Reverend Alloway’s Story - well, some of it.

A Little Church History

The Church of the Saviour was started by Rev. Dr. Henry O. Alloway, Jr. Rev. Alloway had been a pastor in the United Methodist Church in the Texas Conference for over 30 years until 1981 when he felt God's leadership to begin an independent work. But first let's rewind 20 years to one day in 1961. Rev. Alloway was as yet pastoring in the Methodist church, but on this particular day he found himself in attendance at an Episcopalian Healing meeting in Nacogdoches, Texas, where a converted Jewish Rabbi was leading a diverse group of Christians praising and worshiping the Lord.

At this point, I'll let Bro. Henry tell his own story:

We got to the meeting and I was impressed. Everyone apparently was a college graduate. They all had beautiful smiles on their faces, joy in their hearts, and so far as I could tell, all of them were either Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, or Episcopalian. I felt right at home!

The sermons were good. A converted Jewish Rabbi (at that time a Methodist), a medical doctor, a member of the American Board of Surgery, and an Episcopal minister were the speakers. I listened carefully and I had deep appreciation, not only for what was said, but also for the homiletics involved in the messages.

That night it was expressed that the Reverend Winkler, an Episcopal minister from near Chicago, would talk about "healing services in the church." Already I told you that I was interested in this, so we attended the evening session in the Anna Raguet Room at the Fredonia.

After Rev. Winkler spoke, he said there would be a prayer meeting for anyone who wished to stay. Now, I had always been interested in prayer, so I wanted to stay.

Rev. Winkler began reading from the "Episcopal Book of Common Prayer." Then he began to speak in a language unfamiliar to me. I presumed that it was Latin, and a part of the Episcopalian Liturgy, as I knew very little about the Episcopal Church.

Soon, about a dozen other people began to speak in a language I did not know, and for the first time in my life, I knew that I was experiencing a scene where people were "talking in tongues," as described somewhere in the back of the Bible!

What surprised me was how different it was from what I thought it would be. I thought that people who spoke in tongues rolled on the floor, jumped over benches, hung from chandeliers, climbed the walls, etc. Here was a group of people sitting quietly, speaking in tongues, but I declare, I had never felt the presence of God more strongly than I felt it there. The layman who was with me wanted to leave, so we did.

We came back the next morning and the converted Jewish Rabbi, Brother Jack Robins, was the speaker. He preached a beautiful sermon to nearly one hundred people who were in attendance. Then he said, "I believe there is a Methodist minister here who would like to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If he will come forward, we'll pray for him."

Well, I didn't know if I was the only Methodist preacher there or not, but I did believe that call was for me.

Surrendered Vessels-

I got up from my pew and walked to the front. I turned and faced the congregation, and I said, "When I came here I felt some great needs, but somehow I have a sense of expectancy that God is going to meet my needs." With that, I sat down in the chair provided me. As soon as I sat down, without moving my lips, I said this prayer in my heart to God. "God, you know that I am not an emotional person, and I have no intention of trying to drum up some kind of emotion to have some kind of experience, but I do want what you have for me, and I surrender to you."

Let me say at this point that I think this is all God wants, surrendered vessels, people who are willing to yield their total lives to him. God can meet our needs, but even God can't surrender for us.

I began to think of the words of the song, "How Great Thou Art." I was not whispering them, I was not moving my lips, but rather just thinking of the words, when I heard Dr. William Standish Reed, the medical doctor kneeling beside me, say, "Begin singing the song you are thinking about."

You could have blown me over with a feather! I didn't know whether this was mental telepathy or what, but I did know that it had never happened to me before. I know now that it was not mental telepathy, but the leadership of God's Spirit.

I began to sing, and everyone joined in. Obedience is so important in the things of God. If God's Spirit reveals something to you, you need to do it. As God's Spirit spoke to me through Dr. Reed, I obeyed and sang.

Miracle Of Miracles-

When the song was over, although it was off-key and poorly done according to the musical standards of today, I began to feel a warmth go all through my body. I had never felt such peace, such power as I was feeling. My whole body seemed to be aflame with the Spirit and just at that moment Rev. Winkler said, "Speak."

I began to speak, and yet what I was saying was not in English, it sounded oriental to me. I spoke for a moment, not loudly, but in a soft voice. Then Rev. Winkler said, "Now interpret."

I confess that I did not know what he meant by interpretation and I stood to my feet, faced the congregation and told them, "I do not know what you mean by interpretation, but I do know what is in my heart." I now know that this was the interpretation, as it was prophetic, and I have never forgotten it.

I said, "I do not know whether I can return to my local church or not, I do not know whether I can remain in the Methodist ministry or not, but I do know that Jesus Christ is more real to me right now than He has ever been in my life, and I do not know what the future holds, but I want Jesus Christ to hold my future."