Glenn opened the doors to a studio audience on last night’s TV show, and he shared a story about why he is headed to Birmingham that he hasn’t told on air yet. How did he end up going to Birmingham on the five year anniversary of Restoring Honor? It’s a much deeper than story than you probably expect - and nothing about it is a coincidence.

Tickets for this event are now available here.

Below is a transcript of this story:

I’ll tell you a quick story. For about five years, I’ve known what I’m now beginning, not wanted to do it, argued all the way—you’ve got the wrong guy, all of it. He doesn’t listen to me. At one point probably a year ago, probably last summer, I knew what we were going to be doing. It was like heavy on me.

I said to Him finally, you’ve got the wrong guy. I don’t have the resources to do this. I don’t have the connections to do this. I’m a stupid TV guy. That’s what I do. You’ve got the wrong guy. You know what he said to me? Because we have kind of a contentious relationship. He said to me—in all due respect, this is literally what I heard: Sit down and shut up. I’m like well, that’s not helpful. I don’t know how that helps because I know you have me doing these things, but I can’t put them together because I don’t have any of the resources.

You’re showing me things, and then you’re not giving me the ability to—shut up and sit down. There are others. Okay, so where are the other people? So, a year ago, shut up and sit down. This preacher comes, and I’m speaking. He’s from Birmingham, Alabama. I know I’m starting this event. I don’t know where to start it. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know it’s going to be big.

This preacher is sitting there. I don’t know he’s a preacher, don’t know anything about him. He’s about the fifth row back. He’s about where you are. I’m talking, and I’m doing this whole thing. I keep looking at him. And God is like you’ve got to talk to him. By the end, I think I’m doing all the whole speech just to him, okay? God wouldn’t leave me alone. Everybody leaves. He’s gone. There’s about 500 people. I said to one of the guys on my staff, “There was a guy in about the fifth row.” He said, “Right, the African-American guy?” I said, “Did you feel something too?” He’s like, “Oh my gosh, yeah.”

I said, “God is telling me I’ve got to talk to him.” I go out, we find him, and I said to him I don’t know what we’re supposed to meet for, but we’re supposed to talk. Now, this happens to be the preacher, the bishop at this church, this black gospel church in Birmingham, Alabama. He said it’s funny because God told me I was supposed to write you a letter last Monday. He said I didn’t know I was coming here, so I wrote you a letter because I’m supposed to do something with you, but I don’t what it is. I said well pastor, the only thing I know is I’m starting this thing.

At that time we both just kind of sat back, and he said I’m willing to do it. I said ooh boy, having me in a black church in Birmingham, Alabama, that’s not going to be popular. He said God sure tells me that’s what should be done. I said well, me too. If you’re in, I’m in. Now, I don’t have all the resources, God.

Now, I say yes to him, and I immediately think that’s a 1,600-seat church. There’s only 1,600 seats. I say this on the air, do you know how many people are going to come, God? You know how many people are going to come? Sixteen hundred, much more than that. He calls me up the next day, and he said Glenn, the mayor has called. The city has called. They’re thinking now about possibly just giving you the stadium because so many calls are coming in.

They’ve already talked about blocking the streets, because I’m thinking to myself, I see in my mind what God has planned, there’s a march, and there’s a march in Birmingham, Alabama, but I don’t have any of those resources to do that. All of a sudden, they’re talking now about possibly blocking off the streets in case you want to do a march. Oh, and there’s 22 acres over here where people can gather, and you can do something on this 22 acres. I didn’t have any of the ability.

So, what I would say to you is we have to unite. We have to re—read Acts 2. We have to unite, be of one heart, of one mind, know exactly who we are, and then sit down and shut up because the Lord is going to use each of us in His own way at His time.