The Asbury College Revival 1970

26 Sept

Written By Josh .

Concerned Believers and the Role of Prayer in Revival

As we examine the pattern of revivals down through the years, it becomes clear that prayer is an essential part. Revival begins when believers become concerned by the low state of things and the spiritual tide being out. This concern then motivates people to pray and cry out to God for His help. It is then that the Lord begins to move in wonderful ways. The story of the Asbury College Revival in 1970 abundantly illustrates this truth. What is now known as the Asbury Revival, started on the campus of Asbury College in the small community of Wilmore, Kentucky. Wilmore a town of 4,300 people and is about 16 miles south of Lexington. The college is an interdenominational Christian college whose roots are in the Wesleyan tradition of the Methodist Church.

The Story of the Asbury College Revival

Before this wonderful move of God, some of the student body became concerned by the low spiritual ebb amongst their peers, as evidenced by the presence of illicit drug use and other ungodly trends on campus. This concern resulted in a movement of prayer that ignited this wonderful move of God.

The Great Experiment: A Movement of Prayer

In what was termed the Great Experiment, someone suggested that the students should covenant together to discipline themselves to pray and study the Bible in a more seriously. This began with six students committing themselves to pray and seek the Lord for 30 days to draw closer to God. This original group then decided that each one should ask another five students to join them in the same commitment for a further 30 days. Each group did this, so 36 students were now praying, studying the word, and obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The Day of the Revival: Unexpected Spiritual Outpouring

During this second period, some of the students gathered for half nights or whole nights of prayer, asking the Lord to come and visit them in power. Each time the meeting ended, they looked at each other and asked, "Do you think He will come today?" The second part of the experiment ended on January 1st. On that day, these 36 students stood on the platform at the front of the college chapel, called Hughes Auditorium, and shared what the experiment had done for them. They asked all the other students to join them in the experiment, and form further groups of six. They put slips of paper on each seat, so the students could respond.

The Impact of the Asbury Revival: Spread and Eyewitness Accounts

Students at Asbury were required to attend chapel services three times a week. On that day, February 3, 1970, students and faculty members attended the college chapel for what they assumed would be one more routine meeting. Asbury’s academic dean gave his testimony to what the Lord was doing in his life and then offered the students the opportunity to share in a similar way. There was nothing particularly unusual about that. One student responded to his offer. Then another. Then another. Shortly before the assembly was due to end, another college lecturer spoke and said, "God is here." Then, looking at the dean, who was sitting in the front row, he said, "If you give an invitation, there will be a response." The dean gave the invitation, and there was a response One after another, they started pouring to the altar."

Throughout the auditorium, students began kneeling in their seats or in the aisles. Some turned the first row of seats into an altar, crying out to God to meet them as he had met so many others. It quickly became apparent to those present that chapel would not end on time that morning. Recognizing what was happening, the school authorities canceled the lessons for the morning. The Holy Spirit had begun to work in the hearts and lives of the students.

Gradually, inexplicably, students and faculty members alike found themselves quietly praying, weeping, singing. Some sought out others to whom they had issues and asked for forgiveness. The chapel service went on and on. The original service, a routine meeting, was scheduled for 50 minutes. Instead, it lasted 185 hours non-stop, 24 hours a day! Intermittently, it continued for weeks!

Gradually more and more people found themselves joining in the prayers, and the number of those praying in the Hughes auditorium grew to 1,200. On this first day of the revival, several hundred people committed their lives to Christ.

The unusual visitation of God at Asbury College soon came to the attention of local TV and news media who sent in people to record this event. Soon the story began to spread and invitations were sent from other places until the revival impacted many other campuses. As with other revivals, the Lord once more stepped down from Heaven and visited His people.

The Eyewitness Story of the Asbury Revival

Lady student became burdened to pray for revival

Article the Spark for Revival

First Hand Accounts

If you’re interested, you can hear first hand accounts of the Asbury Revival.