For Penn State Public Broadcasting, I'm PJ O'Connell.

Simplicity, sincerity, and dignity.

Those words describe the character of the subjects of this edition of the "Pennsylvania Parade."

As we move through this 25-year catalog of life in rural Pennsylvania, we meet a number of individuals who fit those descriptions in some degree.

But not all can match the intensity and enthusiasm of this couple.

This husband and wife team leads, stimulates, and moves their clientele.

And we will follow them in this documentary and listen and observe and enjoy.

Their profession is religion.

And they are the de facto co-pastors of a small rural church located at an out of the way country crossroads.

This may seem like a pretty small subject, and perhaps it is, but there is something basic and fundamental about this couple that may help us understand what rural Pennsylvania and America is all about.

[gospel song] Go and free For I am healed In Jesus' name Jesus' name Jesus' name Praise the Lord.

Now, we're going to go to the Lord in prayer.

And let's remember, Sister Cannon, she-- We don't have the finest things of this world's goods, but we do have wealth more than this world could ever give to us.

We have a place called heaven.

Now, these gentlemen are here on recording the service.

We kind of feel a little bit disturbed when someone comes in.

But we ought to be more disturbed to realize that God knows about everything that we say, all that we do, our very actions, our very thought, life, everything.

He knows it all.

And there is no way.

Now, if I'd want to be mean-- and I'm not going to do it unless it would just accidentally get shut off-- but there's a little switch in here.

And I can turn that off, and they can pick me up.

But people, let me tell you something.

You don't turn off God.

God hears it all.

He knows all about it.

See.

In fact, He's got the whole thing in his control.

So praise the Lord.

All right.

Quite a different day today than it was a week ago.

WOMAN: Amen.

[laughs] We had-- I didn't always appreciate the word of God.

I didn't always appreciate church.

I didn't always appreciate the love of Jesus.

But it's come to the place of where I just live from day to day for this.

Send the light.

There are souls to rescue.

There are souls to save.

Oh, yes.

We got them up and down the valley.

We got them all around us that need to be saved.

So let's send out the light, shall we?

["send the light" playing] There's a call comes ringing O'er the restless waves Send the light Send the light CAROLYN WONDERS: Praise the Lord.

We won't need to be working over there and toiling and fighting the good fight of faith.

You'll have victory over there.

Everything will be peace, joy, happiness.

Praise the Lord.

That's what I'm working for.

That's all I'm living for.

My hand finds to do.

Do it with all thy might.

For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest.

In other words, while you and I are living, let's do what we are called upon to do and do it with all of our might.

What I'm saying is, Christians, what you and I need to do is band together and believe God.

Hallelujah.

And let people not recognize us as a Christian because we tell them they were Christian.

Let them see that we're Christians.

Amen.

PAUL WONDERS: Hallelujah.

Marching together with one purpose and one goal that is to honor the Lord.

It means separation.

It means denouncing and turning away from sin and turning away from sinful friends.

It means all of this, Lord.

We no longer can be enticed by the things and the snares of the enemy because, Lord, you made us a new creature in Christ Jesus.

Yes, praise the Lord!

PAUL WONDERS: Oh, hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Who covered us-- Praise the Lord.

PAUL WONDERS: Praise the name of Jesus.

Hallelujah!

Only the child of God can sing amazing grace.

How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, made me a new creature.

In Christ Jesus.

Hallelujah!

While every head is bowed, Let me see you're here.

And you stand in need of prayer by an upraised hand.

[murmuring] Anybody is or anyone here that stands in need of help?

Praise the Lord.

Well, our church is located along US route 144, kind of Northwest of Renovo.

And we are right next to Kettle Creek, which is a large trout stream.

We are really in the mountainous area.

It's this mountains and valleys all around us.

It's nothing unusual to see deer within 100 yards of the parsonage in the evenings or early in the morning.

This area is not too progressive as far as factories and mills and so on are concerned.

There's quite a few of our people are retired people.

When the younger generation grow up, they get married while they-- there's not enough work in the area, the given area here, to keep them here, so they move away.

Well then, that leaves you again with the older folk to be coming to the churches because there's just not enough work right here in the community.

There, you ought to get a picture of that fisherman over there.

He's fishing.

He's busy.

It's a little like my wife was talking this morning.

We were talking a little bit.

And she said, you know, daddy-- she said, these people in this area are just as precious and just as worth just as much in the sight of God as people in a large city, regardless of how big a city it is or how small a town or village or whatever.

People in the sight of God is-- God's concerned about everybody.

And I said, well, that's right.

That's the truth.

So this is where the Lord has called us to.

And we got a mission field.

We got something to-- there's people around here that we need to just reach out and try to get them, try to help them.

It's like catching fish.

[laughs] MAN: Well, I'll put this in here if you need to call alone.

[speaking indistinctly] [stream rushing] PAUL WONDERS: You're out with nature, that's for sure.

You only need to look around, fellas, and you see the handiwork of God everywhere you look.

I mean, who created all of this?

Where did it come from?

Oh, yes, I believe really that there's-- many a person has been drawn closer to their creator, if I can state it that way, by being out alone like this.

And you are in the city with all of the many things that goes on in the city with all their rush and hurry and bustle and everything.

You get out alone like this.

Here you have time to think a little bit.

And you wonder where it all comes from.

[gospel music] WOMAN: More patience to go to your classes and your week junior church will be over.

Stay out here.

CHILD: Come on.

CAROLYN WONDERS: We open our Sunday school mostly with a song and sometimes as the Lord leads.

And then we dismiss, and each one goes to their classes.

There are several classes.

We have children go downstairs, and the adults stays up.

MAN: Well, praise the Lord, everyone.

I didn't see any traffic jams as far as the trout were concerned in the stream anywhere.

I think they were all hunting their underwear.

[laughs] Well, praise the Lord.

Our lesson this morning is entitled revival of holiness.

The Bible is the infallible word and counsel of the Lord.

I mean, it's our textbook.

It's our guide.

It's our map.

It's all of that to every one of us, regardless of who we are.

And every one of us, not only the preacher, but every one of us, ought to stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder why he should love me, a sinner condemned unclean.

Now you may say, but that's not me.

But wait a minute.

Don't make God a liar, because the Bible says, every one of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Amen.

My friend, listen to me this morning.

There is no place that you can find more sounder advice than in the word of God.

Yes?

WOMAN: This is the time that the Lord has put it upon my heart to tell the message that I had received this morning.

The Lord nudged me and woke me at quarter of six.

So I laid there, and I was waiting.

And I heard something fall on the floor.

So I leaned over the bed.

I didn't see anything.

We had carpet in the bedroom.

Didn't see a thing.

So he was telling me to listen.

So I laid there a while longer.

And he said, well, I have a message for you.

I want you to take it to the people.

And I said, well, there's going to be a lot of people there today, Lord.

I don't know if I can.

He says, yes, you can.

I said, but this is Sunday.

They're going to be a lot of fishermen there.

I know.

So I said, OK, Lord, just as you say.

So this is the message.

He said, my people, I am like a mighty wind.

He said, you can hear, and you can feel, but you cannot see me.

As the Lord, as the God the Father has sent me, I am sending you.

I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

So be it.

PAUL WONDERS: Praise God.

That's right.

We are-- PAUL WONDERS: I like to let the spirit of the Lord kind of lead-- even lead me.

And sometimes when individuals get up and testify like this, maybe somebody in the audience that just needs to hear.

And right away, it's a big strength.

It's a big help to somebody else that may be sitting in the audience.

["I KEEP FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM" PLAYING] Oh, what a love between the Lord and I I keep falling in love with him Over and over again Over and over again We ought to sing it one more time for the stranger that might be here.

They've heard it now twice.

If we sing it one more time, maybe they'll be able to take it along back home.

Where do you folk all hail from?

Can I hear some names of towns or cities or villages?

MAN: Bloomsburg.

Bloomsburg.

Where else?

Come on.

WOMAN: [inaudible] PAUL WONDERS: Where's that at?

Was that Sister Taylor?

Oh, my.

["I KEEP FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM" PLAYING] I keep falling in love with him Over and over and Over and over again I keep falling in love with him Over and over and Over and over again He gets sweeter and sweeter As the days go by Oh, what a love between the Lord and I I keep falling in love with him Over and over and Over and over again PAUL WONDERS: Yes, praise the Lord.

[gospel music] The Lord is Is the Lord PAUL WONDERS: The assemblies of God, of which I am ordained minister of, I've come to appreciate because of not exactly freedom to do as you so please, but mainly for one reason is that they do not tell you what you're supposed to preach.

(SINGING) That Jesus Christ is Lord And I'm so glad it's no denomination.

Praise the Lord.

I'm so glad it's no denomination.

We're assemblies of God.

PAUL WONDERS: That doesn't make-- But that don't save us.

And being just a good person, just being good, never doing anything that's bad, we will not be saved.

We got to realize that we're a sinner.

Every one of us has got to come the same way.

There is no difference.

Jew, Greek, Gentile, anyone.

We've all got to come the very same way.

You know, I get disturbed a little bit about denominations because we know denominations in heaven.

It'll only be the born again child of God that's going to be in heaven.

["father abraham" playing] Many sons Many sons had father Abraham I am CAROLYN WONDERS: And then after Sunday school is over, I have junior church.

I keep the children downstairs.

And there we have Bible stories and memory verses they learn and songs of all kinds.

They lack a lot of action.

(SINGING) Abraham had many sons Many sons had father Abraham There's wonderful things that God has given us to see in this world.

And how many is thankful for their eyes this morning?

WOMAN: Amen.

How many appreciate their eyes this morning?

WOMAN: Me.

CAROLYN WONDERS: Then it sometimes gets very, very serious.

And these children are really at a place many times that they're hungry.

And they just want to know everything.

And you know we have the children requesting prayer?

They request prayer just as the adults do.

And we give altar calls just the same as we do in the adult church.

And there's many, many times that those little children will give their hearts to the Lord.

And then I will tell them, after they give their heart to Jesus, I tell them that after they might grow up and maybe get into their teens and they'll do things that sometimes isn't right to do.

But we all do.

We all make mistakes.

And I said, the little devil will come around to you.

And I tell this to the children.

I say, he'll come around and say, well, you're not saved.

And I say, now you write it down in your Bible that-- I'll just say a date now.

I'll just say, this would be October the 14th.

And today, October 14, 1977, I gave my heart to Jesus in junior church.

And my name was written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.

And when that old devil comes around and tells you, you're not saved, I say, you go get your Bible and you just say, right, here it is, October 14, 1977, I gave my heart to Jesus.

I said, you'll defeat that old devil right there.

And you're saved.

And I'm chilling.

They believe that.

They believe that.

[light music] PAUL WONDERS: I am not ashamed to tell you, I get $100 a week.

And the parsonage is rent free.

That sounds like a small wage in comparison to what people make these days.

But when you consider what all you have in it, why it still is pretty reasonable, I think, in a way.

In every department, we're running in the black.

We're not in the red.

We're running in the black.

And I don't feel that that's a major success.

Although every pastor, I believe, likes to see it this way.

But I believe that the success of any pastor is not really looking to numbers.

I'm talking about a god called man.

I believe that he looks to individuals who have been saved.

And when he sees that individual continuing to walk with the Lord, that is when he feels that something has been accomplished for the Lord.

And yet when you see this, then right away, the Lord lets you see the other side of the picture, which is-- there is so many out there outside that have never been reached by the gospel, that he right away feels, man, I haven't done anything.

Lord, create in us a clean heart and renewing a right spirit.

It's got to be within my heart and within your heart and each one of our lives.

So he says restore.

Oh, hallelujah.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit.

It doesn't cost you anything, brother or sister.

It's already been paid for.

All you need to do is just come and pick it up and just enjoy it.

Hallelujah.

It's a free spirit.

It's free.

It's free just for the asking.

WOMAN: Praise God.

So he says-- At the age of 14 years old, I was asked to lead this youth group.

And I hesitated because-- that I knew that everybody that was in charge of this meeting would always have to lead in prayer.

And so I said to my dad that I wanted him to lead in prayer, that I'd lead the meeting, but I wanted him to lead in prayer.

And he said, no.

He said, Paul, he said, it's your obligation to pray.

And the very day that it was on hand, why, I was gone down with two buckets of feed to take care of the young chickens down in the meadow.

And I came to a gatepost that led out into the meadow area.

And I set my two buckets of feed down, and I just laid both hands on top of the old gatepost.

And I said, Lord, I want to have the assurance that you're going with me to this meeting.

And a well in a light much brighter than the sunlight and a voice spoke to me, flashed right in between these buildings, and a voice spoke to me and said, go, and I'll be with you.

And I never had a bit of fear at all about going to the meeting.

I don't know how I prayed or what I said, but I had no fear at all because the Lord had fulfilled his promise.

We ought to live at that place of this great anticipation of the coming of the Lord.

Might doesn't listen.

Let me just try to thrill you a little bit.

I get thrilled all over and over again.

But doesn't it just thrill you to realize that, one day, we're going to be caught away to be with the Lord?

And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Boy, I'll tell you.

We'll say goodbye, old world.

Goodbye.

That's in no more sin.

No more sorrow.

No more heartache.

No more disappointment.

No more sicknesses.

No more, no more nothing.

Hallelujah.

We'll be gone to meet the Lord in the air.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Be no more hospitals.

There'll be no more-- there'll be-- oh, yeah.

There'll be no more funerals.

Hallelujah.

There'll be no more loss of loved ones.

Glory to God.

And I believe-- One particular morning, we had come out to the barn to do our milking when, all of a sudden, there was a voice that this seemed to speak right to me, right within me, and said, you're just like the rich man the Bible speaks about.

You're laying up in store for a rainy day.

You haven't obeyed me of what I told you at the gatepost.

And it was from that very point on that I could not shake myself of this call because it just continued to trail me.

Anything during the day, during the nights, and during the days, this would continue to come back to me.

How about the promise that you made at the old gate post?

And I rebelled against it because I had only gone as far as eighth grade in school, never had any high school education.

And I would tell the Lord, this Lord, I never had education, and I can't go.

I can't become a minister or go out and preach the gospel.

And continually the word would come back-- go and I'll be with you.

Oh, Lord.

We'll come to know you in a wonderful way, Lord.

Oh, hallelujah.

Stir our hearts, Lord, to feel a tug and of the spirit of God, the spirit of the Lord.

The same spirit that caused Jesus to cry out.

Oh, how I would have loved to gather you together, but you would not.

Lord, I just pray this morning, give us a compassionate and a compassionate love.

In Jesus's name.

While every head is bowed, I wonder this morning if there's anyone that has a need today.

Anybody that has-- CAROLYN WONDERS: After we become a Christian and know the Lord, we got so hungry for more of God that we just wanted more and more and more.

And we're still the same.

And this has been over 30 years.

And we still want more and more.

And there's still more for us.

And so never being in revival, never knew anything about revival, never knowing anything about being born again, from that time on, we went wherever there was revival.

We went.

If it was 30, 40 mile, we went to revival.

Wherever there was revival, we went to revival.

And there's nothing stopped us.

And we were on a farm.

And we had a farm of 84 acres of our own, and we were farming.

Another one was 64 acres, wasn't it?

And we had 600 laying hens, put out a big garden.

And we went to revival.

When we started to go to revival, we just went to revival.

Wherever there was revival, we went night after night.

We went with all the work that we had to do.

PAUL WONDERS: The farm that we lived on was my grandfather's at one time.

My dad owned it, so it was in the Wonders' name for a good many years.

When the Lord really got ahold of our hearts, I mean, that becomes as nothing.

I mean, it just simply just seemed to all vanish out of our lives.

And yet we had-- a strange as it may seem-- we had no real plans for our lives as to where we were going to-- we actually were a little bit like Abraham of old.

We were looking for a place and didn't know where we were going to.

[gospel music] Tell us again When we will have to step Away from your father Away PAUL WONDERS: After the farm was sold, we went back into that area and held tent meetings within 3/4 of a mile of the farm of where the Lord had lifted us off of.

And we had tent meetings, gospel tent meetings from York County clear up through to Lewisburg and Liverpool and various areas around that.

We had gospel tent meeting.

Praise the Lord.

When we first heard of tent meeting, we thought how crazy they were.

Maybe these fellows thinks we're crazy too, but, you know, I don't care.

[laughter] We might be crazy, but we love the Lord.

MAN: Amen.

We're crazy for the Lord too.

MAN: Amen.

Praise the Lord.

And we thought they would sing and they would shout.

They would praise the Lord.

And it was so hot that all they would perspire and the water would be running off.

And we thought, that's crazy to act like that.

But I'll tell you, when you're doing it for the Lord, you don't even mind that.

You don't even mind that.

And we thought that was ridiculous.

Now, we're one of the ridiculous.

[laughter] Aren't you glad?

I mean, scared.

I'm one of the ridiculous.

Praise the Lord.

I'm glad I am.

So we hate the evil things.

And we love each other.

Well, we're called the WM group, and we do work for the missionaries or if there's any one in the community.

And it's also doing work for the Lord.

Oh, how we need that love.

And living in the days that we're living in, you know the Lord could come anytime.

And every time that we need to have a love for each other and a compassion for the lost, it's now.

WOMAN: Yes, it is.

Amen.

It is now.

Jesus is coming.

Jesus is coming.

Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord.

Be enthused.

Be enthused about the things of the Lord.

Some people would say, church again?

The world says, well, you people run into church all the time.

Next week, we're going to go Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday night.

[laughs] Praise the Lord.

I can hardly wait.

Did you know the world says, they're crazy.

They're crazy.

But we're enthused.

We're excited about it.

Souls need to be saved.

We're looking forward for a great, mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit right here in this community.

Right here.

MAN: Amen.

Right here where we're working.

And then in our meetings, we always have devotions.

We have prayer.

We have songs.

And just as the Lord leads.

His will is going to be carried out through it.

I'm willing to go through it.

We sing that chorus "Jesus used me."

And I don't think we realize what we're singing when we say that.

WOMAN 1: I thought of that.

Maybe he wants to use our life until it's gone.

WOMAN 1: Yes, right.

And then the results after we're gone will take place.

But when we say, Jesus, use me, maybe he wants your life.

WOMAN 2: So?

So whatever it is, I'm willing.

But when I'm laying there on that slab and I hear that cobalt, come on, shhh-- that's the way it goes, you know.

Nobody in the room but you.

And a red light comes on.

And you're laying there watching that red light and counting the seconds.

It's two minutes.

And they won't come back in until it goes pssh again.

That's off.

And I think what all could happen under here.

What if the rapture would take place?

I was thinking, I bet the Lord could just take me right up through that machine.

[laughs] When he comes and they're operating on somebody and that individual is ready to meet the Lord, the doctors is going to be standing there.

And they're going to have their knife, and they're ready to cut.

[laughter] WOMAN 3: Up goes the body.

What happened?

What happened?

Where'd she go to?

WOMAN 4: That's right.

That's what's going to happen.

WOMAN 3: Yeah.

WOMAN 4: That's what-- I can't understand this.

But that's the way it's going to be.

WOMAN 3: That's right.

That's what it's going to be.

In a twinkle of an eye-- praise the Lord.

I'm going along.

Hallelujah!

Anybody have a testimony?

Another testimony before we go to prayer.

WOMAN 3: Coming of the Lord is just around the corner.

WOMAN 1: Yes.

And I've been searching trying to find out if they have rebuilt that temple because, in '67, when the Jews did go back into to Jerusalem and they did reclaim that, it was at that time, according to scripture, the Bible says that the temple has to be rebuilt for the third time.

And the Muslim dome is sitting right there on Mount Moriah, where that temple is to be built.

But I cannot find out whether they've rebuilt that temple or not.

That is the last incident to occur, and then Jesus is coming.

["jesus is the one" playing] Yes, he's the only one Oh, let him have his way Until the day is done And when he speaks you know The clouds will have to go Just because he loves you so CAROLYN WONDERS: The way I got saved, it was over the radio.

One Sunday morning and I couldn't go to church.

And I was at home.

I was in the family way, and I had to stay home.

And there I heard the first time-- I heard the message that you must be born again to get into the kingdom of heaven.

And when I heard this, I thought, Lord, I don't know what you're talking about.

I don't know what this is.

I don't know what you mean.

But I want it if that's what it must be to get to heaven.

I want to be born again.

And to make a long story short, this preacher, he said, mother, he said, you're so discouraged this morning.

He said, you don't know which way to turn.

He said, why don't you kneel there at your rocking chair?

And I was sitting on a rocking chair right in front of the radio.

And he said, why don't you kneel right there and give your heart to Jesus?

He said, don't get up until you know.

And that's exactly what I'd done.

I knelt right down there at the chair.

And I said, Lord, I said, if this is the only way that we can get to heaven, by being born again, I want to know what it is.

I want to know all about this.

And I stayed there.

And he says, you stay down there until you know.

And I said, Lord, I said, I want to know and I'm not getting up here until I know.

And there's where I found the Lord, right in my living room, in front of the radio, in a rocking chair.

PREACHER: God will give you a new life and a new start.

AUDIENCE: Amen.

MAN: That's right.

And God pity the man that points his finger at you from that moment because you're a new creature.

Old things are passed away.

Behold, all things become new.

A new life, a new beginning, a new hope, a new horizon, a new dawn.

MAN: Amen.

Amen.

Jesus met a people like that.

PAUL WONDERS: We're all made up this way that we have a tendency of cooling off.

And revival, well, rekindles and stirs up again.

The Bible talks about stirring up the gift that is in you.

PREACHER: The Bible says you must be born again.

It's a must.

It's a necessity.

You can't get to heaven except you're born again.

WOMAN: Amen.

There's a lot of preachers will compromise.

There's a lot of preachers are frightened to tell the people that you must be born again because they're frightened of losing their salary.

They're frightened of many, many things.

And they won't tell the people that they must be born again.

But I'm here tonight, and this might be the only night, but I'm here tonight to tell you that you must be born again.

There is only one way to heaven, and it's through the Lord Jesus Christ.

WOMAN: Amen.

And that the only joy that I'll get out of this meeting that will really thrill my heart and thrill Brother Wonders' heart and thrill the Lord's heart and thrill the angels of heaven's heart and not as souls coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hallelujah!

That's wonderful.

PAUL WONDERS: The anointing of the spirit of God cannot be explained.

It cannot be explained.

I mean, that's the same way with a born again experience.

You can't explain when Nicodemus came to Jesus, and he said, how can a man be born when he is old?

He said, can a man enter into his mother's womb the second time and be born again?

Jesus said, no.

He said, that isn't what I'm talking about.

He said, you-- he said, you see the moving of the wind.

He said, you've never seen the wind.

He said, you don't know where it's coming from or where it's going.

But he said, so is everyone that is born of the spirit of God.

PREACHER: I prayed for a woman who hadn't walked for 48 years.

And the power of God came upon that woman.

She threw away her crutches.

She ran, ran, and ran around the church.

And I preached to sinners and not meeting for two weeks.

Not one of them responded to the gospel of Christ.

But when that woman threw her crutches down and started to run around and around the church, all those old sinners jumped to their feet.

And I heard one woman saying, my god, she says, only I am sinless.

She says, I couldn't believe it.

And she came straight up to the altar and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

MAN: Amen.

And sometimes the Lord does those things to reach the hearts of people in our heart.

The Lord certainly would sooner see people believing first and then to see.

But sometimes, it's the other way around.

Redeemed how I love to proclaim it.

WOMAN: Amen.

Redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

If any man be in Christ, he's a what?

A new creature.

Old things are passed away.

Behold, all things become new.

I stand in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder why he could love me, a sinner condemned unclean.

MAN: Yes.

WOMAN: Amen.

MAN: Amen.

PAUL WONDERS: It is actually added expense to the church.

But the Lord always sees that need is met.

If I know that, financially, when we've had revivals, many a time, several hundred dollars was given to the evangelist that has come in.

And at the same time, the treasurer went up instead of down because people got revived not only in spirit, not only within, but even their pocketbooks got revived.

They gave more money.

Anyone here tonight you've come specially for prayer?

You want to believe God tonight for a miracle.

You need healing in your body.

If you're here tonight, would you lift your hand, please?

God bless you.

God bless you.

God bless you.

Could you come up to the altar, please?

And we'll pray for you in the name of the Lord.

Hello, sire.

Need a stroke?

OK. We anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Heavenly Father, we bring our brother before you in faith and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PAUL WONDERS: When there are those that stand in need of prayer or those that are sick, the Bible says that you're to lay your hands upon them.

You're to anoint them with oil.

Anoint them in the name of the Lord.

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick.

And the Lord shall raise them up.

PREACHER: We set them free, and-- PAUL WONDERS: There's nothing in laying on of hands.

There's nothing in the anointing of oil.

It's all because of the fact of simple faith and believing what the Lord said.

Thank you Lord.

I believe in the name of Jesus.

MAN 1: Amen.

Praise the Lord.

MAN 2: Thank you, Jesus.

PREACHER: Amen.

And so I was going into the hospital this particular morning to fulfill my obligation as chaplain.

And the grandmother come running out into the corridor, and she seen me coming.

And she said, oh.

She said, preacher.

She said, come here quick.

She said, my little granddaughter just died.

And how I prayed or what I said, I'm not able to tell anyone, but I just know this, that when I finished praying, the little child just simply, with one hand, just lifted the hand and throwed the cover just back, right off of her little-- off of her breast this way, and took a deep breath and then took-- then it was silent for a little bit for a couple of seconds and then continued to breathe.

And the nurse rushed out of there, and the little doctor come rushing in.

He walked up to the crib.

And he looked in, and he said, I never-- he said, I never seen anything like this.

Never seen anything like this.

And I said, well, I said, it's the Lord has answered prayer.

[soft music] When the stork would leave an extra room off at our place and the old family doctor come around, he'd say to me, he said, well, daddy, you're $1,000 richer.

But I could never figure that out that way.

I thought it was just the other way around.

[soft music] CAROLYN WONDERS: He's dead come to us and said that you'll starve to death.

And you can't live, he said, going out, preaching the gospel.

It can't be done.

We never went hungry.

And God took care of the children, with the eight children.

Well, of course, we have 10, but with all 10 of them, we never had one with a broken bone, never a stitch, never doctor bills.

God took care of us all along the way.

We never went hungry.

You eat at our table.

We've always had plenty on the table to eat.

And God has always provided.

And there was times that we didn't have money.

We didn't have money to buy anything.

And this happened to you one time.

I went down to the cellar, and I said, Lord, when the Lord calls you into something, you know he's not going to forsake you.

And I went to the cellar, and it was on a Saturday morning.

And there was six potatoes down in the cellar.

And of course, I had a little canned fruit.

But we're not to just live by canned fruit.

And I said, Lord, I said, you called us in to this.

I said, you have to provide for us.

And there's Rahab came to the door, and I went to the door, and here stood a man, 50 pounds bag of potatoes on his shoulder and a big box of groceries sitting down on the porch.

I started to cry.

I was so happy I was still.

But I know the Lord will provide.

I know he would do that.

[soft music] PAUL WONDERS: Come on.

Well, we'll pray together.

And you can go.

Praise the Lord.

Heavenly Father, we just want to thank you again for your many blessings.

Thank you for these loved ones that you have kept your hand of love and mercy.

We have 10 children that are living, six boys and four girls.

And we are just thankful to the Lord for every one of them, although none of them anymore are at home.

They're all married and away from home.

And your will be done in each of our lives, and we'll praise you for everything in Jesus's name.

Amen.

Thank you, Jesus.

WOMAN: I gotta give you a good Mother's Day.

CAROLYN WONDERS: They say that-- My goodness, we're all going to get kissed now.

Goodbye.

Kissy, kissy, kissy.

[speaking indistinctly] OK, well, you can see we're busy.

Bye bye!

[gospel song] We're going to pause just a moment and let somebody testify right quick.

WOMAN 1: I am so glad that Jesus came into my heart.

I knew that he had something more for me.

And praise God I got it.

I got it, and I searched for it.

So if you have any doubts in your heart tonight, if you've been looking for something, knowing that other people had it, it's real.

And it's there, isn't it Sister Judy?

You can reach out and just touch the hem of his garment.

I sit in awe of the spirit of the Lord.

Oh, I love him supremely.

I'm going all the way.

And I'm going to take as many as I can with me.

I said to the devil this afternoon, I said, boy, here I come again.

You're going to get it again because there's somebody else on our prayer list and God is working.

PAUL WONDERS: Somebody else is back there, up there.

WILBUR: I used to be a karate expert.

Karate, you know, just take somebody's life when I use martial arts.

And I just-- eventually, I just gave him my whole self to the Lord.

AUDIENCE: Praise the Lord.

And I just said, Satan, maybe you say that I have not given them all, but I am now.

I'm truly saying I gave him all of me.

AUDIENCE: Praise the Lord.

And I say, I haven't come to this church that much.

But I'm from Pittsburgh, and I lived off the streets for a long time.

And I haven't seen anything on the streets.

But I say, there's one thing I have seen now is better than anything.

It's the power of the Lord working in me.

Like, I used to be a mean guy, you know.

But now the love comes out through me.

And a lot of people know who I was.

I used to be that.

But now I say that I praise the Lord, and I'm here.

And I'm out willing to help anybody.

Anybody need any help?

PAUL WONDERS: Praise the Lord.

Thank you, Wilbur.

The Lord needs it.

Clap for [inaudible].

That's something the Lord does.

It isn't what man can do.

It's what the Lord is able to do.

Praise the Lord.

We're going to sing this one for Wilbur and for everybody else that just got saved.

All right, number 95.

["SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART" PLAYING] What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought Since Jesus came into my heart All right.

Is there two more?

Testify quickly.

I went to George Somerset.

And she has a broken arm.

She's paraplegic, but she's got a broken arm.

And she said, well, will you pray?

Will you stand in tonight and pray for me?

[laughs] Well, I said, he not only can heal your arm, but he can heal that spinal cord.

She was in an automobile accident, and her spinal cord was severed.

And she's paralyzed from here down and from here down.

She's just completely paralyzed.

But she said, I want you to stand in tonight and pray for me.

So it's wonderful.

God's healing power is wonderful, and I know he can do it.

I just praise and thank him for that.

WOMAN 2: Amen.

MAN 1: Seven years ago, when they caught me dead or alive at a place like this.

[laughter] [cheering] I didn't know I'd been stoned, drunk, or something to get into a place like this because, yeah, they blame the disciples for drinking at 9:00 in the morning.

MAN 2: Yeah?

Yeah.

[laughs] And I don't blame you folks for something.

[laughter] But somehow, in some way, Christ knew a person that could reach me.

WOMAN 3: Yes.

Ezekiel 36, verse 27.

And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes.

And ye shall keep my judgments and do them.

If I may, I'm going to read verse 26 and then verse 27.

Stand up.

That's all right.

[laughs] Amen.

You have pain in there now?

Mm-hmm.

It was just started.

I kept saying, when I came up to this town, I gave my testimony.

When I went back, started acting up.

And does it hurt you now?

Mm-hmm.

PAUL WONDERS: He just said to me that he didn't have no feeling of that in there until he had come up here and give his testimony and gone back.

Then who do you think that is?

I suppose that's the Lord, don't you think, huh?

That's the devil.

In the name of Jesus.

MAN 1: Hallelujah!

Touch his body, Lord.

Thou tormenting spirit in the name of Jesus.

This loved one has given his heart to you, Lord.

And he belongs to you.

In the name of Jesus.

We lay our hands upon this loved one now.

And we smite this.

Well, thank you, Jesus.

Glory.

MAN 1: Hallelujah!

What's happened, Wilbur?

What's happened?

WILBUR: It's still there.

[speaking in low voice] Amen.

In the name of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus now.

In the name forever.

Amen.

Oh.

In the name of Jesus.

Thou tormenting spirit.

WOMAN 1: I believe.

WILBUR: Oh.

Satan, I command you in the name of Jesus, leave this boy right now.

Hallelujah!

Bravo!

[chanting] Yes, Amen.

In the name of Jesus now.

Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Thank you, Lord.

Amen, Lord.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

Hallelujah!

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

Yes, Lord.

WOMAN 2: Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Praise the Lord.

Hallelujah.

WOMAN 2: Glory to God.

CAROLYN WONDERS: Defeat the devil.

PAUL WONDERS: Hallelujah.

CAROLYN WONDERS: Praise the Lord.

WOMAN 2: Glory to God.

CAROLYN WONDERS: Praise Jesus.

PAUL WONDERS: Thank you, Jesus.

WOMAN 2: Hallelujah.

CAROLYN WONDERS: Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you.

WOMAN 2: Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

CAROLYN WONDERS: Thank you, Jesus.

WOMAN 2: Glory to God.

Glory to God.

Glory to God.

CAROLYN WONDERS: It's going to go.

You know, Wilbur, the Bible says as they went, they were healed.

Do you believe that?

WILBUR: Yes, I do.

PAUL WONDERS: All right.

We're believing that all of this is going to be gone right now in the name of Jesus.

MAN 2: Thank you, Lord.

Thank you.

He's just remembering how it was.

[laughs] But he already went out.

Amen.

Amen.

WOMAN 3: Glory to God.

[light music] PAUL WONDERS: Thank you, Lord, for the comfort of this crowd.

Thank you, Jesus.

There is none like unto you, Lord.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

If any of you are here tonight and you'd like to have another touch of the Holy Spirit in your life, or you have a need in your body or whatever it might be, I'm going to state to you, just like I stated this morning, you do what the Lord tells you to do right now.

He's telling you that you're to come to this altar to be prayed for.

If he's telling you that you need an overflowing of the spirit of God in your life, you do what he tells you to do.

WOMAN 1: Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

[praying, chanting] A new heart, a new heart, a new heart.

Oh, bless you Lord.

Hallelujah.

Bless your name, Lord.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

Hallelujah.

Oh.

Thank you, Jesus.

Oh my goodness.

Put your [inaudible] hands up and praise the Lord.

[cheering] Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

PAUL WONDERS: The pastor's job is different.

The pastor job is a call from God.

When I think back of numbers of years ago, when a pastor one time told me, he said, it's a bread and butter job.

It's more than a bread and butter job.

It is that.

Sure, the pastor is supported.

--a need.

That's his need.

But it's more than that.

Pastor's job is more than an occupation.

Right now in behalf of this [inaudible], heal her, heal her spine.

Let her feel a new spinal cord in the name of Jesus.

So that's the way the Lord's been providing for us ever since we left the farm.

So if anyone ever tells you that God's going to let you down, don't believe it.

He'll not let you down.

He says in his word, he said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you, and he's never forsaken us one time.

[gospel song] Wonder why the people are so envious Oh, when they see that we're as happy ought to be For the glory of the Lord is all around us And we're as happy the birds up in the tree Mrs.

Wonders admonishes her women's club to be enthused.

Enthusiasm could easily be her trademark.

She and her husband bring an exuberance to their religious mission that is a delight to witness.

And this documentary portrait allows us the time and the depth of detail to understand that exuberance and its effects on the local congregation.

If religion is an important force in our society, as the producers here at Penn State Public Broadcasting felt it was when they made this documentary, then this examination can help show us the basis of that force.

For religion, perhaps especially in rural areas, influences our legal, moral, and social lives.

We should try to understand its effects no matter what particular theology is being espoused.

Paul Wonders retired a few years after this documentary was completed and moved back to South Central Pennsylvania to a house only 2 and 1/2 miles from where he was born.

Paul Wonders died in 1991.

Mrs.

Wonders now lives with one of her 10 children in that same area, with plenty of time to enjoy her 30-some grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

It would be a mistake to try to dismiss the Wonders as cute or folksy or, as Mrs.

Wonders describes them, one of the ridiculous.

Religion is too important in rural America, perhaps in all America, to be treated so casually.

There are plenty of religious varieties, as you'll see in later editions of the "Pennsylvania Parade."

But for its many practitioners, the words with which we open this program are an apt description-- clear, unified.

For Penn State Public Broadcasting, I'm PJ O'Connell.

[theme music]