On September 15, 1999 Hurricane Floyd was moving up the East Coast at the same time hundreds of people were coming to Washington to urge the reintroduction of the Religious Freedom Amendment.

Months in advance, the Religious Freedom Coalition had reserved the main area of the Capitol Building facing the National Mall for a major event promoting school prayer. The preparations and cost were staggering.

When an event is held at the Capitol nothing is provided other than the normal security of the Capitol Police. All stages, media platforms, sound equipment and even chairs must be provided by the group’s organizers. In advance the Religious Freedom Coalition had signed contracts for the construction of a stage and the placement of hundreds of chairs for the elderly. Buses had been arranged form various places as far away as New York and Georgia.

During all of our planning for the school prayer rally the Washington, DC area, including Maryland and Virginia had been experiencing the worse drought of this century. There had been virtually no rain and all of Maryland and most Virginia counties had placed restrictions on water use.

EVERY CHURCH IN THE AREA WAS PRAYING FOR RAIN!

God answers prayers and the rain came in the form of Hurricane Floyd. The day our rally was scheduled in Washington there was twelve inches of rain. Up to the day of the Hurricane Washington had not had that much rain all year! My lawn had turned brown because the county passed an ordinance that we could not use water for lawns at all.

Now there was rain everywhere and there was no way to cancel the event. The buses had been paid for. Hundreds of people had each paid to charter the buses they were going to ride on. The stage, chairs and sound equipment had been paid for. Several Gospel groups had already brought their own special buses and trucks with instruments and equipment to Washington. We had to go ahead with the rally.

One Wednesday, September 15th it was raining when I got up and had been raining all night. We had prayed for a break in the rain, but thousands of farmers were praying that the rain would refill their water tanks, help their dried up crops and grow grass for their live stock. The rain was simply much needed in the area.

By the time I got to Capitol Hill at 11:00 a.m., the buses had been on their way for hours. By noon, buses were arriving and those faithful to His Word streamed onto the Capitol grounds to sing and pray in the rain. But, the sound equipment could not be set up. As the starting time of 2:00 p.m. approached, we had to move the event to the Bible Way Church at the corner of New York and New Jersey Avenues in Washington. Bible Way Church had the largest sanctuary available within a ten minute drive of the Capitol.

The Religious Freedom Coalition staff feverishly worked to move the people, cameras, sound equipment and the media to the new location. Congressmen who were scheduled to speak including Majority Leader Dick Armey had to be informed. The Capitol Police, who provide special security for Congressman Armey and Congressman DeLay, had to rush to the church to secure the building for them.

We changed the program to make it work! The Gospel music had been set for 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and the speakers from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. We kept the speakers program the same and moved the music after the speakers.

As the three o’clock hour began the opening prayer was said and the event was on as planned!

Eight buses had shuttled almost everyone to the church. The video crews had made it and were set up in the balcony. The newspapers including the Washington Times and Washington Post were there as well as several radio stations. Dick Armey’s personal security arrived even before the program began.

The rally was opened by thanking God for His grace, for the much needed rain that had been need by the region and for the church He had provided for us for the rally! PRAISE GOD FOR HE IS A GOOD GOD THAT DOES INDEED PROVIDE FOR OUR NEEDS!

Mrs. Ruth Reider of the Daughters of Zion came all the way from

New Mexico to speak. Her organization is mobilizing the Western United States for the school prayer amendment. Rev. Peyton, a man of God, who was once a member of the murderous Black Panthers, spoke to the need for the love of God in the schools.

When Majority Whip Tom DeLay spoke, I thought the roof would come down. He was interrupted many times by shouts and applause. When DeLay was done I made the statement that he had missed his calling because he is more preacher than he is politician. Congressman DeLay’s full presentation will be made available on video. (Tom DeLay’s Internet site is located at www.tomdelay.house.gov)

After several men and women spoke of the need for God, and for prayer in our schools, Congressman Ernest Istook announced the reintroduction of the Religious Freedom Amendment. As he spoke, Congressman Istook pointed out that one of the worst enemies of freedom of religious speech, the "Rev." Barry Lynn had come to the rally.

Congressman Istook spoke of the campaign by men like Barry Lynn to limit only religious freedom of speech. They want total freedom of secular speech, he said, but want to limit any religious speech in public places such as schools. Congressman Istook maintains an Internet site on the RFA located at www.religiousfreedom.house.gov. His personal Internet site is located at www.house.gov.istook.

After several more speakers African-American Gospel groups from New York, New Jersey and Georgia sang. Many times the crowd was on their feet singing Gospel music.

God had us in the right place at the right time. This was the place the rally was supposed to happen because that is where God had placed us for the rally!

The Rally was successful; it was also costly. The Religious Freedom Coalition spent many thousands of dollars to make the rally for school prayer a success. Just the newspaper stories alone were worth every dollar that was spent. The only dark part of the day was when I learned of a shooting at a church youth rally in Texas that same night. America needs prayer. Only prayer can heal men like the one who invaded that Texas church with a gun. Yet, our society does all it can to keep prayer and the Word of God away from people.

The Lord and His Word will be triumphant!

The entire rally was video taped! I have every word of Congressmen Armey, DeLay and Istook on video tape as well as samples of the Gospel groups. I am personally going to edit the two hours of tape and get it down to about forty minutes so it can be watched at home or during a Sunday School class.

I will make sure that all of Congressman DeLay’s comments are on the video. I can tell you that he really preached his message that day and you will not want to miss what he said. I will also make sure that all of the important comments of Congressman Istook are on the tape, including his dramatic announcement that the Religious Freedom Amendment was being reintroduced!

Of course my comments as chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition will be included. I will also put in some of the wonderful music of those African-American choirs who came all the way from New York to be a part of this event.

You will not want to miss out on having this video of the school prayer rally that not even a hurricane could stop!

I am offering this special "School Prayer Rally" Video for a gift of $20.00 or more to cover production costs and the RFC will pay the postage! The video should be available on or after October 15, 1999. To reserve your copy call the Virginia office of the Religious Freedom Coalition at (540) 370-4200.