A local Plant City church is making it its mission to change the world one major evangelical crusade at a time.
Jack Myers and his wife Marie are senior pastors at Plant City’s Life Family Church. Myers has been in
the ministry for 23 years, has a doctorate degree, has authored three books and has ministered to thousands across the globe. His church serves as a place of worship and also houses Life Christian University.
“For years, crusaders have been talking about reaching an entire nation in one day,” Myers said. “We were just the ones that decided to do it. We partner with a variety of other evangelists and spread across an entire country for a massive evangelism. It’s unusual even within itself because you so rarely see ministries coming together in any form, let alone this scale.”
Mission work is a large premise of Life Family Church. Even with the university, the students are required to serve at their home church rather than join the ranks of Myers’s congregation.
Myers said he was saved at 12 years old and knew he was called to be a pastor. While at a ministers’ conference in Chicago he met Daniel King, a crusader who was headed to Haiti. Myers joined him on the trip where they met a crusade director from the Dominican Republic. One year later they had planned a massive crusade to the Dominican that drew more than 40,000 attendees.
From there the work continued to grow. Though Myers said the church prefers to fly under the radar, the word is spreading of its unique work. He was recently recognized at a city commission meeting for his work abroad.
Last year the church brought the mission to its hometown. It rented Plant City Stadium and did a large Easter gathering, packing the stands for the event. They gave away 30,000 eggs and more than 2,5000 attended. Myers said 125 people gave professions of faith and 25 were baptized.
“We spearhead, we pioneer,” Myers said. “We like to set the stage, do all the groundwork so others can come behind us and continue the movement.”
When picking locations for upcoming evangelist festivals Myers said they tend to lean toward countries that have little to no Christian influence. The strategy is one repeated frequently in similar campaigns and echoes the sentiment of Matthew 24:14, where it is said once all nations are reached “then shall the end come.”
The response internationally has been immense. Depending on the trip an average of 5,000 to 60,000 will flock to the gathering. Myers said the day is full of worship and teaching and he attests to them performing faith healing to those in need.
The church should be mimicking the teachings of the book of Acts, Myers said. Those who get too wrapped up in doctrine or rules miss the point of scripture. He said he firmly believes a revival is on its way for the American church, that we will soon see a “third great awakening.”
“I think Christians are disgruntled with modern-day religion,” Myers said. “The American life is an easy life. America is the greatest nation in the world, but most have never left the country. They’ve never seen a life different from their own and that’s shocking when they go abroad.”
The group often partners with medical teams and makes it a mission to meet the “natural needs as well as the spiritual needs” when serving.
Anyone interested in joining Life Family Church should call 813-708-2783 or visit lifefamilychurch.net or jackmyersministry.com. The university is starting enrollment and more information can be found at the church’s website. Services are Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Lifegroup is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.