By Raegan Turner | Staff Writer
Sunday marked the first night of FM72, an ongoing worship and prayer event coordinated by Baptist Student Ministries. Students gathered on Fountain Mall to kick off the three-day event with two hours of petition, praise and preaching.
Dallas junior Sam Hotz was eager to come and experience the movement after hearing about it at Highland Baptist Church. Not only was Hotz part of the crowd, but he also served in the prayer tent with his BYX fraternity brothers.
“I went to FM72 because my church had talked about it, and it seemed like a really cool thing to be a part of. It seemed like one of those things that if you missed it, you would miss out on a big piece of history. I wanted to see where God was moving on this campus, and I also volunteered at the prayer tent and got my fraternity to do that as well, so that was pretty cool.”
Nightly gatherings have been planned for 8 to 10 p.m. until Wednesday. Speakers at these times include Jonathan “JP” Pokluda, Jennie Allen, Jonathan Tremaine Thomas and Harrison Ross. They will be accompanied in worship by Jay Thomas, Jimmy McNeal, Jaleesa McCreary and other local worship leaders.
The FM72 website states the vision for the event as a time of asking God to bring “revival and renewal” to Baylor’s campus as well as the Waco community. A source of inspiration for this was a similar movement that occurred in the spring of 1945 where Baylor students prayed for revival for 90 days straight. The effects of this were seen across Texas and the south, reaching as Hawaii. Two large ministries, the Journeyman mission program and the Passion conference, were started as a result of this initiative and are still active today.
College ministry leaders and students from multiple churches and organizations have partnered in order to bring this shared idea to fruition. Many have changed their regularly scheduled meeting times and locations in order to coincide with the FM72 evening sessions.
Unity between ministries was not the only solidarity on display; students attending surrounding collegiate institutions, mainly Texas State Technical College and McLennan County College, were worshipping alongside their Baylor counterparts. MCC sophomore Angelica Castillo learned about FM72 from Antioch Community Church and was excited to return for the upcoming night sessions.
“Tonight at FM72, man, God moved. It was so powerful to see all of the nations as students come together as one. Everyone should come again tomorrow. Literally these next couple of days are going to be crazy,” Castillo said.
Along with hosting nighttime celebrations, Fountain Mall has become home to a stage as well as multiple prayer tents that are operating 24 hours a day. Volunteers are stationed in and around the tents in order to provide a student-driven, community atmosphere where those passing by feel encouraged to stop and participate in praying for themselves and others.
FM72 Schedule
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
8 p.m. Fountain Mall, Baylor University
Worship led by Jaye Thomas, associate worship pastor, Connection Point Church, Kansas City
Speaker: Jonathan “JP” Pokluda, lead pastor, Harris Creek Baptist Church, Waco
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
8 p.m. Fountain Mall, Baylor University
Worship led by Jaye Thomas
Speaker: Jonathan Tremaine “JT” Thomas, Youth/Young Adults Pastor, Destiny Church, St. Louis; founder, Civilrighteousness.org
