Transformative Power of Love, Healing, and Hope
About this episode
Glenn Davis, lead pastor of Countryside Christian Church in Clearwater, Florida, joins Philip Cameron to share the remarkable story of a mass baptism service that drew over 500 people to Clearwater Beach — with more than 200 baptized in a single night. It was, as Glenn describes it, "like a revival meeting on Clearwater Beach," a culmination of years of faithful, persistent ministry. Glenn opens up about the explosive growth of his Wednesday night youth ministry, where between 300 and 500 teenagers gather weekly and 20 to 40 young people give their lives to Christ every single service. He explains why Gen Z is responding: "They want an authentic move of God. They're not looking for some big show. They are looking to get in the presence of God." The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Glenn recounts the painful journey behind his book Ordinary Guy Extraordinary God — available on Amazon — including his brother's unexpected death from an accidental overdose in 2014, a two-year battle with depression and anxiety, and a massive seizure in 2016 that God used to restore his joy and calling. Glenn also shares how Countryside Christian Church leaned into daily worship and the Word during COVID, emerging stronger than before. Visit countryside.cc to connect with Glenn and his church.
Part of our Revival collection of conversations.
Quotes worth sharing
“And she says, "Dad, listen, listen." And she put the phone out the window and I could hear the sirens warning of a missile attack. And I said, "Catalina, aren't you afraid?" And she says, "No. God's protecting us and keeping us safe." And I said, "Catalina, you are more Christian than I am."”
“The technology is crazy. What these kids are up against is unlike anything we've ever seen — the comparison and what they get into on social media. But the bottom line, the universal thing that always works is Jesus and Jesus' love. We love them right where they are, no matter what they're going through. And we let them know it's okay to not be okay. It's not okay to stay not okay.”
“It was there in that moment, in that hospital intensive care, that God restored joy, He restored passion. And in just a short time after that, maybe six to nine months later, I was back as lead pastor, completely restored, and now in places that we've never been as a church. But it took a lot of pain, it took a lot of perseverance, but through it all, God is always faithful.”
What's Discussed
Pastor Glenn Davis of Countryside Christian Church in Clearwater, Florida, shares the story behind a landmark baptism service where more than 200 people were baptized on Clearwater Beach before a crowd of 500. He describes a thriving Wednesday night youth ministry drawing 300–500 teenagers weekly, with dozens saved every service — evidence that Gen Z is hungry for authentic encounters with God. Glenn then opens up about the personal cost of ministry: his brother's death from accidental overdose in 2014, a two-year depression, and a 2016 seizure that became a turning point of divine restoration. His book Ordinary Guy Extraordinary God, available on Amazon, chronicles this journey of perseverance and hope. He also shares how his church pressed forward boldly through COVID, emerging with greater strength and momentum.
- 200-Person Clearwater Beach Baptism
- Gen Z Hunger for Authentic Worship
- Creating Space and Priority for Teenagers
- Book: Ordinary Guy Extraordinary God
- Brother's Death and Battle with Depression
- COVID and Daily Worship Perseverance
- Encouragement for Struggling Pastors
Episode Transcript
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Intro
Philip:Hello my friend, and welcome to Daily Faith. We are so glad you can join us today. We have got a tremendous program with a dear friend of ours, Glenn Davis. He pastors a church called Countryside Christian Church in Clearwater, Florida. And if you are ever down in that neck of the woods, you need to go and see him and be a part of his church fellowship because they are doing great things for the Kingdom of God.
Philip:They had — first thing I wanna talk to 'em about — they had an old-fashioned baptismal service, and we got some video to show you of a couple hundred plus people that are baptized in the water. Now, this would never happen if it was Maine because they'd all die in the water, but if you live in — I'm not bitter — but if you live in Clearwater, Florida, you can get away with this kind of stuff. So we'll be addressing that as well, that God will forgive me for harboring resentment. The fact that he's in Clearwater, Florida, where the sun shines all the time, it's a gorgeous place, and I just can't wait to meet him.
Philip:If you know us at all, you know that we do mission work in Eastern Europe. For the last 34 years we have been in Romania, Moldova — more recently, the last six years — we've been in Ukraine. We have homes where we take girls that are at risk of being trafficked, take them in from the orphanage, mostly sometimes from poverty, from broken families. And we tell them, if you are born, God has a plan.
Philip:And they come to that place right there — Vara Village. It's a village of six houses, right on the largest lake in Moldova. They come to us, we put them back in school, tell them if they are born, God has a plan. And these kids, once orphans, are now sons and daughters. And our passion has become their passion. And this last year they've been serving incredibly in Ukraine, going where the bombs and missiles fly, where tanks run and destroy villages. And our kids are right in the middle of this.
Philip:The other day I got a phone call — a FaceTime — from one of our kids. Our home in Odessa has internet. So she FaceTimed me, and she says, "Dad" — they call me dad and my wife Chrissy mom. And she says, "Dad, listen, listen." And she put the phone out the window and I could hear the sirens warning of a missile attack. And I said, "Catalina, aren't you afraid?" And she says, "No. God's protecting us and keeping us safe." And I said, "Catalina, you are more Christian than I am."
Philip:So these kids are doing amazing things, amazing things, reaching out from the very first moments of the war when Russia invaded Ukraine. They were on the border cooking and feeding and loving and praying for people. That's them. The girl on the left is in fact Catalina, who spoke to me, in the green coat. Nadia is in the hoodie, the green hoodie. Nadia — I rescued her from an orphanage in Moldova, the largest one in the whole country. And she's now the leader of the ministry in Moldova, an amazing, fearless woman of God.
Philip:And they were right there at the very beginning, the first hours. And we've been going back. So far we've given away 15,000 new coats. Yesterday we sent away our fourth container in the last six months. So every six weeks we've been sending a 40-foot container. And there it is right there. It left here yesterday morning and is now on its way back to where people are in desperate need — whole cities without water, without electricity.
Philip:And it may be pushed off the headlines in this country, and it may be politicized in this country, but I'm interested in moms with kids with no husbands because their husbands are fighting in a war and have died in a war. And our job, as Jesus calls us, is to rescue the perishing and care for the dying. And they sent me a video the other day that has just blessed me, and I just want to share it with you because you'll see orphans — the young men and women that you'll see in this video are from our homes in Moldova. They're in Ukraine, and all of them were orphans at one time in their life. Watch this.
Despair lived one day at a time takes an eternity as we hear and live our blessed life. Can you imagine leaving an existence that threatens to kill you every second, every minute, every hour, every day. The wails of sirens, warning of missiles all through the night, causes every nerve in your body to scream. There is no water, no power, no heat. The village, as you remember it, no longer exists. The streets and homes only survive in your mind. The menfolk are all gone, alive or dead — you don't know. Fear is your neighbor, the guest at every meal, your bedfellow every night. The young men and women from Moldova have come. They tell us there are new coats and other things. Why do they care? Why have they come to hell? We'll go and see if what we heard is true. Grace is waiting, kindness and love, a moment to smile, the strangeness of a hug. It's true. They are here, waiting for us in the middle of darkness. The love of God meets the broken, and hope is born again.
Philip:Imagine having your life reduced to standing in a line and fighting for a coat. We've gone with thousands and put out thousands of blankets. We found a factory that could make them — big quilts, not just a small blanket. I'm talking about a quilt that a mother, if she's in a detention center or in a refugee center, can use and literally cover her kids with this blanket. And we've given away thousands of those, thousands of Bibles. And these amazing kids from our ministry in Moldova are out there doing work that I cannot — I cannot imagine most people doing. And I'm so proud of them.
Philip:And we need your help. In order for this to continue, every time a container is sent from here it costs $10,000 just to send the container — nothing else, not one thing that's in the container, just the container itself. And you can help us. You can be a part of this miracle. To be His hand extended, reaching out to the oppressed — however that chorus or that song applies, it applies in this situation. The eyes of the world have left Ukraine, all forgotten.
Philip:And in fact we've so politicized this — are you for Zelensky or against him? And the truth of the matter is, I'm neither for him or against him. I am against Putin, because you can't just take a country beside you because you've got a bigger army than they do. That's like America invading Canada because we want their water. It's insane. But we are there loving the broken, caring for the lost, and sharing the gospel. And you can't share the gospel with someone who's hungry and cold. You feed them first, you give 'em a coat, and then you tell them that God loves them and He sent us to tell you that He sent the Son, Jesus.
Philip:And you can give today if you want. The address is The Orphan's Hands, PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. You can also go to dailyfaith.tv — there's a giving page there, and you can click on our button and give right now if you wish. Someone gave a thousand dollars yesterday and we're so grateful for that. Or you can call 1-833-Daily Faith and you'll have a live person right now that will take your phone call and receive your gift to help us continue this work.
Philip:Along with what we're doing there, we're also involved in the earthquake in Turkey. We have been there just recently. And one of our vans left Moldova, drove through Romania, Bulgaria, down to Istanbul, picked up my son Andrew and the team, and Andrew went all the way down to the earthquake zone. And that's our van in the earthquake zone. We gave away tents to families that have nowhere to go — they're literally sitting on the side of the street with nowhere to go in the pouring rain, freezing cold.
Philip:We donated 50 tents like you're looking at right now, and also found a place where we could buy care boxes — 40 pounds of food for $30. And our vans ran back and forth. We received a call from the pastor from there the other day, and we're helping the Christians in Turkey because Turkey is an Islamic state and Christians are second-class people. And we've been caring for Christians, and we got a phone call just the other day — the tents are full and the boxes are gone, and we're hoping to send more.
Philip:So whatever you're doing, please help us to make a difference in someone's life. I promise you this — if you make a difference in their life, God will make a difference in yours. I'm delighted. I have Glenn Davis with us today, and he pastors a church in Clearwater, Florida called Countryside Christian Church with his wife Elaine. And he has got some amazing things to share with us. And Glenn, I'm so thankful that you are wearing plaid in honor of being on our Scots program today. Thank you so much. And even though you're Welsh yourself, we still love you. We are not gonna hold that against you.
200-Person Clearwater Beach Baptism
Glenn Davis:I think we're looking pretty good, if I do say so myself.
Philip:I think so too. You are doing some crazy stuff in Florida. Will you set up this video that I wanted to show our audience today? Tell us what happened.
Glenn Davis:Yeah, so a week and a half ago, on Sunday night, we went to Sand Key, which is connected to Clearwater Beach, and baptized over 200 people, and we had over 500 in attendance for worship. And it was like a revival meeting on Clearwater Beach.
Philip:Sounds like the Jesus movement all over again.
Glenn Davis:It felt like that. I tell you what, it's a culmination of a lot of hard work. You know, as a pastor, we do a lot of things, do a lot of services, just got a lot going on. But that's where we rejoice — a night of victory, a night of celebration where we see hundreds really there. It's new life, new birth. Things are left in that water that are absolutely powerful.
Philip:I love it. Well, let's watch that video. Watch this. This is what's taking place in Countryside Christian Church. Watch this.
Philip:Oh my goodness. That is absolutely crazy. Wow, Glenn, that's fabulous. And God's using you to have a revival amongst this new generation, this Gen Z kids that I can't understand. They are a world unto themselves. Tell us what God's doing amongst your Gen Z kids.
Glenn Davis:I'll tell you what, it's really miraculous what's happening over the last couple of years. We now see between 300 and 500 teenagers that come every Wednesday night. Every week more than 20, 30, 40 kids get saved. They're hungry. That's the thing with this generation and Gen Z — they want an authentic move of God. They're not looking for some big show. They are looking to get in the presence of God, to worship Him. This Gen Z worship — it's powerful and it's miraculous what God's doing.
Gen Z Hunger for Authentic Worship
Philip:It's so exciting. What amazes me is people can look at this generation and say, "We can't figure them out, we don't know what to do." And so you got one pastor telling me, "We just can't figure out this generation, they're all lost." And then I've got you telling me, "Oh my goodness, these kids worship like crazy, there's revival amongst them." And I think it's how we see them and how we deal with them that bears the outcome of what's gonna happen to them.
Glenn Davis:A hundred percent. I was a youth pastor for more than 20 years, so I felt my life's call to minister to that next generation. And what's happening with this generation right now — for us, we created space for them. We built a youth center, created space so that they can come and they know that they're important, they know they're a priority to our church. We love 'em. It's a diverse group that comes in. Some of 'em are rough, some of 'em are clean-cut — it's a mixture of kids. But the bottom line, they're gonna walk in, they may be broken, they may be lost, but that's who Jesus came to reach. And we're gonna reach that. It's non-negotiable.
Philip:It just fascinates me that — and I'm not a pastor, I travel and speak in churches — but I'm hearing pastors, and there's two sides of this coin. One are saying, "We just don't know what's gonna happen with this generation, they're gonna get lost, they've got so much technology in their hands." And then you have another pastor that seems to have cracked the nut and understood how to reach these kids and are having success. Three to 500 kids — that's a revival, in a world that's gone crazy.
Creating Space and Priority for Teenagers
Glenn Davis:The technology is crazy. What these kids are up against is unlike anything we've ever seen — the comparison and what they get into on social media. But the bottom line, the universal thing that always works is Jesus and Jesus' love. We love them right where they are, no matter what they're going through. And we let them know it's okay to not be okay. It's not okay to stay not okay.
Philip:Another pastor's watching just now and they're saying, "Ah, it's easy for you, Glenn. You got a church in Clearwater, Florida, the sun is shining, and you got hundreds, if not thousands, of people coming to church." Has life always been easy for you? Have you always had it so easy?
Glenn Davis:Well, it's a large church and God's blessed our church. But a couple years ago I wrote a book called Ordinary Guy, Extraordinary God. And in this book, the whole purpose of it is to share the journey of perseverance — that when you go through things that are very, very difficult in ministry, that God still shows up and God's not done with you yet. The key is, don't quit. Stay faithful to the call, preaching the word, and keep believing and have faith that God is going to move you out of where you are to where you're going.
Book: Ordinary Guy Extraordinary God
Philip:I have a dear friend, Marcus Lamb, who also is now in the presence of the Lord. And we were in a tremendous battle a number of years ago. And he called me one day and he said, "Look, I just want to tell you something — in all of your circumstances, don't quit." And in this book that you wrote, Ordinary Guy, Extraordinary God, you went through some stuff. I mean, you literally quit, and God restored you back. Tell us about that experience.
Glenn Davis:Yeah, so I took over the church as lead pastor in 2010. Took over a building that went 10 million over budget and we had no money. We got in the building — it was during the crash of 2008 economically. The congregation was dwindling, we were overwhelmed with debt, and it was hard. And I didn't know what to do, so I was overwhelmed just trying to stay open. People say, "What's your vision?" My vision is to stay open next week. That's my vision.
Brother's Death and Battle with Depression
Glenn Davis:People can look at where we are now, but let me tell you, it was persevering through difficult times. 2014, I lost my brother unexpectedly to an accidental overdose, which threw me into a dark, deep depression, anxiety, fear, to the point where I nearly died. And in 2016, after two years of deep dark depression, I had a massive seizure that reset my body, reset my brain. The doctor said it was like a nuclear bomb of endorphins that went through my body.
Glenn Davis:And it was there in that moment, in that hospital intensive care, that God restored joy, He restored passion. And in just a short time after that, maybe six to nine months later, I was back as lead pastor, completely restored, and now in places that we've never been as a church. But it took a lot of pain, it took a lot of perseverance, but through it all, God is always faithful.
Philip:I know, I know. As sure as my name is Philip Cameron, someone's watching today and you are going through the same struggle as Glenn went through. You are battling depression and everything around you seems okay, and you're thinking, "My God, what's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way?" Some things you can't understand and you can't explain. But the thing you've gotta understand is this — don't quit. Keep pressing forward, keep moving through. And I believe it doesn't have to be an explosion of endorphins. I believe it can be an explosion of the Holy Ghost power that can transform you in a twinkling of an eye. And I pray for you right now.
Philip:I just feel that — let me pray for you. Father, in Jesus' name, watching this now there's someone that is going through a tremendous battle of depression, and you're thinking, "How will I see this? How do I get through this?" The storms, the water's coming into the boat and you're thinking, "My God, people think I'm okay and I'm not okay." In the name of Jesus, I take authority over fear — that is the root source of most of the things that happen wrong to us. And I take authority over fear in your life. And I plead the blood of Jesus over your mind and your spirit, that no weapon formed against you will prosper. They may be formed against you, but they're not gonna prosper. And I speak peace and hope and wholeness into your life. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.
Philip:You have gone through Covid like many other churches, and instead of it destroying the church, the church increased through that season. Is that correct?
Glenn Davis:Yeah. So when Covid hit, we didn't know what to do. We were closed for a few months. We didn't know how it was gonna affect the church, how it was gonna affect the giving. God was really, really faithful during that time. But for us, I really encouraged the church — this is our time to really be the church. And in times of desperation and times of so much uncertainty, we started a daily encouraging service that we did every single day with worship and the word — every single day during Covid. During that Covid season when we were closed, it wasn't a time where we backed up. We persevered forward, boldly declaring what God was going to do. And He showed up in a big, big way for us.
COVID and Daily Worship Perseverance
Philip:That's amazing. And there are pastors watching and listening to your testimony, and their results from Covid have been the other way. And they're struggling, still trying to catch up. Give us a word of hope to these men and women, and also to folk who go to church — or tend to get back in church if you're not there already.
Glenn Davis:Yes. The key as a leader is to lead strong. When it's uncertain around us, people are looking to us as pastors for strength, wisdom, insight. So I encourage the pastor — be bold like you've never been bold before. Continue to preach with power, with an anointing, because God's not done with your church yet. I'm telling you, God's got this word for you — He is not done with your church or your ministry yet. Stay faithful, stay strong, stay in faith, stay in the word, and God will show up.
Philip:I believe it. "I will build my church, and the gates of hell, the councils of hell, will not prevail against it." This is not your church, pastor. This is not your responsibility. You are not carrying the church. He's carrying you. And if you can understand this dynamic that God wants to do — thank you. Today we're coming to the end of our time together. How can people get your book, Ordinary Guy, Extraordinary God? How can we get to that?
Encouragement for Struggling Pastors
Glenn Davis:It's on Amazon. It's on sale right now for like six bucks. I wrote this book to really help people that are in a tough place. It's a book of hope, it's a book of redemption. And I wrote it to really encourage people that are hurting. So you can go to amazon.com, order it right now — Ordinary Guy, Extraordinary God. And I think you need to have this message in your spirit, in the name of Jesus.
Philip:And how can we get in contact with you at the church if we want to, if we're in the area, or we want to write you for something?
Glenn Davis:Go to our website at countryside.cc. You can follow us on YouTube, Facebook. It's a big church and a lot of people are coming in, a lot of people are getting saved. We always have an altar call and we will welcome you warmly if you come.
Philip:Listen, we are so glad you took the time. I know you're a busy man. Thank you for coming with your plaid shirt — it really helped me to see that today. I thought, well, here's a man that understands the nature of the Scots.
Glenn Davis:You look great in plaid, I gotta tell you. And I love what you're doing in Ukraine, by the way.
Philip:Oh, listen, we're having a great time and we love you guys so much and we appreciate you taking the time with us. Thank you for watching Daily Faith today, my friends. We are so thankful for you to be a part of this ministry. And if you'd like to help us in our outreach in Ukraine, I'd love to have you be a part of it. You can contact us again — really simple. PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. Thank you for watching us today. We'll see you again tomorrow. Thank you. God bless you. Bye-bye.
For over 25 years, the Cameron family has been changing the lives of orphans in Romania and Moldova — from providing running water, flushing toilets, and clean wells, to coal for heat, new windows, as well as food and clothing. They champion the physical needs of the orphans in these broken and desolate countries. Many of Moldova's orphans are saved from the horrors of trafficking through homes founded by the Camerons. And in the process, orphans become daughters and sons. They come to know their heavenly Father and are forever changed by the love of Jesus.
God helped the Camerons lift these amazing young men and women out of darkness — now no longer orphans. They wanna return and invade that very same darkness with the light of Jesus Christ. The Orphan's Hands equips these daughters and sons to become missionaries. Your monthly gift of $31 will allow us to rescue and take in more girls and boys, saving them from the hell of human trafficking. Your monthly partnership will allow us to care for those in The Orphan's Hands homes in Moldova and Ukraine. If you want to join Philip and Chrissy in taking care of these precious young people, please contact us today by calling 1-833-Daily Faith. You can also give by going online to www.dailyfaith.tv, or by writing to PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. So many lives depend on what we do. Thank you for loving the lost.
Common questions
What happened at Glenn Davis's beach baptism event and how big was it?
Glenn and Countryside Christian Church held an outdoor baptism at Sand Key, connected to Clearwater Beach, where over 200 people were baptized and more than 500 attended the worship service. He described it as feeling like a revival meeting — a night of victory and new life.
How is Glenn Davis reaching Gen Z teenagers, and how many are showing up?
Between 300 and 500 teenagers come to Countryside Christian Church every Wednesday night, with more than 20–40 kids getting saved each week. Glenn says the key was creating dedicated space for them — building a youth center so teens know they're a priority — and meeting them where they are, no matter how broken or rough around the edges they may be.
What did Glenn Davis go through personally before the church grew to where it is today?
After taking over as lead pastor in 2010, Glenn inherited a building $10 million over budget during the 2008 economic crash. Then in 2014, he lost his brother to an accidental overdose, which sent him into two years of severe depression and anxiety. In 2016 he suffered a massive seizure — which his doctor described as a nuclear bomb of endorphins resetting his body and brain — and it was in the ICU that God restored his joy and passion. Within six to nine months he was back as lead pastor.
What is Glenn Davis's book about and where can you get it?
His book is called Ordinary Guy, Extraordinary God, and it's written to encourage people who are in a tough or painful place — it's a story of perseverance, hope, and redemption through difficult seasons in ministry. It's available on Amazon for around six dollars.
How did Countryside Christian Church handle Covid, and what advice does Glenn give to pastors still struggling post-Covid?
Rather than pulling back, Glenn encouraged the church to 'be the church' and launched a daily worship-and-word service every single day while they were closed. He advises struggling pastors to lead boldly — preaching with power and anointing — because, as he puts it, God is not done with their church or ministry yet.
Topics
glenn davisgen z revivalmass baptismdepression and faithpastoral perseverancecountryside christian churchyouth ministry