Worshippers in the Cali Bull Fighting Ring, site of the Evangelistic Rally

General Superintendent Jerry D. Porter recently joined the congregation at the Cali, Colombia House of Prayer Church of the Nazarene in a massive effort to fulfill the mission of the Church of the Nazarene: to make Christlike disciples in the nations.

They gathered at the Cali Bull Fighting Ring on Sunday morning, November 5, 2007, to pray and spiritually prepare for the rally. “These good leaders marched outside around the stadium praying with their hands lifted high,” Dr. Porter said. “Then we gathered inside to march up and down the bleachers praying for the evangelism rally.”

Buses carrying worshippers began to arrive at 3:00 p.m. Several had set high goals to bring large numbers of people to the rally, especially the unsaved. The pastor’s son and another young man worked to bring 1,000 people each from the cell network they lead.

Eventually the stadium was filled with 13,000 people. High-energy worship included powerful praise led by the House of Prayer church praise team and band and a visiting Puerto Rican pastor in concert. Dr. Porter preached on contrasting the choices of the rich young ruler, who rejected Christ and went away sad, and Zacchaeus, who embraced new life in Christ and went forth in joy.

At the evangelistic invitation to prayer, over 3,000 persons stood. When those who were embracing Christ as Lord for the first time were asked to remain standing, nearly 1,100 testified to newfound faith.

New decisions were registered and recorded. The House of Prayer’s follow-up team made a phone call to each of these new converts within the first 24 hours and a personal visit within four days. All new converts were urged to attend one of more than 2,000 discipleship cell groups across the city of Cali. Their goal is to improve their retention rate from 35 percent to 50 percent of all converts being discipled into leadership.

In addition, the House of Prayer Church of the Nazarene hosted the Master’s Plan convention November 1-4. This bilingual conference drew people from many areas, including more than 100 district superintendents, pastors, and leaders from the USA, to learn the principles of discipleship that have aided this church in growing from 200 in attendance seven years ago to more than 11,000 each Sunday in worship attendance today.

“It was an inspiring time to learn about this church’s passion to win, consolidate, disciple, and commission their people,” said Dr. Porter. “I celebrate what the Lord is doing in this community of faith!”