Jane Farrell's 50th Salvation Anniversary Testimony: by Jane Farrell
January 17, 1971 was also a Sunday.
Around January 15, 1971, I was working at KULF pop radio in Houston, TX. I had been placed in charge of public service announcements. A young lawyer named Bill Morris came in with an event he wanted to promote on the radio; a Crusade happening at the First Baptist Church, Houston. He had volunteered to get the word out to radio stations. I was very excited to do the ad. So I wrote up the ad and got one of the more well known disc jockeys to do it. I was very proud of myself. When Bill gave me the info, he also witnessed to me and I gave him all my “church” background - telling him I had accomplished “Queen Regent with Scepter” in the Girls Axillary and I already knew hundreds of scripture and had been in church 3 to 4 times a week, my whole life. He asked me a few questions and I was very confident, so he let it go, but insisted I come to the start of the Richard Hogue Spirino Crusade the following Sunday. And I did. Fifty years ago Today.
I was so impressed with my PR piece I had done, I thought they would all want to meet me. I was so excited. Crazy as that sounds....it’s the Truth. Imagine.
So as I walk into the auditorium, I am amazed at the size of the crowd....and the different types of folks. Hell’s angels types, millionaires, hippies, long hair and beards, three piece suits, young women like me, LOTS of teens, elderly - you name it....and a LOT of them. Loud, friendly, welcoming. I sat down on the first row. Some deacon came and told me I had to move, then some pastor came and chewed him out for telling me to move. So I moved to one side near the front. I didn’t know till the service started that I was sitting in the deaf section. But no matter, I was mesmerized. So many beautiful people, all smiling. All seemed to be so happy.
All during the beginning of the service I was focused on two women sitting on center second row. They were beautiful young women around my age. They glowed. They were so engaged in what was going on I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They lifted their hands in praise, they clapped with excitement, they were so enthralled with the songs; eyes closed singing with all their hearts, Amen-ing the message (which I wasn’t even listening to because I was so focused on the atmosphere) and they were so enthusiastic about everything going on...I became jealous. Yes, jealous. And then I got mad. Imagine .
I watched as dozens of people responded to the invitation to receive Jesus. People from every sphere of the culture. It was stunning. When the service was over I walked up to one of the young women and said to her: “You’ve got something I don’t have and I want to know what it is Right Now!” She was a little taken aback by my harsh delivery, and stepped back a little and said, “let me introduce you to my friend, Marilyn.”
Marilyn was very friendly, asked me a few questions, and I gave her the same answer I had given Bill a few days before at the radio station. “I was queen regent with scepter in GA’s. I know all that! What I want to know is, what do you have that I don’t! What is different about you?” She smiled sweetly and said, “Jesus”. We have Jesus.”
I was perplexed. And frustrated. I thought I knew everything. I was queen regent with scepter after all. Finally Marilyn - who was married to Richard, the Evangelist preaching - asked me back to the choir room where it was quiet and talked to me some more and led me in prayer. As I prayed all the wrong things, she would stop me and say, “No. Jesus just wants your heart. He’s not interested in all you have done or not done. He wants to be Lord of your life. He wants to come in and live in your heart - and then He will do the rest.” I was crying my eyes out by this time. She asked me if I was willing to surrender my heart and life to Jesus and I most certainly was. So that day around 12:30 p.m. I asked Him into my heart as Lord and Savior and asked Him to forgive my sin and change what needed changing -which was a lot - and Save me. He did. In an instant I was New.
As it turned out, I had evidently been sitting in the Deaf section my whole life.
AND God will use anything; our jealousy, anger, unhappiness, despair....even our egos to bring us to a place of Redemption.
I went home that day in Houston, walked in my front door and told Bobby Farrell, my skinny husband, that I was going to Live for Jesus.
He told me he was going to live in Dallas.
His 50th Anniversary is coming up soon - in two months. That’s also a Story.
Those people, the Hogue’s, that pastor -John Bisagno, that church and staff - Ben Loring, Ruthie Loring, Bill And Malcolm Morris, Everett Nix, David Stockwell, were SO loving and helpful, long suffering, excellent mentors - many of them gone on to Glory now - such extraordinary Saints, I cannot describe it.
So Happy 50 Re-Birthday to me. Jesus is Faithful, even when we are not. His loving kindness never ends. It is better than life. Praise His Holy name.
May another MIGHTY WIND of REVIVAL come to America and the World! In Jesus’ name.
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