POWNAL – For the faithful and the just plain curious, the centuries-old tradition of a revival meeting will be coming to the North Pownal United Methodist Church this weekend.

While the thought of a revival meeting may conjure images of Burt Lancaster in the film classic, “Elmer Gantry,” the concept of the outdoor Christian service has a long history in the tri-town area.

“People from Pownal probably remember these type of meetings,” said Ray St. Pierre, pastor at the North Pownal Methodist Church. “It’s only been in the last 10 or 20 years that revival meetings have become less frequent due to pastors being hired in a part-time capacity.”

A revival meeting is typically held through consecutive days and serves the dual purpose of satisfying the spiritual needs of existing parishioners and attracting new converts. While most revival meetings are outside events, this particular one will take place inside the 160-year-old church in order to introduce parishioners to the concept. The North Pownal church will also hold a pig roast before the service, its first-ever fundraiser, on Saturday, Aug. 24, said St. Pierre.

“I felt it was important for the community to witness the old-fashioned traditions,” said St. Pierre, 60, who served as the chaplain for the Lewiston Police Department for a number of years. “It’s a very upbeat experience with music and a message. People are given the opportunity to accept salvation if they choose and to renew themselves in a whole new way. If not, people can just listen.”

The theme of this weekend’s event is a two-day affair and will feature guest pastor Greg Ferrill, of T&T Ministries in Topsham, and the music of Heaven’s Blend, a Southern gospel group consisting of Maine pastors who also happen to play music. For Heaven’s Blend keyboardist and founder, Tom Rawley, pastor of the Waldoboro Word of Life Church, music is an especially effective tool to spread the word of God.

“The word of God tells us to encourage one another in songs and hymns,” said Rawley. “We understand music to be the language of the heart. Music touches places in our lives where maybe words can’t. It draws on areas of our lives that may need encouragement and can serve as a reminder, through song, of a loved one who watched over or prayed for us. Music becomes the catalyst to spread the gospel.”

Both Ferrill and Heaven’s Blend, the only scheduled musical offering, have donated their services free of charge, said St. Pierre.

While the North Pownal church has an active and healthy membership from the tri-town area and beyond, St. Pierre admits that the number of churchgoers overall is declining.

“Twenty or 30 years ago, churches were the center of a community and would host bean suppers and dances,” he said. “The dynamics of our lifestyles have changed and churches are no longer the center of the community. The community is the center of the church,” he said. “When I was a kid, Sunday morning meant going to church. The stores were closed, there was no baseball practice. As the time passed and the economics of our society changed, Sunday became not much different from any other day.”

According to a poll conducted by Gallup in 2012, 32 percent of Americans are nonreligious, based on their statement that religion is not an important part of their daily life and that they seldom or never attend religious services. Maine has traditionally ranked near the bottom of church-going states, with just 31 percent of the population attending a weekly service, compared to a national average of 42 percent, according to Religious Facts, an organization that tracks trends for churches. New England, settled by Puritans seeking religious tolerance, has surpassed the West Coast as the least religious region in the country, according to an article published in the Los Angeles Times in March 2009.

With religion seemingly on the decline here in Maine and across the country, St. Pierre argues for a deeper understanding of what the concept of spirituality means.

“My generation raised our kids with the idea that we were not going to force our kids to go to church, like we were,” said St. Pierre. “By the time kids get to be 18, church is the last thing they want to be involved in until a time of crisis. Church provides the spiritual assistance in these times. It’s our job as church leaders to find the people who are looking for answers and help them on their journey.”

Ray St. Pierre, pastor of the North Pownal Methodist Church, will lead a two-day camp revival this weekend with a theme of addressing a spiritually broken society. The revival is an old-fashioned event designed to satisfy the spiritual needs of the existing parishioners and introduce the church to new members.The Southern Gospel group Heaven’s Blend will be performing this weekend during a two-day camp revival meeting put on by the North Pownal Methodist Church. The Maine-based group is comprised of pastors who spread the word of God through song. From left are Tom Rawley, Marcel Ward, Craig Tuck and Gary Leit.