By Morgan Mizell

NATCHEZ — With three ministers in its congregation, Springfield Baptist Church did not have to look very far to find words of inspiration for its upcoming revival.

On Sept. 24-26, the church will host a revival at 16 Springfield Road in Natchez.

Traditional revival services typically invite guest preachers and other guests to perform special music. Springfield’s revival will be different this year.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Phillip Hemby, will join former interim pastor the Rev. Kevin Campbell, and Phillip Watts during the event.

“It was Brother Hemby’s idea to have the three of us preach the revival,” Watts said. “He said it is not often that you have a church our size with a preacher plus two more in the congregation. He did not see why he needed to get an outside person to preach the revival when he had two more preachers right there.”

Watts said he is interested in how the revival will unfold.

“It is going to be interesting to see what message God gives each of us,” Watts said. “I have no idea what the others will be preaching on. I am not sure what I will be preaching about at this time, but God has been flooding me with ideas.”

The church usually hosts a revival each spring. This year, the church decided to host the three-day event in the fall.

Watts said revival is good for the church.

“We set aside a few nights grouped together where not only members of our church can come together, but also members of other churches and guests who may not have a home church can join together to seek the Lord for spiritual refreshing and winning lost souls to the Lord,” Watts said. “We need (revival) because we become complacent in church. We are just coming to church, and that is good enough. We are not participating in Bible study, and we are not growing. We need a jolt or a charge — a revival.”

Campbell said he believes the entire nation is in need of an awakening and having a revival is one step in that direction.

“In this day in which we are living, a Christian’s desire should be to see an awakening take place in our nation,” Campbell said. “But until the church experiences a revival, America cannot have an awakening.”

Both preachers say they are excited about the event and they hope to see an awakening in the church, community, state and nation and that it all starts with the individual.

“It starts with you,” Watts said. “People become refreshed and on fire for God, and then it spreads to others.”

The revival music also will be performed by members of the church.

Hemby will preach the Sunday morning and evening service. Watts and Campbell will cover the other two nights.

Revival services will be at 6 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.