Jonathan Lotz, grandson of late Billy Graham, will preach
BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
DEBORD — The Eastern Kentucky SONrise Tent Revival is happening Friday and Saturday at Haven of Rest on top of Big Sandy Mountain in Martin County. Jonathan Lotz, grandson of the late Billy Graham and son of Anne G. Lotz, will be the evangelist with worship provided by a local church and gospel groups.
The revival starts at 6:30 p.m. both nights on Airport Road in Debord.
“I was invited to speak earlier this year by Linda Otterback,” Lotz said. “She and a bunch of women have been praying for over 30 years that God would do a work in eastern Kentucky. They believe this is a culmination and a fulfillment of their prayers that God has answered.”
Lotz, who preaches all over North Carolina and Georgia, said a big tent is set up to receive the guests that are coming. There is seating for 800 under the tent.
“We’ve been praying over this property,” said Lotz. “We’ve been prayer-walking this community and canvassing this community, asking God to do a great work. And it’s a joy for me to be here.”
Two years ago to the day Monday, Lotz was admitted into ICU with COVID. The damage it caused to his lungs was so severe the ER doctor said he would die in the hospital.
“I smiled and said, ‘Great,’” said Lotz, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. “He said, ‘John, you don’t understand. I just said you’re going to die.’ I said, ‘I get to go be with Jesus, but if I live, I’m going to tell you about Jesus.’ Eight days later the lord answered my prayer, brought me out of ICU and brought me home.”
The evangelistic minister’s lungs are still compromised at 62% lung capacity.
“So as I preach, I’ll get headaches, my legs will cramp because I’m oxygen-deprived,” admitted Lotz. “And here, we’re on top of a mountaintop, so the air is a little thinner for me too, which happens quickly. But I’m reminded that every breath I take, God has given me, and I can promise you, I’m going to give 100% of the 62% lung capacity that I have to tell you about Jesus.”
Lotz is excited to welcome everyone.
“Bring friends, bring family, bring all your family, bring folks you don’t even know,” he said. “Tell them to come on.”
For Otterback, who organized the revival through her ministry Eastern Kentucky SONrise, the revival is a countdown finished.
Kentucky Today reported earlier this month that Otterback and her husband Larry were MSC missionaries with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and helped people in eastern Kentucky by holding retreats and prayer meetings, providing for the missionaries who reside in the communities. They were first called to Letcher County to help with the small church each month providing food and clothing. This monthly distribution grew from 25 families to hundreds. For five years they made the monthly trip to Letcher County. Their territory expanded to all eastern Kentucky due to the 85 missionaries arriving in the various areas to develop ministries.
There is no question in Otterback’s mind that organizing this revival was her calling.
She told Kentucky Today, “My husband passed a few years ago and Larry told me, ‘God has something for you to do.’ I believe this is it.”
After God put upon her heart, in a dream, in the fall of 2002, “to hold a revival in eastern Kentucky,” Otterback traveled to Paintsville and Inez and asked others about the possibility.
A youth prayer rally is scheduled at Haven of Rest on Wednesday (July 26) with the revival to follow Friday and Saturday at 58 Haven Place in Debord. Haven Place is located right off Airport Road.
