NORTHFIELD — The former Northfield Mount Hermon campus will see a revival of activity this October.
New England Alliance, an informal association of churches and ministries from six New England states, is planning an event on the campus on Oct. 12.
The event, called “Restore: A New England Convocation” will feature history tours, music, workshops and seminars while leaving time for prayerful expression and personal sharing.
According to Jonathan Friz, a member of the New England Alliance and key coordinator of the event, the gathering is part of a broader movement called “10 Days of Prayer,” a Christian unity movement centered around united prayer and worship.
“We approached the (campus owners National Christian Foundation) about the possibility of renting the auditorium to gather Christians for worship, for prayer and to celebrate the legacy of D.L. Moody,” Friz said.
Famed evangelist Dwight L. Moody founded the campus in 1885 and held internationally attended conferences, turning the school into a social and scholastic hub. The campus was divided into a girls school in Northfield and a boys school in Gill, until 2005, when Northfield Mount Hermon School consolidated to its Gill campus. The Northfield campus has been closed ever since.
Friz said organizers of the event deliberately picked the name “Restore” to highlight the significance of the campus’ rich history and of bringing activity back after more than a decade of vacancy.
“In the days of D.L. Moody, the Northfield campus was used for these types of meetings, that were informal, that had prayer, singing (and) special speakers,” Friz said. “Contemporary authors said it was like having heaven on earth.”
“I think it will certainly be encouraging for the community to see the Northfield campus being used again,” Friz continued.
History tours, workshops and seminars will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the main event, featuring prayer and guest speakers “from all corners of New England,” will be held from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium, Friz said.
As part of the “10 Days of Prayer,” Friz added, a tent will be set up, most likely on Winchester Road next to the auditorium for ongoing worship and prayer meetings over a period of five days. A gathering will be held there each day from 7 to 9 p.m. starting Friday and ending Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Friz said the events are all free and open to the public. Based on other events that the New England Alliance has organized, Friz expects between 800 and 1,200 guests.
The New England Alliance was formed in 2004 by Roberto Miranda and Jeff Marks with hopes of uniting Christians.
“They felt a need, a necessity to better bring Christians together across the New England region particularly for the purpose of prayer and spiritual awakening,” Friz said.
The organization holds between two and four large gatherings each year, Friz said, and has held events in Northfield in the past.
The Moody Center, (Link: http://www.recorder.com/NCF-explores-implementing-Moody-Center-at-former-NMH-campus-3839933) a nonprofit corporation decidated to preserving the legacy of D.L. Moody, and the C.S. Lewis Study Center located at 199 Main St., are partners in the event, Friz said.
“I feel like this (event) really fits in well with what the town of Northfield wants to do in terms of highlighting the campus’ legacy,” said Mary Key, director of the C.S. Lewis Study Center. The center, which primarily welcomes scholars hoping to finish projects, is housed at Green Pastures, a Victorian home built for Moody that is currently under renovation.
“We’re anxious to see The Moody Center’s name connected to the pastors’ conference,” said Emmitt Mitchell, a member of the National Christian Foundation Heartland’s board of directors, who has been involved in planning The Moody Center. “We want to show that Moody did this in the past and this is the future we’re looking toward.”
Though many event details and a schedule are still being nailed down, Friz feels the event will be significant to attending Christians while also raising awareness about the campus as an invaluable resource.
“I think Christians are stirred by the legacy of that property. It could go a long way towards bringing about something that could bring new life to the campus,” he said.
Friz invites local residents interested in attending to email Jaime Dicke at 10daysinfo@gmail.com with any questions.