Brownsville Assembly of God Church in Pensacola, Florida, became internationally known after an unusual spiritual eruption began there in 1995, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Brownsville Revival. Today, the church’s history is defined both by the intensity of that movement and by the later decline in attendance, leadership changes, strained relationships, financial burdens, and disappointment among former members.
The revival brought worshipers from around the world to services that often lasted past midnight, but more than 10 years after the Pensacola Outpouring, the church had shrunk to fewer than 400 attendees and owed millions of dollars for a building it could no longer fill. The story of Brownsville Assembly of God therefore includes both the lasting influence of its revival ministry and the difficult questions raised by its aftermath.
The beginning of the Brownsville Revival
In 1995, an unusual spiritual eruption occurred at the nondescript Pentecostal church in Pensacola, Fla. The rumor was that God had visited the quiet Southern town. In the early days of the revival, the faithful came by bus, car and airplane from all over the world.
Eager worshipers waited for hours in the sweltering humidity to get a seat for 7 p.m. services that often lasted past midnight. When evangelist Steve Hill finished his nightly sermons-in which he demanded repentance from spiritual compromise-the majority of people in the auditorium would run to the front of the church and bury their faces in the floor.
Wailing was commonly heard during those meetings. Some people shook under the weight of conviction. It did not matter if you were a drug addict needing conversion or a pastor living in secret sin-everyone found forgiveness, and an unusual sense of refreshing in that holy place.
What worshipers experienced at Brownsville
“The Holy Spirit is easily quenched by pride, greed, selfish religious agendas, and broken relationships.” The services were marked by intense prayer, public repentance, emotional responses, and a strong emphasis on spiritual renewal.
One visitor described arriving not only as a reporter, but also as a hungry seeker. The experience became personally transformative: “My life was changed there. I wept in the carpet, and repented for my journalistic cynicism.”
One night, in the midst of all the pandemonium near the stage, I ran over to where Hill was praying. He grabbed my head and screamed, “Fire! Fire! More, Lord!” I was one of the thousands who fell backward on that floor.
I was not pretending. I felt as if God had placed a heavy blanket of His presence on top of me. I don’t question whether the Holy Spirit was in that place.
Why the revival became controversial
More than 10 years after the Pensacola Outpouring occurred, questions remained about what happened to the church that had hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors. The church had shrunk to a few hundred members and owed millions of dollars for a building they could not fill.
Questions also arose about why so many people who had once been part of the Brownsville church later felt hurt and betrayed. The movement’s decline was connected in the account to leadership changes, strained relationships, resignations, debts, and disappointment.
History shows us that revival is always risky. The devil opposes it, and carnal flesh gets in the way of it. The Holy Spirit is easily quenched by pride, greed, selfish religious agendas, and broken relationships.
The account does not claim to determine exactly what brought Brownsville’s demise. Instead, it argues that the church must face the facts and learn some lessons, or the same scenario may be repeated the next time revival comes.
Leadership tensions and the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry
It is no secret that relationships among various leaders at the Brownsville church were strained to the breaking point. Michael Brown, once the leader of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry (BRSM), was fired in 2000 and then started his own training center that he eventually moved to North Carolina.
BRSM in its heyday had an enrollment of 1,200 students. That number shrank to 120 this year. The church later announced that the ministry school would relocate to Louisiana, where it would be directed by revivalist Tommy Tenney.
“One of the lasting legacies of the Brownsville revival is the school,” Tenney said, noting that graduates are doing missionary work in 122 countries. One alumnus, in fact, was instrumental in discovering an unevangelized people group in Indonesia.
| Aspect | Information |
|---|---|
| Revival began | 1995 |
| BRSM enrollment at its height | 1,200 students |
| BRSM enrollment later reported | 120 students |
| Countries where graduates were doing missionary work | 122 countries |
| Later church attendance | Below 400 |
That is thrilling news. But my heart is still grieved that the church where this marvelous outpouring occurred is now a burned-out shell.
Pastoral changes after the revival
The pastor of the church during the revival, John Kilpatrick, resigned in 2003 and told parishioners he planned to remain at the church in an apostolic role. Kilpatrick installed Randy Feldschau as the new pastor.
Then this year Kilpatrick shocked the congregation by starting a new church in Daphne, Ala., 50 miles west of Pensacola. Feldschau resigned a few months ago and moved to Texas, and Brownsville’s attendance has dipped below 400.
One former staff member said that a large group of Brownsville members now attended a local Southern Baptist church in the city, while many others did not attend anywhere.
“People have been leaving for three or four years,” the pastor said. “Some are not in church at all, including some who were on staff. I don’t know anyone who has not been hurt.”
The church’s continuing ministry
Brownsville Assembly Of God welcomes neighbors across Pensacola with weekly worship, Bible study, and community care rooted in Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) teaching. Its regular ministry includes Sunday worship, Wednesday worship and prayer, and small groups on campus.
Visitors can expect friendly and authentic people, engaging and relevant music and worship, compelling preaching from the Bible and an opportunity to encounter God. You will be encouraged and maybe even challenged. Expect to hear about Jesus. Expect honesty. Expect exceptional love.
The church meets every Sunday at 10:30am, with all times given as central time, and every Wednesday at 6pm for Worship & Prayer in the Sanctuary. Small Groups are available on Campus.
Office Hours are Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 12pm.
Online services
Brownsville Assembly of God streams its services live every Sunday at 10:30am, central time. The online experience is interactive: viewers can chat with other people watching the stream, follow along in scriptures, and give in the offering.
The meaning of the revival’s legacy
At one point during the heyday of the movement, Korean pastor David Yonggi Cho announced from Brownsville’s pulpit that the revival “would last until Jesus comes.” Certainly the fruit of this revival will remain that long.
For those in Pensacola who were swept up in the ecstasy of the early years, and then endured splits, resignations, debts, and disappointments, the word “revival” later had a hollow ring to it.
Still, the revival left a legacy through the people who experienced spiritual renewal, the missionaries trained through the ministry school, and the graduates serving in countries around the world. The history of Brownsville Assembly of God also remains a warning about the responsibility of leaders and congregations when a movement grows rapidly.
The central question is not only whether revival can begin, but whether relationships, leadership, accountability, financial responsibilities, and pastoral care can sustain the people gathered by it.
Still, my heart cries: “Lord, do it again.” Next time He does, I pray we will carry the ark the way God intended-and keep our hands off of it.
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