Recently I posted two pictures on facebook of the Brunk Brother Revivals that I found in my mother’s photos. The aerial view one is dated October 5, 1952. I was born in March so obviously I do not remember that revival but I can say with almost certainity that I am a baby in that picture somewhere. I do remember a revival by the Brunks sometime around the early 1960’s. We sat on the left side facing the front, near the open side about a third of the way back. I remember being under great conviction. During the invitation, two of my second cousins (Glennys and Molly) who was sitting in front of us, went forward. I was trying to get up my nerve to join them when mother leaned over to me and told me to watch my younger siblings (Rich & Ev). She and daddy, carrying young Ed, went forward and disappeared into the vast crowd at the alter. Suddenly, instead of getting right with Jesus, I found myself baby sitting!!! The bigness of the event was very intiminating to a young adolescent and I was afraid of getting loss from my parents if I went forward. I remember robust singing with Lawrence Brunk and powerful preaching by George R. Brunk, a combination that stirred the hearts of people and changed lives.
There was quite a bit of interest and comments on facebook from people who were there as adults or children. I decided to organize the comments from James Rush’s and my page into a blog post.
Location of tent: It was determined that this picture was taken at what is now Holiday Hills. The tent was off of Chicago Ave where Rockingham Drive now is. Janet Blosser recalled when Floyd took his dad (Glendon Blosser) to see his granddaughter Jenny’s house on Rockingham Dr. he said, “I brought Dorothy Nice on a date to George Brunk’s tent right where Jenny’s house is now!” Jayne Schlabach mentioned the old VDOT building at the corner of the picture.
Later revivals were likely at different places. Ron Delp remembered the “sawdust trail” in the tent set up where the turf field at EMC (EMU) Science Center is in Park View in the late 60’s or early 70’s. Glenna Hertzler thought it was in a field on Route 11 near the Mennonite Hour building. Carol Weaver remembers it being at the edge of Park View corner and what is now Mt. Clinton Pike and the first road that goes up to meet Chicago Avenue. (This could be the same location that Ron Delp is referring to).
Quite a few people remembered these meetings: Paul Mishler was a freshman at EMC at the time. Mary Heatwole Jantzi remembers going around 1963-which is probably the one I remember. Carol Ann Weaver remembers the tremendous impact it had on her family when she was 4-5. She and her siblings have good memories of “playing” the Brunk brothers. She recalls that she usually did Lawrence since he led the singing. Kathryn L. Good remembers the revivals in Ohio before they moved to Virginia and Julia King remembers them coming to PA. Arlene Birkey and Darrell Zook recalled being in a gospel group that sang at the meetings when they attended EMHS in 1972. Gary Smucker, Judy Risser Pritchard, Mike Hertzler and Glenna Coffman Hertzler also recall memories. Sharon Keffer Druyos recalls a tent revival in the Chesapeake, Virginia Beach area with Myron Augsberger and Andrew Jantzi in the 1970’s.
A few recognized family in the first couple of rows.
- Front row left: Mary Shank Swartz identified her Lehman grandparents (circle of couple). Single man by the aisle is Enos Heatwole (he was an usher).
- Second row left: Emily Heatwole Hostetler identified her uncle David Heatwole with Mary Kate in the second row. Lois Seitz Kreider said the three boys are her brothers Ken, Del and Dave. Del is the father of Janelle Butterworth.
- Front row on the right is Oren and Margaret Heatwole. Coleen is the baby and June says she is “blur”! Oren was an usher also.
- Second row on the right: Diann Grove Beach identified her dad as the boy (maybe 10 years old) by the aisle. Next to him is hie cousin and the next one is his older brother Gene.
Sue Heatwole Anderson commented on the neatly parked cars and huge tent. She remembers attending a time or two and also listening to the revivals on the radio.
The Brunk brothers had a big presence with their booming voices and large statue. When their impressive entrounge of trucks, vans, tents and campers rolled into town with their families and staff, it created a stir and air of excitement. People were intrigued and anticipation ran high. They sensed a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit and they wanted to be a part of it.
The revivals gave renewed energy and life to the churches as people humbled themselves before God and recommited their lives to Jesus. For years afterwards, there was a strong emphasises on revival and renewal meetings in the local churches. Tim Brenneman so poignantly said, “A heart beating with conviction is the first step toward repentence. We may need a little more of that today!”
There are numerous articles on the web about the revivals, not only in Virginia but Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and across the states and Canada. There is a museum at the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harrisonburg that is very interesting.
Note: if you have any comments, memories, stories or pictures from the Harrisonburg revivals please feel free to leave me a comment. If I get enough I might do a part 2.
Other Links:
- Mennonite Heritage Center: A Watershed Moment for Local Mennonites
- George R. Brunk Tent Revival Sermon-1952
