What I Learned from the Hippie Preacher

Sandy Adams, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Stone Mountain, GA, shares a testimony of his encounter with popular CC evangelist Lonnie Frisbee in the late 1970s, one that left a lasting impression on him. This story from our continuing series honoring CC founder Chuck Smith is reprinted from Issue 97 (Fall 2023) of the print magazine.

Lonnie Frisbee was the “hippie preacher” who God used powerfully in the early days of Calvary Chapel. The Jesus Movement began when Chuck Smith met Lonnie and let him preach to the young people who were flocking to his church in Costa Mesa, CA.

Lonnie’s impact was undeniable. Under his preaching, hundreds of young people were saved, and believers received the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Often his laying on of hands and prayer prompted believers to speak with the gift of tongues.

Lonnie’s ministry was highlighted in the recent film, Jesus Revolution. The movie has stirred up questions and interest in Lonnie’s life and ministry, and it inspired me to tell my “Lonnie Frisbee Story.” I have just one. We met briefly, but God used this “hippie preacher” to teach me a lesson I’ve carried with me the rest of my life. My one-and-done encounter with Lonnie Frisbee has proven instrumental in the growth of my faith.

Lonnie’s popularity at Calvary Chapel was strategic but short-lived. It stretched from early 1968 to 1971 when Lonnie and his wife left for Florida, where they were involved in other ministries. Lonnie returned to Calvary Chapel in the late 1970s when our paths crossed.

I came from Atlanta, GA, to Twin Peaks, CA, in the spring of 1980 to enroll in the Calvary Chapel Bible College. The Jesus Movement had spread to places all around the world, even to the Deep South. I started listening to Pastor Chuck on the radio. It was through The Word for Today that I learned of Calvary Chapel and its Bible college.

Having been raised in a fundamentalist Baptist church, I knew very little about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and supernatural gifts like speaking in tongues. When I gave my life to Jesus, I wanted to be His witness but lacked boldness. One night I prayed in desperation for God to pour out His Holy Spirit on me. He did, and for a moment I spoke in tongues. It scared me. I thought, What’s a good Baptist doing speaking in tongues? And my doubt shut down my praise. But there was no denying my life changed that night. I had a new boldness to share the Gospel and a strong love for people. I knew what I had experienced was real and longed for a repeat of both the Spirit’s anointing and the ability to praise God in unlearned and unknown tongues.

Shortly after Bible College began, a pastors’ conference was held that students could attend. I’d heard of Lonnie Frisbee. People told me he had a special gifting, that he prayed for folks, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

I was a Southern Baptist branching out. I had come to learn from and experience what God was doing at Calvary Chapel. I thought, I might as well have this Frisbee guy pray for me. One night at the conference I found Lonnie. I asked him if he would pray for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.

After a few seconds Lonnie ordered, “Take off your shoes.” I said, “What?” He said, “Take off your shoes.” Now it would not have been that difficult. All I was wearing at the time were rubber flip flops. But I was adamant, “I’m not interested in gimmicks. I want the real thing! I want the power of the Holy Spirit, not some charismatic hocus-pocus.” I’ll never forget Lonnie’s response. He was bold: “Man, your problem is pride—intellectual pride. If you can’t figure something out, you won’t believe it.”

Then he shared the story of Naaman the leper—the Syrian general who approached the Prophet Elisha for healing. Elisha told him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River. At first Naaman was too proud to immerse himself in the muddy, murky waters of the Jordan. He said if he wanted to dip in a river, there were purer rivers in Syria. That’s when his servants called him out for his pride. They asked him, “If the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” (2 Kings 5:13b).

Just as Naaman didn’t understand what his healing had to do with dipping himself in the Jordan, I didn’t see what taking off my shoes had to do with me receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. But Lonnie saw the connection perfectly. His insistence that I take off my shoes exposed my intellectual pride. If I couldn’t make sense of it, I refused to believe it. After a string of excuse-laden responses from me, Lonnie brought our conversation to an abrupt end: “Hey, you asked me to pray for you, and God told me not to pray unless you take off your shoes.”

I was so mad I did something that’s hard to do—I stomped off in flip-flops! No way was I going to get involved in what I saw as spiritual shenanigans. But when I sat down to sort this out, God spoke to me, Sandy, he is exactly right! This IS your problem. If you can’t dissect it and have it all figured out, you won’t believe it. You have a faith that’s limited to your own logic. Lonnie had hit the nail on the head. My problem was my pride.

I humbled myself and took off my flip-flops. Almost immediately, I saw Lonnie walking out the door. I waved my shoes at him. He just smiled. I told him, “Don’t smile, pray! You’re exactly right. I’m a proud man. But I’m humbling myself now, and I really want you to pray for me.”

That’s when Lonnie did the unexpected. When I look back on the situation, it’s surefire evidence he was listening to God. He said to me, “God just told me not to pray for you. I’ve done my part.” And with that he gave me a big hug and walked off. Thus ended the only experience I ever had with the man—almost. For the lesson God taught me that night has shaped my life ever since.

The next day, friends and I went to the baptism at Pirate’s Cove. After being baptized, the Spirit of God moved on me again with power and love, and I started speaking praises to God in an unknown tongue. This time, even though it baffled and humbled my understanding, I went with what was happening. Rather than quench the Spirit as before, I rejoiced! I was experiencing what Peter called “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8b KJV). It was amazing—a former Southern Baptist was speaking in an unknown tongue! I experienced a wonderful filling of the Holy Spirit that I have never forgotten and continue to walk in, to this very day.

I realize how vital it is to take God at His word, even when I don’t have it figured out. Prior to my encounter with Lonnie, I lived with a faith limited by my own logic. If I couldn’t understand, I remained skeptical. I never considered that God was bigger than my understanding. His ways are beyond our ways. God is all-knowing, and I am still growing!

And now whether it’s a truth clearly revealed in the Bible that I can’t yet reconcile with my logic or a physical tragedy with no apparent explanation—just because I don’t understand it—doesn’t mean I can’t trust God. When I comfort a couple whose baby just died, or talk to a man whose spouse has a cancer, or walk through a hard passage with a skeptical student, or encourage a sojourner at a confusing crossroads, I can assure that person that real faith doesn’t need to know why, when it is certain of Who. You and I can trust God even when we can’t trace Him. The saying is true, “What’s over my head is still under God’s feet.”

I have heard the stories of what became of Lonnie Frisbee. Suffice it to say, he failed to finish well. But his life affirms the lesson God taught me through our encounter. Just as God works in unusual ways that baffle our reasoning, God uses unlikely people to do His work. God knows the great hindrance to building His Kingdom isn’t foolish men or weak men, but prideful men. God’s plan is to use the foolish to confound the wise, and the weak to shame the strong. He uses humble people who aren’t deluded into thinking the power and wisdom is of them. Often I recall the lesson I learned from Lonnie, and I thank the Lord for “the hippie preacher.”