Thousands of worshippers, including some TCU students, gathered in Trinity Park Friday to participate in a “Let Us Worship” protest in response to church shutdowns amid the pandemic.

The protest was headed by activist and politician Sean Feucht, the founder of multiple worldwide movements including “Burn 24-7,” a global worship and prayer movement; “Light A Candle,” a global missions and compassion movement focused on bringing healing to some of the most isolated places on Earth; and “Hold the Line,” a political activist movement seeking to rally the global church to stand up for causes of righteousness and justice in the global arena.

A group of TCU students who attend church together at Antioch were among the worshippers.

Worshippers gathered for three hours to partake in singing, baptisms and messages from Feucht and his team of pastors. Fort Worth is the 37th city Feucht has visited on his tour. Thousands have gathered in each city.

Very few worshippers were wearing masks or social distancing.

“I know that there is sickness across the land, I know that coronavirus is across the land but there is a king that is above everything and his name is Jesus,” said one of Feucht’s team members.

The TCU group decided to go to the event to be involved in the worship movement and to see the way God is moving Fort Worth, said Tyler Kuplen, a sophomore finance major.

Popular Christian songs were performed including “Raise a Hallelujah” as well as some Feucht’s originals such as “Louder.” Between songs, the message was often political. Feucht and his team preached on topics of abortion, protests, race relations and COVID-19.

“We just as Christians believe that praises are weapon in times like this,” said a TCU junior who declined to be identified. “Praise is the way we face trials in this world and come out for social justice and against sickness and against racism and unrest.”

While political innuendos were strung throughout Feucht’s message, many who attended were there to experience revival.

“The revival says that if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn to my grace, they will hear from heaven,” said one of Feucht’s team members.

One attendee said that the movement feels different than others he has seen.

“I think it’s a different kind of revival, not like the ones that we’ve seen before,” said Pat Sims, a 51-year-old from Grand Prairie, Texas. “I feel like it’s one where God is coming through a lot of the younger generation.”

California beginnings

When California banned singing in church in mid-July, Feucht gathered “400 wild ones” on the Golden Gate Bridge to sing and worship. It was there that he declared the “new Jesus people movement and its coming to the nation.”

After the gathering on the bridge, Feucht began the “Let Us Worship” tour, traveling to cities across the United States to lead outdoor worships.

“I believe the enemy overplayed his hand, and now the church across America is rising up,” Feucht said. “We’re moving out of our big, comfortable mega-churches, and here we are in the park, here we are in the raw.”

Feucht encouraged the worshippers to be louder, to dance and to let go.

“What God’s doing, it’s grassroots, it’s wild,” said Feucht. “It doesn’t have to be pretty- it doesn’t have to be three fast and three slow, it can be whatever you want. Welcome the holy spirit, welcome the move of the world. Let’s prophesy a new Jesus people movement in America.”