Meet Me in the Water Revival Attracts Nearly 3,000 to Peterson

A small southeastern Minnesota town became the gathering place for thousands of people August 29-30 as the Kayla Gabbard Ministry brought its Meet Me in the Water Revival to Peterson.

Nearly 3,000 people attended the two-day event with 1,021 attendees baptized in the Root River by Founder Kayla Gabbard, Pastor Elwood Patrick, and a team of baptizers.

Local resident Nikki Olson proposed holding the revival on farmland owned by her aunt and uncle, Matt and Jenny Helgmoe.

The property along the Root River provided ample space for parking, food trucks, changing stations and porta potties. A large white tent served as a gathering place for worship services, while the river became the site for baptisms throughout the weekend.

Approximately 100 volunteers helped with the setup, worked during the event, and helped with cleanup.

The weekend featured live music by Selah Praise who travel with the ministry.

The ministry’s first revival, held in 2023, drew 54 people. Since then, the ministry reports that 28,821 people have been baptized through its revivals. Its largest events have attracted thousands of people.

Traveling revival preacher Pastor Elwood Patrick of Cobhill, Kentucky, said he believes the growing number of baptisms represents a movement of God.

“The revival and things like this taking place and baptisms, it’s just a movement of God is what it is,” Pastor Elwood said. “It is people obeying the Spirit of the Lord and doing what God has told them to do.”

Pastor Elwood sad he believes people need to discover their identity in Christ and follow what they are called to do.

“When they find their identity in Christ, God will just open up doors, unbelievable,” he said.

For Olson, the revival began with a vision.

In October 2024, Olson said she envisioned a “big tent revival.” She recalled seeing every detail of the event in her mind and felt compelled to write them down. She then tucked the notes away.

At the time, Olson said, she did not even know about Kayla Gabbard’s ministry.

“There’s plenty of just wonderful churches around here, and people that love Jesus, but I think my whole thing behind it was like inviting that person next to you that might not know Jesus, or might be curious about Jesus, or might want to rededicate their faith or go deeper,” Olson said.

She also thought people might feel more comfortable attending an outdoor event than entering a church building.

Olson submitted the Peterson as a possible location in June 2025. She said she heard from Gabbard in December 2025, requesting more information.

From there, Olson said, the plans continued to come together and doors continued to open.

Two Bible passages became particularly meaningful to Olson during the planning process.

Proverbs 16:9 states, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

Olson also said Psalm 119:105 became an “anthem” for her during the planning: “The word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

The event is free, with no charge for admission, parking, or food. Bibles and prayer cloths are available for free.

Sweet Jordan’s follows the ministry to events and provides free ice cream and sandwiches, while another follower gives out free hot dogs and chili dogs.

Pastor Elwood explained, “The Lord has blessed them, and they want to be a part of something. Part of a movement you might say.”

Pastor Elwood also shared testimonies from people who experienced healing.

One man came to him this morning after he got baptized and reported that the back pain he had been experiencing was gone.

Pastor Elwood also pointed out a man that had died the previous week after paramedics could not find a heartbeat. According to Pastor Elwood, CPR and everything was performed and they could not find a heartbeat. They began to pray and out of the wild blue he took a deep breath and came back to life.

Attendees came from throughout the tri-state area, including people who traveled as much as five hours from Wisconsin as well as visitors from the Quad Cities. Organizers said there were visitors from other countries such as Holland and Ecuador who flew in to attend the revival.

People repeatedly described the atmosphere as welcoming and said they could “feel the presence of the Lord.”  Visitors were in awe by the beauty of the surrounding hills and the Root River.

A young couple from Quad Cities said they would like to see a similar revival in Iowa and sounded like they might take the lead.

One woman summed up the experience: “It is good to be with like-minded people.”

The ministry brings the revival to the people, rather than having the people to come to them.