‘Divine Intervention’: Revival Breaks Out at MI Church Car Show, 246 Souls Choose Jesus

Christians believe salvation can only come through Jesus Christ, but he can be found in many different places. 

Last weekend in Redford, Michigan, he was at a church’s car show. 

Baptist Press reports 246 people professed their faith in Jesus Christ on Aug. 27 as a result of the Commonwealth of Faith Church ending their annual vacation Bible school with a car show that drew hundreds to the event located outside of Detroit. 

Originally, the date of the church’s car show conflicted with Cruisin’ Hines, an annual car show on Hines Drive that in the past has drawn thousands. 

Torion Bridges, the church’s founding pastor, told the Baptist Press the show’s enthusiasts kept telling him, “You guys just need to close yours.”

However, when the date came for the larger show, its organizers had to cancel due to heavy rain soaking the ground scheduled for the event. So antique car owners, collectors, and other car admirers came to the church’s event instead, held on drier ground.  

Bridges called it a form of “divine intervention,” the outlet reported. 

Commonwealth owns a former Catholic church building and school complex, complete with 800 parking spaces. This proved to be plenty of room to accommodate 500 antique cars, a salvation tent, vendors, bounce houses, Bible trivia, and other games, according to Baptist Press. 

In addition, Bridges preached a short 16-minute evangelistic sermon right in the middle of the event that was held in place of the church’s regular Sunday worship services. 

“At that time people got out of their cars, people got out of their truck beds, people got out of their picnic chairs. They got out of their seats,” Bridges told the Baptist Press. “And 246 of them made decisions for Christ.”

A “majority of them joined Commonwealth,” he said. 

The church has scheduled a community-wide baptism event on Sept. 24, according to the outlet.

Bridges planted his church in 2019 and preaches to an average of 157 people every Sunday, Baptist Press reported. The church has a membership of about 60 percent white and 40 percent Black people. 

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According to the outlet, the North American Mission Board helped Commonwealth purchase its facility for $300,000 when the entire property had been appraised for $7.5 million. 

“Planting isn’t easy but days like Sunday make it worth it,” he said. “Our car lot was jam-packed from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with car enthusiasts from all over Michigan who had planned to come to cruise Hines Drive but couldn’t, because of its closure during the previous week’s storms.”

Car shows in Redford are prime events to attract people. So much so, that the church building’s previous owners held car shows weekly, according to Baptist Press. 

“It’s a whole subculture here,” Bridges said.