Spiritual Pilgrimages
The purpose of a Spiritual Pilgrimage is to stir the heart, mind, and spirit of church leaders and congregations to pursue an awakening in their walk with Jesus for the sake of their church, and community.
The pilgrimage experience takes Revitalization Pathway participants “full-circle” and further embeds this conviction as a pathway forward to revitalization.
“In a time where people have been talking a lot about revival, our pilgrimage created an opportunity for us to actually see where revival has happened. More than anything we returned home inspired to pray not for God to do it again, but for Him to do something new.”
Brian Cook, Lead Pastor, ACF, Anchorage, AK
What to Expect
We lead a spiritual pilgrimage for participants in the PEAK coaching process to our denominational birthplace in New York City. The pilgrimage helps congregations clarify and recalibrate their mission and vision, and it reconnects churches to our C&MA ecclesial traditions.
Participants ferry to the Ellis Island Museum where many immigrants and asylum seekers arrived in America. They spend the day at Ellis Island to immerse themselves in an experiential understanding of what people arriving in America experienced.
The catalyst for the launching of our movement by our founder, A. B. Simpson, was the racism experienced after the evangelization of Italian immigrants who were rejected by the church our founder pastored.
Upon returning from Ellis Island, participants debrief their experience with guided questions in selected groupings.
Participants begin day two at Alliance Theological Seminary (ATS) to learn about the early pastorates of A.B. Simpson prior to his pioneering of the C&MA, as well as the societal shifts and contexts that shaped him and his mission engagement. This transitions to discussions regarding the current cultural and societal shifts today’s church is experiencing.
The afternoon includes a guided walk with personal reflection questions from the original 13th Street Presbyterian church location Simpson left to begin the C&MA, past the Caledonia Hall where early prayer meetings took place, to the healing homes and rescue missions started by the early C&MA.
Upon completion of the guided walk, participants will then debrief their experience with reflection questions in groupings.
Participants again spend the morning at ATS. Professors from ATS help participants understand the values and mission of the early C&MA. Discussion time will be given to discover if these early values and mission match the values and mission of the participating churches on pilgrimage. Teaching time will also be focused on the C&MA ecclesial traditions of the Spirit-empowered life, Divine Healing, and the supernatural experiences of the early C&MA.
The third day will also include a personal ministry time for those who are in need of healing and a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. The afternoon will include a guided walk to the different locations of the ear;y C&MA in New York City and will finish at the final location of the Gospel Tabernacle (The first C&MA church).