In 1911, Streator hosted an outstanding civic event that transformed the lives of hundreds of people.

It was the Streator Evangelistic Awakening with evangelist Dr. William Biederwolf, Feb. 16 through March 30 at a huge tabernacle, constructed just for the event at the corner of Main and Wasson streets. The structure held more than 3,000 people, and that's about how many showed up night after night!

I've read special reports and newspaper articles about the campaign. What a fantastic event it was.

• Home prayer groups met all over town for weeks in advance.
• Pastors did a coordinated visitation campaign to families who had no local church.
• The tabernacle took less than a week for local men to build.
• A mass choir of more than 300 was assembled.
• Huge parades were organized through town, the biggest ever up to that time.
• Special evangelistic meetings, by invitation, took place at local businesses and factories.
• There were special meetings for women and high school students.
• Eight evangelists accompanied Dr. Biederwolf. These folks were serious!
• A group of laypeople in Streator organized the whole event, coordinated hundreds of volunteers and raised funds in advance.
• Newspaper coverage was monumental, positive and nonstop.
• By the end of the crusade, at least 1,000 people — and probably a lot more — made sincere and life-changing commitments to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Wow! I have to tell you that when I read about all that at the library, my first thought (and my next 50 thoughts after that!) was, "Let's do that again in 2011!"

Why not? Next year will be the 100th anniversary of the Streator Evangelistic Awakening. Our city certainly needs an uplifting. Recently, some friends and I started a new nondenominational group called The Streator Evangelistic Association. Perhaps you'd like to help us get something like this started for next year. Everyone — and every Christian church — is welcome. We already have a nice Web site at www.streatorevangelistic.com. Come pay a visit!

We're going to have a meeting 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 13, at First Baptist Church, 204 S. Monroe St., Streator. You certainly are welcome!

I've thought long and hard about this. I went into the ministry right after Sept. 11, 2001. Like all Americans, I was appalled we would be so viciously attacked. But I was even more shocked the terrorists attacked us for religious reasons! They actually thought they were doing God's will, and they shouted His praises as they purposely crashed the planes.

Right then, I decided to go into the ministry. I figured our country is in terrible decline, primarily because of politics. But politics is downstream from the culture. Democracy gives us the kind of government we want, not the kind we need. If our culture persuades us to want the wrong things, then politics delivers them.

But the culture is downstream from the church. And by "church," I mean the overall church, all the people who adhere to the Christian faith, regardless of denomination. Jesus Christ can change everything — including the culture — here in Streator and everywhere else.

9/11 was truly horrific. 1911 was magnificent.

Next year, let's give Streator a whole new direction. Straight up!

• THE REV. JOHN H. SCHMIDTKE is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Streator. He can be reached via e-mail at lonnyc@mywebtimes.com.