The revival, led by Pastor Don MacLafferty, founder/president of In Discipleship, brought together students, faculty, church members, and visitors in an intergenerational experience of prayer, testimony, and worship. [Photos by Darren Henslop]
The revival, led by Pastor Don MacLafferty, founder/president of In Discipleship, brought together students, faculty, church members, and visitors in an intergenerational experience of prayer, testimony and worship.
From daily prayer walks at 7:30 a.m. to transformative evening meetings, attendees immersed themselves in a movement of faith that emphasized deep surrender to Christ. The week included interactive scripture study, small group discussions and a special service at Andrews Academy, where students were challenged to share their faith within 24 hours. The experience culminated in the baptism of a senior who felt God’s call in a powerful way, reinforcing the revival’s lasting impact on the next generation. MORE+ was more than a conference—it was a spiritual awakening, urging all who attended to pursue MORE+ of Jesus in their daily lives.
The journey for MORE+ began in March 2024 when Esther Knott, associate ministerial director for the North American Division, attended a Division Ministerial Directors meeting and was introduced to Pastor Don MacLafferty’s teachings on Revival and Discipleship. After weeks of extensive travel and personal spiritual struggles, she found herself yearning for more of God. She and her husband Ron committed to deepening their spiritual walk, making changes in their worship habits, media consumption and time spent on electronic devices.
Taking MacLafferty’s challenge to heart, they shared the experience with Pastor Shane Anderson and PMC's co-head elders. This initiative grew into a movement, leading small groups through the Revival and Discipleship experience. By September and October, 30 PMC elders had participated, laying the groundwork for a broader church-wide revival.
The foundation for the MORE+ revival was laid long before the first meeting began. Months of prayer by dedicated intercessors covered the Andrews campus, paving the way for God’s movement among students, faculty, and community members. MacLafferty emphasized the critical nature of this preparation, stating, “Without inviting God to move powerfully eight months before, this would have been simply an interesting interactive meeting, but with no power.”
A team of 131 prayer partners committed to praying for 10 Pioneer families each throughout February and March. Two days before the revival, MacLafferty invited these prayer partners to an afternoon meeting. Expecting around 20 attendees, Knott was overwhelmed when 70 people showed up, signaling an unprecedented hunger for revival.
It was clear from the opening night that the Holy Spirit was at work. Attendance surged as the week progressed, with more than 500 people attending nightly—twice surpassing 600. Each evening was filled with worship, in-depth scripture engagement and prayer sessions. Attendees, young and old, were not just spectators but active participants in a journey of revival.
Organizing a revival of this magnitude was not without its challenges. As Esther Knott noted, PMC operates within a busy community with numerous events competing for attention. The dates for MORE+ were carefully chosen based on the availability of key leaders, including MacLafferty. However, conflicts with a couple of university events became apparent as the revival approached.
Recognizing the significance of the movement, Dr. John Wesley Taylor, president of Andrews University, adjusted the university’s schedule to accommodate the revival. His willingness to prioritize spiritual renewal underscored the deep need for revival across the campus and community.
Looking back, Knott sees God’s providence at work. “When I was a student at Toronto Junior Academy in the early ’70s, there was a revival at Andrews University and students from Andrews came to my school to share their testimonies about Jesus. That experience had a profound impact on my young life and laid the foundation for my answering God’s call to pastoral ministry in 1980. For decades, Jesus has been waiting for us to cry out to Him so He can answer our prayer to ‘do it again.’ We have a people who are hungry and thirsty for MORE+.”
The overarching theme of MORE+ was simple yet profound: living by the Word of God, walking with Jesus, and sharing Him with others through the power of the Holy Spirit. MacLafferty urged attendees to fully surrender to Christ, holding nothing back. He described the revival as “utterly consecrating oneself to Jesus Christ, leaving nothing in your pockets, as if saving something for another time.”
One of the most striking moments occurred when young children were the first to respond to an altar call for heart transformation. As adults hesitated, unsure of whether to step forward, these children ran to the stage, knelt with their hands lifted in surrender, demonstrating an uninhibited faith that inspired the entire congregation. “A little child will lead them,” MacLafferty remarked, emphasizing how God used the children’s willingness to spark a movement of repentance and renewal among university students and adults alike.
A significant aspect of the revival was the emphasis on personal engagement with scripture and small group interaction. Rather than passively listening to a sermon, attendees were immersed in the Word, discussing passages in diverse, multi-generational groups. University students found themselves praying alongside grandparents, while children opened their Bibles next to seasoned church members.
Pastor Shane Anderson, senior pastor at PMC, noted that this approach deeply resonated with attendees. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “The cross-generational ministry that took place each night was profound and inspiring. Seeing young people, from as young as three years old to university and graduate students, actively participating was truly moving.”
Beyond the evening meetings, revival spilled into everyday campus life. Every morning at 7:30 a.m., groups gathered for prayer walks, asking God to lead them to divine appointments. These walks led them to dorms, classrooms, and even unexpected encounters with students and staff who were in need of encouragement and prayer.
One memorable morning, the group felt impressed to visit Lamson Hall, Andrews University’s women’s dormitory. As they entered, they encountered a group of students preparing to leave for a ministry trip. The prayer team surrounded them, laying hands on them and praying for their mission. The students, initially surprised, later expressed deep gratitude, stating that it was their first time going on such a mission and that the prayers had given them confidence and peace.
The revival extended beyond the university to Andrews Academy, where a last-minute opportunity arose for Pastor MacLafferty to speak to high school students. Students eagerly embraced Pastor MacLafferty’s challenge to share their testimonies within 24 hours, using a silver coin as a symbol of trust in God’s provision. The following day, the usual 20-minute chapel service turned into an hour-and-a-half session filled with stories of faith and divine appointments.
One senior, deeply moved by what she had witnessed, approached Pastor MacLafferty and asked to be baptized—a commitment she had felt called to make five years earlier but had never acted upon. Seeing the Spirit move among her peers reignited that calling, and the very next day, she was baptized, sealing her decision to follow Christ fully.
The MORE+ revival was not just an event—it was a movement of God among His people. Testimonies of healing, reconciliation, and bold faith continue to emerge, demonstrating that the Spirit’s work is ongoing.
For Knott, the defining moment came when people kept streaming into the sanctuary on opening night. “It was hard to hold back the tears. We have a community that is hungry for MORE+.”
As one attendee reflected, “What if the latter rain falls here on our church and in our community? What if we have such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit here and now that it grows and spreads around the world?”
Stanton Witherspoon is a freelance journalist based in Berrien Springs.
