Phoebe Lawton ‘27
On Monday, March 3rd, I attended Carry The Love, a worship night hosted by the international ministry group, Circuit Riders. This organization borrows its name from a group of Methodist preachers who travelled across the country on horseback, spreading the Gospel from 1784 to 1830. Today, Circuit Riders is borrowing more than this name, but the preachers’ zeal for evangelism as well. A branch of the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) movement, Much of Circuit Riders’ focus is dedicated to cultivating spiritual revival among younger generations through events like Carry The Love (CTL).
Before attending CTL, I was a stranger to Circuit Riders. I had heard rumors of other’s varying experiences with the group, but I tried to keep an open mind; my experience at this event would be spent just as much in worship as it would be observation. As I entered the room, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into, but I was immediately met by many friendly, unfamiliar faces. I sat in the back of the large, open room, hoping to go unnoticed, but my plans were immediately foiled when one of the Circuit Riders came my way. He introduced himself as a missionary and warmly welcomed me to the event. This would not be a singular occurrence— multiple other facilitators of the event made a point to make me feel at home in the space and ready to worship. Mentally giving Circuit Riders points for hospitality, I began to reflect on the idea of these people as missionaries. They were around my age, walking the same ground as me, wearing the same clothes as me, yet they were on mission to spread the Gospel and bring students closer to Jesus.
The worship that followed these interactions was lively and upbeat and attendees were invited to worship in whatever ways they felt led to. As I stood in the back of the room, absorbing the set of selected songs, I looked around to see a room full of students led in impassioned praise by other students, the aforementioned missionaries. Although my own experiences in connecting with God don’t usually come in the form of group worship, I was moved by the sheer number of people who did seem to be impacted; members of the crowd jumped with their hands up in praise, others spent peaceful moments reflecting on each song’s lyrics, all of which was supported and encouraged by the Circuit Riders scattered throughout the room. This time of worship was succeeded by a sermon and multiple opportunities to pray and fellowship to close the night, the duration lasting a little over two hours.
This early March gathering, however, was not Circuit Riders’ first foray on our campus. In February of 2023, the group held their first CTL worship night at Gordon, an event that would come to be shrouded in controversy. The night began as was expected: icebreakers, vibrant, contemporary worship, a college-oriented sermon, and moments of group prayer and discipleship, but things deviated from this course when a Circuit Rider put out a call for baptism. That night, multiple attendees were baptized in Gull Pond. The event was powerful, convicting even, for many, but many others felt as though this action crossed a theological line, and CTL quickly became a hot-button issue across campus. Campus publications released articles featuring different perspectives around the event, students took to social media with their
opinions, and the conversations made their way to Chapel Office staff as well. The main issue regarding this controversy was the nature in which these baptisms were performed: spontaneously and unofficially, which violates aspects of Gordon’s spiritual doctrines. The Circuit Riders event, although hosted within the parameters of Gordon College’s expectations, was not hosted by Gordon College’s Chapel Office, therefore, the baptisms violated these parameters. Controversy aside, CTL 2023 offered a unique experience to those who attended, many were spiritually empowered by the messages, but many others felt the actions of the hosts did not align with spiritual doctrines here at Gordon. Now, in 2025, I had the chance to see what Circuit Riders were all about for myself, and my eyes were opened to their ministry.
The tagline of the 2025 CTL tour is “For Those Who Do”, promoting the idea that the love, redemption, and revival found in Christ is available for anyone who finds it within themselves to praise, and at this worship night, I found a room full of Those Who Do. Two-plus hours on a Monday night during midterms week is a precious plot of time to give to a group whose presence on campus has not always been a welcome one, but here I was, surrounded by people doing just that. The friendliness of the Circuit Riders missionaries was infectious and the warm atmosphere they created was inviting, even to a skeptic like myself. In a time of spiritual, mental, and physical exhaustion for so many, Carry The Love 2025 was an energizing, and for me, redemptive experience.
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