It is with mixed emotions I write today’s message to my Oklahoma family. After nearly 15 years as the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma’s (BGCO) prayer and spiritual awakening specialist, my wife and I sense God’s calling to a major shift in our ministry. While I will remain an official prayer consultant for BGCO, the Lord is calling us to devote full-time attention to Gregory Frizzell Prayer and Renewal Ministries which was formed in 2001. This non-profit corporate is a publishing ministry that targets prayer, revival, evangelism and global missions.
Words cannot express my appreciation to Dr. Jordan and the BGCO for 15 years of the most blessed and fruitful years of our lives! Without Oklahoma, we would not be poised for an expanded ministry to strategic mission fields. While Oklahoma and America will remain ground zero for promoting books on spiritual awakening, the focus now expands to many unreached people groups. Yet in a real sense, our expanded ministry will always be just an extension of Oklahoma Baptists. A brief look back highlights God’s merciful grace.
How the journey began
It seems only yesterday when Dr. Jordan visited with me in January 2001 in Memphis, Tenn. It was and is his vision to put a major focus on prayer and spiritual awakening. My heart swells with joy when I think back on our journey to Oklahoma. When we first came to Oklahoma, we had only a small glimpse of what God intended. At that time, we had five published books in just one language. Through the opportunities the BGCO so graciously provided, there are now more than 40 books in multiple languages. As part of my work, I began prayerful research on what was needed for modern churches to see sweeping revival and evangelism.
Over time, it became clear the need was more than some occasional prayer and repentance emphases. In today’s churches, true lasting revival will require a strengthening of foundational patterns in believers, families and churches. About 10 years ago, the Lord led me to start writing a series of foundational resources churches can work through chronologically over one to two years. The tools address all key areas related to prayer, evangelism, family relationships, revival and spiritual warfare. Two sets of books are nearing completion. The two, seven-book sets are: The Empowered Believers Series and The Empowered Leaders Series. All of the books will be in English and strategic languages.
God’s blessing on the journey
As we look back on the 15 years, a few blessings stand out among so many. First and foremost are the hundreds of conferences we have been privileged to conduct in Oklahoma churches and associations. No doubt, those conferences are the highlight of my life! Because of Oklahoma’s missions mindset, the ministry also became global. Over a four-year period, two books were given to every newly appointed International Mission Board missionary. Five thousand books were distributed to Southern Baptist missionaries. To God’s praise, more and more seminaries are using certain of the books for training pastors.
One of the books, Returning to Holiness has grown to more than 40 languages. To date, more than a million books have been mailed out through the BGCO Office of Prayer. Well exceeding a million additional books have been printed by believers in foreign lands. Because multiple believers read a book in most mission fields, it is estimated that more than 3 million people have read books from the BGCO Office of Prayer. All has been done at little or no profit. Monies collected have gone to develop, print and distribute additional books. One image I will never forget was preaching and distributing 30,000 Returning to Holiness books on a single Sunday morning in a huge church in southern India. All of this was possible only by God’s grace and Oklahoma’s strong heart for missions. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank Dr. Jordan and Oklahoma Baptists!
A look at the journey ahead
As we near completion of The Empowered Believers and Leaders Series, the goal is to see revival, spiritual awakening and evangelism flow from stronger foundations that can last. In His mercy, the Lord has provided a unique opportunity to get all 14 books translated and distributed to key foreign mission fields and struggling churches in the U.S.
From the start, we sensed God’s leading to make books easily affordable in the U.S. and mostly free to strategic missions countries. Though we yet have need of some additional funding, we are looking to the Lord Who has no limits. Our commitment to provide affordable resources will continue. What will also continue is our commitment to labor for revival and awakening in Oklahoma and America. One thing is certain, revival does not mostly depend on a prayer office or certain tools but on the capable convention leaders and pastors all across our state. In that regard I am confident and excited for Oklahoma Baptists!
Oklahoma remains our home
I am honored to remain an official consultant with the BGCO and my wife and I will keep our home office in Oklahoma City. We are profoundly grateful to Oklahoma City, Quail Springs for providing us a central office. We are also very grateful to Oklahoma City, Britton Road for major storage space. I will remain available for conferences with BGCO churches as well as special projects for the convention.
A most exciting option is our ability to partner with individual churches (or people) to provide resources to unreached groups. We actually have the capacity for a church or individual to write their personal testimony or a message as the foreword of a particular book they translate and distribute to certain people groups. In that way, these high impact projects give churches and/or individuals a direct connection to specific people, villages or nations.
Our new contact information
Naturally, my shift from specialist to consultant will mean some changes in contact information. Please see our ministry website, www.frizzellministres.org, for further information on Gregory Frizzell Prayer and Renewal Ministries and the Restored Foundations Initiative. To contact me directly Oklahomans can use my cell number 405/990-3730. I would love to share more information about the opportunities for touching our world. Above all, I am honored to do conferences and provide prayer/renewal tools for Oklahoma believers and churches. I can also be contacted through info@frizzellministries.org.
While we are deeply excited by the opportunity before us, it is a huge step of faith. One thing is certain—we cannot do it without the partnership of individual believers and churches. None of what has transpired would have been possible without Oklahoma Baptists. That will continue to be true in the days ahead. In fact, we will need our Oklahoma friends now more than ever. As we embrace this new journey, revival in Oklahoma shall ever-remain our heart and prayer. To God be all glory and praise!