As a young boy, Kendall Poole attended the city- and county-wide revival every year put on by the Lincoln County Ministers Alliance.

Now, as pastor of Kelly Baptist Church in Oyska, Rev. Poole will be leading it.

Poole is president of the alliance that is responsible for organizing the four-day event. Hosting duties fall between Mt. Wade and St. James M.B. Church and the churches rotate each year. This year it’s Mt. Wade’s turn.

“It’s been a tradition ever since I was a little boy,” he said.

Rev. Tedric Thompson of Mt. Wade M.B. Church will start the revival Sunday at 6 p.m. at his home church.

All other services for the week will begin at 7 p.m. at Mt. Wade.

Rev. Robert Daniels of Damascus M.B. Church of Brookhaven will bring the message Monday followed by Rev. Shon Blackwell of New Zion Union M.B. Church of Bogue Chitto on Tuesday.

Poole will wrap up the revival Wednesday.

The Lincoln County Ministers Alliance Youth Choir will sing both Sunday and Wednesday nights, Poole said.

The alliance’s Male Choir will sing Monday and the alliance’s Mass Choir will sing Tuesday night.

“Churches are welcome to come and rehearse and they can sing together on their slated nights,” he said.

Poole looks forward to the joint revival each year. Each of the churches represented hosts their own revivals, but for this event, they’re able to spend time in God’s word together.

“This is a time for everybody in Lincoln County to come worship together,” he said. “This is a time for all of the churches to come and worship together as one.”

Poole preaches in Oyska, but lives in Brookhaven.

“A lot of my relatives don’t get to come and visit me a lot, so this is a good time to come so they don’t have to drive so far,” he said.

There’s no theme for the week, just individual messages.

“We do what the Holy Spirit guides us to do,” he said. “It’s whatever each one wants to preach about.”

Poole enjoys seeing pastors come to the revival who served as his role models as a youth.

“It’s just a blessing to be able to continue in the footsteps of those who have come before us,” he said.

The members of the alliance encourage all members of area churches to attend the city- and county-wide revival and to invite others. He sees the revival as an important step in the Lincoln County Ministers Alliance’s efforts to become a driving force in the community.

“If we’re together in unity, then the community doesn’t have a choice,” he said. “When you’re not unified, the community has a chance to do what it wants to do. When you’re in unity, you can steer the community the way it should go. When people are working together, in one accord, that’s an awesome thing. The sky’s the limit where there’s unity.”