The Brownsville Revival, also known as the Pensacola Outpouring, was a Christian revival movement that began on Father’s Day, June 18, 1995, at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. This event, which attracted millions of people from around the world, became a notable phenomenon within the Pentecostal movement.
Two years prior, in 1993, pastor John Kilpatrick initiated a period of prayer for revival within his congregation. He often spoke about revival and even threatened to leave if the church did not embrace it. This anticipation was further fueled by a prophecy from David Yonggi Cho, a prominent pastor in South Korea, who claimed God told him a revival would start in Pensacola and spread across the United States.
The revival’s official start came on June 18, 1995, when evangelist Steve Hill was invited to speak. Kilpatrick and Hill later recounted that a “mighty wind” blew through the church. Hill, who had planned to travel to Russia, canceled his plans and stayed to preach several times a week for the next five years.
As the revival gained momentum, the church opened its doors for services five nights a week to accommodate the growing number of attendees. People often camped overnight or waited in the parking lot before dawn to get a seat in the packed sanctuary.
A key feature of the services was the profound emotional and physical responses from attendees. People would rush to the altar in repentance after Hill’s sermons. Many experienced what was known as being “slain in the Spirit,” where they would fall to the ground and sometimes lie there for hours. Other physical manifestations included shaking and trembling.
As the revival continued, claims of supernatural healings were reported alongside testimonies of salvation. Hill stated that miraculous healings were occurring and that cancerous tumors and drug addictions were disappearing. However, the church did not keep records of these claims.
The revival’s influence extended beyond the local church. The leaders launched a ministry called “Awake America” and held similar meetings in other cities. The Brownsville Revival School of Ministry was established to train new leaders, enrolling over 1,000 people by 2000. Many pastors who visited Brownsville returned to their own churches, leading to “mini-revivals” elsewhere.
One such offshoot was the Smithton Outpouring in Smithton, Missouri. Led by pastor Steve Gray, a former visitor to Brownsville, this revival was not connected to the Assemblies of God and drew an estimated 250,000 visitors over three years.
The main phase of the Brownsville Revival began to conclude around 2000 when Steve Hill left to pursue other ministry work. A year later, there was a split between the church’s leadership and the leadership of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry. This led to the formation of a new institution, the F.I.R.E. School of Ministry.
Throughout its existence, the revival faced significant criticism. The Pensacola News Journal published a series of investigative articles questioning the revival’s finances and the authenticity of its miraculous claims. The newspaper’s findings suggested that the revival was more planned than spontaneous. Critics also scrutinized the luxurious lifestyles of the leaders, including Kilpatrick’s expensive home and motor coach, as well as discrepancies in Hill’s autobiography and financial statements.
Key Sources:
Allman, J. W. (1997, November 17). Kilpatrick rules over revival. The Pensacola News Journal.
Crann, A. (1997, November 17). Sadness, fear fill members who left Brownsville. The Pensacola News Journal.
The Pensacola News Journal. (1997, November 16). Secrets inside the revival.
Rabey, S. (2003). Brownsville Revival: Five Years Later. Christian Broadcasting Network.
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