled the 7,500-person capacity stadium with people from all over the area. The Resource Foundation was founded in the 1980s by Christian business, political and philanthropic leaders. People like Pat Rose, John Popham and Hugh Maclellan were some of the members of the large Board of Directors. The vision was “Chattanooga A City for God.” Both ambitious and challenging the Resource Foundation filled many roles, created dozens of initiatives, and built bridges across denominational, theological, racial and civic lines.
Early on, many things were in our DNA. Bringing the churches together was in that native soil. To that end, one man, the late Chuck Neder of Youth Conference Ministries, came to me in 1989 and suggested that 1990 was the year to have an interracial public crusade. He even suggested the speaker, Dr. E. V Hill pastor of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Dr. Hill, a prominent black preacher, evangelist, and community leader was a friend of presidents and colleague of Billy Graham.
An invitation was extended. He accepted. The date and location set. If you have ever done a large event, you know the logistics, leadership and fundraising required. All this supported by a growing community of prayer.
Three things stand out to me. One, was the efforts of the football coach at Brainerd High School, the late Lurone Jennigs. If you knew Lurone, he loved God and loved people. One night, several busses pulled up the stadium and out poured most, if not all, of the Brainerd Football Team…most in easily identifiable school jerseys. Lurone led the way. Many, if not most, of the young men responded to the evangelistic invitation and went towards the stage in the field where second base would be. It was so powerful! If memory, is accurate, this did not go well with the leaders of the public schools and Lurone got in trouble.
Another thing that stands out is a call by Dr. Hill to collect food for the poor. This was well received. Boxes were distributed. Food collected. Tummies filled.
A third thing I remember was one night standing in the middle of the bleachers, and as was typical, there was a pledge to the Flag. I noticed that some people did not participate. I mentioned that to a pastor standing next to me—I was always looking to understand what was going on—he commented with a proud smile, “Those are my people.”
There was so much to learn. Over the next few years, we made huge efforts at facilitating racial reconciliation among blacks and whites. (Chattanooga at that time was yet to experience the many brown people that are now present and welcome.) There would be additional large evangelistic events over the next few years. The stories of pulling together the combined leadership of black and white churches was a crash course in diplomacy.
But it was good, very good. Evangelism and racial reconciliation were needed then, just like they are needed today. I am thrilled that God allowed me to be a part of this event. (I don’t think there had been a coalition or churches from different denominations and different races since Billy Graham had come in 1953.)
But for that time and for several years after thousands prayed and worked for the Shalom of the Chattanooga area, when eternity visited Engel Stadium.
Doug Daugherty
Doug Daugherty