Driving through Hughes County, Oklahoma, I passed a tent revival pitched by the side of a two-lane state highway. I whipped a U-ey right there in the middle of the road and circled back to snap a few pictures. It was around 10:30 a.m. and the sun had climbed high enough for the day’s warmth to settle in. The soft, early-morning light I love so much was gone, but the harsh noon blazed had not yet arrived. As I pulled up to the tent, I noticed a woman sitting alone beneath the canvas, her prayers undisturbed by me and my Jeep rolling slowly over the gravel.
Meet Me in the Water
I searched the Internet for information about the revival, but didn’t find anything. I did, however, discover that nearly 1,500 people were baptized in April in Fitzhugh, which is located in Pontotoc County. The baptisms were done by Kayla Marie Gabbard, Meet Me in the Water and spanned two days. Here is a video of the event. It’s very moving, especially around 15:42.
“I will never forget witnessing that demon flee from my husband,” the man’s wife wrote. “It all made sense once we got in the water!”
The sheer agony on the faces of the Oklahomans in these pictures is painfully familiar. (Scroll to April 2025.) I see these faces everywhere I go. They are worn thin by poverty, addiction, broken families, fatherlessness, and the slow grind of joblessness, low wages, and underemployment. The sorrow is unmistakeable. Revival is needed here, everywhere. The people in these pictures experienced Hope in Christ, the deep, unwavering assurance that the future is not only secure, but filled with purpose, redemption, and eternal life. For more videos check out Gabbard’s TikTok.
Cornerstone
Revivals were a cornerstone of my childhood in the Church of the Nazarene. We had them every fall and spring, and again during the summer at camp meetings. I always looked forward to those services, especially the music, and the testimonies people shared after being saved. Still, they never quite measured up to the tent revivals my parents remembered from their youth. As members of the Silent Generation, they spent my entire life longing for those days. That yearning always unsettled me, but that’s a story for another time.
History of Tent Revivals in Oklahoma
Few religious experiences are as uniquely American or as distinctly Oklahoma as the tent revival. Rooted in the fervent spirit of the early 20th century, tent revivals swept across the plains and prairies, bringing fiery sermons, gospel music, and community under the shelter of circus-like tents. The make-shift houses of worship were pitched in fields and small-town lots. In Oklahoma, these gatherings became powerful tools for spiritual renewal and social unity.
Great Depression and Dust Bowl
The history of the tent revival in Oklahoma begins during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era, when itinerant preachers would travel from town to town, setting up tents and drawing crowds with the promise of healing, hope, and salvation. These revivals often lasted days, sometimes weeks, and were fueled by charismatic leaders and gospel choirs. Local farmers and townspeople, many of whom were struggling financially, found solace in the messages preached under the hot canvas.
One notable moment in Oklahoma’s tent revival history came during the post-war Pentecostal movement of the 1940s and 1950s. Evangelists like Oral Roberts, born in Pontotoc County, by the way, got their start preaching in tents before gaining national fame. His healing crusades drew thousands and helped solidify Oklahoma as a hub of modern charismatic Christianity.
Catholic Tent Revivals
As a convert to Catholicism, I wondered if there were any Catholic tent revivals in Oklahoma. Although rare, outdoor services did occur. In the 1930s, the Diocese of Oklahoma City occasionally sponsored outdoor, open-air Masses in rural communities that lacked churches. These events were less fiery than their Protestant counterparts, focusing instead on catechesis and sacraments. One documented case near McAlester involved a Jesuit priest, Rev. Paul Ponsiglione, setting up a small canvas structure where Latin Mass was held for a crowd of devout Catholics and curious Protestants alike.
Today, the legacy of the tent revival continues. From rural roadside gatherings to modern-day charismatic meetings, the tent remains a symbol of open-air worship and spiritual awakening in America. Meet me in the water.
