Mid-Twentieth Century Revivals

1970 February 3—Wilmore, Kentucky – Asbury College

A revival broke out in Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, on Tuesday, February 3, 1970. During the regular morning chapel, which commenced at 10 a.m., God moved on the students in such a way that many came weeping to the front to kneel in repentance, others gave testimonies including confession of sin, and all this was mixed with spontaneous singing. Lectures were canceled for the day as the auditorium filled with more than 1,000 people. Few left for meals. By midnight, over 500 still remained, praying and worshiping. Several hundred committed their lives to Christ that day. By 6 a.m. the next morning, 75 students were still praying in the chapel, and throughout Wednesday it filled again as all lectures were again canceled for the day. The time was filled with prayer, singing, confessions, and testimonies.

As they continued in prayer that week, many students felt called to share what was happening with other colleges and churches. Invitations began coming from around the country as news of the revival spread. So the next weekend, teams went out to tell the story and give their testimonies. Almost half the student body of 1,000 was involved in the teams witnessing about the revival.

In the first week after the revival began, teams of students visited 16 states by invitation and saw several thousand conversions through their witnessing. After six weeks, over 1,000 teams had gone from the college to witness, some of these into Latin America with finances provided by the home churches of the students. In addition, the adjacent Theological Seminary sent out several hundred teams of their students who had also been caught up in this revival.

Those remaining at the college prayed for the teams and gladly heard their reports on their return. The Holy Spirit moved in similar ways wherever they went. So the revival spread. The college remained a focus for the revival with meetings continuing at night and weekends, along with spontaneous prayer groups meeting every day. Hundreds of people kept coming to the college to see this revival and participate in it. They took reports and their own testimonies of changed lives back to their churches or colleges and so shared in the spread of the revival.

In the early 1970’s, revival also spread among the hippie dropouts. Thousands were converted in mass rallies on the beaches and in halls, and they developed their own Jesus People magazines, music, and evangelism.

© Geoff Waugh. Used by permission.