Brother Clendennen stepped out into a preaching ministry in the 50’s which would last for more than 55 years to the blessing of great multitudes across the world. In 1956 while preaching in Edna Texas God broke through and revival came. By Saturday night there was standing room only. One in ten people in the area came to hear him preach. On the Saturday night he was preaching on ‘Jesus the Con-queror.’ In the midst of preaching a pain hit the middle of his chest and ran down both arms. He went numb and collapsed on the platform with what was later registered as a massive heart attack. But as he sought God in the following days he was healed and raised up.
It was in November 1956 that God called him to the City of Beaumont, Texas, to pioneer a Church. He cancelled all his previously arranged meetings and went in obedience. Other Pentecostal churches and Pastors in the area opposed his coming. He also went through a great struggle financially. He had no money to start and run a Church. At this early stage all he had was $25. The house rent was due, the car note was due and he had to feed his family. At four the next morning he rose and went down to the little tin build-ing that God had provided to house the Church. There he fought through in prayer to find the mind of God. If it was God’s will to stay then he would stay, but if not he would reschedule the cancelled meetings. It was then that the Lord spoke these words to him, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you. I put you here to restore the message of Pentecost." By Easter 1957 they had about 100 people. From the day they began, a spirit of revival was in that Church. People were saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and healed in each of the services. This continued for four years then the momentum died down. He called in a Holy Ghost filled Evangelist, a strange man who dealt with sin like an old time prophet. As the church repented a revival broke out that lasted another five years.
Every year in the church they kept the month of October set apart for prayer and fasting. Also from the founding of the church a 5am prayer meeting was always held. God’s work would be built, preserved and move forward on its knees.
In 1967 Clendennen made his first visit to Tanzania, Afri-ca. While there he saw the terrible poverty of the people and realized that when God said "hardly can a rich man enter the kingdom," he wasn’t talking about the Rockefellers, he was talking about such as him. He saw such poverty amongst the people that he became physically sick. This made him to go aside and seek the face of God. He began to pray "Why would you want me to see what I can do nothing about?" The Lord spoke to him saying, "The poverty you see physically in these people is what I see in My Church spiritually, and I have called you to do something about it." This incident birthed within him a burning desire for the ‘Prodigal Church.’
They travelled to Spain, France, Rome, India, Thailand, and Vietnam to preach God’s Word. Back in 54 God had spoken to him about going to Vietnam but it wasn’t till 69 that they got there. When they arrived and walked into a Hotel a Vietnamese Colonel rushed to them and said he had been looking for him for seven years. He ex-plained that in 1962 he was burdened for the salvation of his people and while seeking God in prayer and fasting he had a vision and in that vision saw Clendennen as the man who would bring revival. He began preaching in the churches but when they closed their doors to him he moved outside the churches to down-town Siagon where he held meeings at 6am which were packed with spiritual-ly hungry people. There was standing room only. Many hundreds were saved, the Holy Ghost fell and 150 were filled at one time. Over the war years (68-75) he was there for several extended periods. On the radio he preached to all of Siagon. God moved mightily. Pentecost had come to Vietnam. In 71 he ministered to crowds of 65’000 in Zaire (Congo). For twenty-one days God’s power fell upon the crowds.
(To be continued…)
It was in November 1956 that God called him to the City of Beaumont, Texas, to pioneer a Church. He cancelled all his previously arranged meetings and went in obedience. Other Pentecostal churches and Pastors in the area opposed his coming. He also went through a great struggle financially. He had no money to start and run a Church. At this early stage all he had was $25. The house rent was due, the car note was due and he had to feed his family. At four the next morning he rose and went down to the little tin build-ing that God had provided to house the Church. There he fought through in prayer to find the mind of God. If it was God’s will to stay then he would stay, but if not he would reschedule the cancelled meetings. It was then that the Lord spoke these words to him, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you. I put you here to restore the message of Pentecost." By Easter 1957 they had about 100 people. From the day they began, a spirit of revival was in that Church. People were saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and healed in each of the services. This continued for four years then the momentum died down. He called in a Holy Ghost filled Evangelist, a strange man who dealt with sin like an old time prophet. As the church repented a revival broke out that lasted another five years.
Every year in the church they kept the month of October set apart for prayer and fasting. Also from the founding of the church a 5am prayer meeting was always held. God’s work would be built, preserved and move forward on its knees.
In 1967 Clendennen made his first visit to Tanzania, Afri-ca. While there he saw the terrible poverty of the people and realized that when God said "hardly can a rich man enter the kingdom," he wasn’t talking about the Rockefellers, he was talking about such as him. He saw such poverty amongst the people that he became physically sick. This made him to go aside and seek the face of God. He began to pray "Why would you want me to see what I can do nothing about?" The Lord spoke to him saying, "The poverty you see physically in these people is what I see in My Church spiritually, and I have called you to do something about it." This incident birthed within him a burning desire for the ‘Prodigal Church.’
They travelled to Spain, France, Rome, India, Thailand, and Vietnam to preach God’s Word. Back in 54 God had spoken to him about going to Vietnam but it wasn’t till 69 that they got there. When they arrived and walked into a Hotel a Vietnamese Colonel rushed to them and said he had been looking for him for seven years. He ex-plained that in 1962 he was burdened for the salvation of his people and while seeking God in prayer and fasting he had a vision and in that vision saw Clendennen as the man who would bring revival. He began preaching in the churches but when they closed their doors to him he moved outside the churches to down-town Siagon where he held meeings at 6am which were packed with spiritual-ly hungry people. There was standing room only. Many hundreds were saved, the Holy Ghost fell and 150 were filled at one time. Over the war years (68-75) he was there for several extended periods. On the radio he preached to all of Siagon. God moved mightily. Pentecost had come to Vietnam. In 71 he ministered to crowds of 65’000 in Zaire (Congo). For twenty-one days God’s power fell upon the crowds.
(To be continued…)
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