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Stafford event lifts spirits
People find peace at Christian event in Stafford County
Date published: 4/6/2009
By DAN TELVOCK When Roger Joyner was 2 years old, his dad committed suicide. "The day my mother went to have the abortion is the day my father killed himself," Joyner said. The 31-year-old is now the leader of the House of Prayer on Haight Street in San Francisco. The long-haired, tattooed Joyner visited Stafford County for a four-day prayer event that ended yesterday. He spread the word of Jesus Christ and shared how he found his spiritual path while enduring a painful past. In a sprawling white tent pitched at Sherwood Forest Farm off State Route 3, Joyner found himself on Palm Sunday surrounded by Christians, many with their own stories of pain and redemption through Christ. More than 1,200 people--primarily young adults--attended the Awaken the Dawn event, which was presented for the fifth year by the Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace. Joyner's radical testimony of his own life and his own faith brought tears to those listening and sent shock waves through Dylan DeBruin, 20. DeBruin is from Detroit but now lives with two families in the Fredericksburg area. Joyner called to DeBruin in the crowd, and he came forward and sat on the straw-padded ground in front of the stage. The young man immediately began to weep. DeBruin also became fatherless at the age of 2. His dad was murdered in Detroit and DeBruin said his mother was sentenced to life in prison for the crime--a murder he says she did not commit. Since then, he has been in and out of foster care and orphanages. He has been homeless. He was a drug addict. He was an outcast. He had no identity. DeBruin said his tribulations essentially robbed him of his childhood. He tried loving people with his own strength, but nothing worked until he found Christ, he said. "I think I will always have pain in my life," he said. "You can't love without pain." DeBruin's and Joyner's paths have crossed before; DeBruin calls Joyner his godfather. For nearly two hours, Joyner's voice blasted through a microphone as he talked about his own tragic childhood, his troubled past as a racist gang member and how his mission yesterday was to honor DeBruin with prayer.
Date published: 4/6/2009
not a cult
(posted by
bcurry
, Apr. 9, 2009 9:01 am)
I have pastored for over 30 years in the Fredericksburg area. I currently serve as one of the co-directors for the Prayer Furnace, I can personally affirm the integrity and genuine compassion of every one of the leaders and organizers of "Awaken the Dawn". The Prayer Furnace is NOT a cult by any objective criteria.
I was on the front row when the above pictures were taken. The child was hardly traumatized, she never cried and was only apprehensive as any child her age would be in unfamilar surroundings
Some suggestions
(posted by
bcurry
, Apr. 9, 2009 7:33 am)
I'm concerned about the spirit of many of these comments. It is certainly approriate to expose dangerous cults but to do so you must first know what a cult is. Here are some excellent resources http://www.apologeticsinfo.org/bibliographies/cults.html
I suspect that many if not all of those who wrote negative comments did not attend the conference and were not there when the picture was taken. Is it fair to make such sweeping judgments based on a few pictures and a brief article?
Dear Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace
(posted by
Jcm61299
, Apr. 8, 2009 6:43 pm)
Dear Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace. Keep the fire on the altar burning. May it never go out. There are many in this city that support you and that will stand with you. Others (like IHOP – ihop.org) have gone through this same persecution and are now seeing God’s favor in their cities.
Awesome!
(posted by
Jcm61299
, Apr. 8, 2009 6:42 pm)
This is awesome! The Bible says that we will be persecuted!
Jesus, we want nothing but You.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. - Mat 5.11-12
Awesome
(posted by
Jcm61299
, Apr. 8, 2009 6:30 pm)
This is awesome! Jesus promised that people on the right track would be persecuted!
Jesus, we want nothing but You.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. - Matthew 5.11-12
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