Not long after the start of the new millennium, three men’s paths crossed at Brownsville Revival School of Ministry (BRSM) in Pensacola, Fla.
Despite having been led there by different callings, the trio formed a tight bond and fed off each other’s passion for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. As they knew would be the case, their post-education trails took them in vastly different directions as one set out to be a pastor, another an evangelist and the third a missionary.
The pastor ended up serving at churches in Louisiana and Missouri, the evangelist wound up preaching in locations all over the world, and the missionary found himself working with a group in a virtually underground situation in a third world country in Asia.
Over the years, the three kept in contact and their bond remained strong despite the significant distances that often separated them. The last time they were in same place at the same time was at the missionary’s wedding in January of 2005. But their paths will intersect again this weekend, as the pastor – Nick Melton – and the Houston Assembly of God host a three-day revival.
“This has always been a dream of ours,” Melton said. “We’re very excited about having this opportunity.”
Melton took the position in Houston about three months ago after he and his wife Ana had spent a couple of years as full-time youth pastors at Grace Community Church in Salem. Prior to that, the Meltons had lived for three years in New Orleans, with Nick working as a pipe fitter at a shipyard, and he and Ana (who is of Guatemalan descent) both serving as youth pastors at a Hispanic church.
Before that, the couple began their ministry years as youth pastors at a church in St. Louis, near where Nick grew up.
Melton roomed for a year at BRSM with the future evangelist, Kevin Smilgielski, and the missionary, Zach (whose last name is being left out this article due to the sensitive nature of the situation in the Asian country where he works; the concern is having his name and the word missionary searched for together online).
“We ended up in a tiny room, with me on the top bunk, Kevin on the bottom and Zach on a bed next to us,” Melton said. “We never once had a problem or an issue. And watching these two guys on their walks with the Lord was incredible. We became very close and we all got to see things from each other’s different perspectives. It was a great learning experience and it really inspired me.”
In his overseas missionary role (which basically goes in increments of four years, with a year off in between to raise enough money to go back for four more), Zach, his wife, and others use the cover of working for a company that teaches job skills to local residents. But he and his cohorts also keep an eye out for people with an interest in learning more.
“Where we’re at is a communist state,” Zach said, “so we can’t openly go in as missionaries. So in the eyes of the government we appear and operate as a business, but everything we do is for the purpose of reaching people for Christ or building relationships so we can introduce him later.”
Zach said the locals’ hunger for truth often results in opportunities for he and his coworkers to do their real job.
“Many of the people living there are in a place where they want to hear, and they’re sort of waiting for someone to share the message with them,” he said. “I think there have been a lot of lies told to them over the years by previous regimes, but when they’ve seen how we live our lives and see that we’re different than they were told, they immediately start asking questions like ‘why are you guys the way you are?’ and ‘why do you act the way you do?’
“Through all that and through loving them as best we can, that’s when the walls built by all the lies and propaganda they’ve heard start to fall and we’re able to meet their needs and share with them the message.”
Smigielski and Zach were best friends in high school in Toledo, Ohio. From his current base in Rochester, Mich., Smigielski has traveled to preach in numerous foreign countries, including England and Mexico.
He endured some hard times before emerging in his current role; prior to his days at BRSM, his father, mother and grandfather all died during a period of only about three months.
“It would have been easy for him to give up and become a depressant,” Melton said. “But he didn’t, and came out of it stronger than ever.”
“He had every reason to ask ‘God, why did you do this?’” Zach said. “But he stayed by the Lord – that’s one thing I’ve admired about him, is that all the difficulties never slowed him down. He knew Jesus was all he had, and that’s been his foundation. It’s been awesome to see him live that out.”
Soon after he took the pastor position in Houston, Melton felt strongly led to orchestrate a reunion in a revival setting.
“We kind of wanted to do something big for the summer during our first year here,” he said. “I talked to my wife and my advisors and they all thought it was just a great idea. We had always dreamed about doing something like this. Zach had one Sunday available, I contacted Kevin, and it all fell together.
“We’re really excited about it. I want to see God move and just see an explosion, I guess you could say.”
“It’s the realization of a dream for us,” Zach said. “We’ve all had similar passions to exalt Jesus wherever we are in the world and we’ve all had that calling on our lives. What I love about this is you have three guys who were roommates in college and then went in different directions, and for this time and this season we’re able to come together and work together for a weekend.
“I just know this is something God put together for his reasons and his purposes, and with that in mind I can only imagine what will happen.”
Nick and Ana also met at BRSM. Ana found her way there after coming to the New Orleans area at the age of 13 as the daughter in a missionary’s family. Nick said they expect their lifestyle to be less mobile for a while.
“We feel like we won’t be going anywhere anytime soon,” he said. “We’ve come to really enjoy Houston; this is a beautiful area and we just feel at home.”
The revival at the Houston Assembly of God is set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week. Friday night’s service will feature Smigielski and the Grace Community worship team. Saturday will again feature Smigielski, while the worship team from Steelville Assembly of God in Steelville, Mo., will provide music. Sunday services at 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. will feature Zach and the Houston Assembly worship team.
For more information, call 417-967-3567.