A non-stop church service at a small Christian institution in Kentucky is enthralling the US and some regions of Europe, with attendees praying for an unprecedented 11 days straight as of Sunday.
At Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, where a certain number of church attendance is required each semester, “The Asbury Revival” started as a typical morning worship session on February 8.
According to Christianity Today, students stayed after the last choir that Wednesday. Tom McCall stated in the article:
After the benediction, the gospel choir began to sing a final chorus—and then something began to happen that defies easy description. Students did not leave. They were struck by what seemed to be a quiet but powerful sense of transcendence, and they did not want to go. They stayed and continued to worship. They are still there.
The teacher continued:
I teach theology across the street at Asbury Theological Seminary, and when I heard of what was happening, I immediately decided to go to the chapel to see for myself. When I arrived, I saw hundreds of students singing quietly. They were praising and praying earnestly for themselves and their neighbors and our world—expressing repentance and contrition for sin and interceding for healing, wholeness, peace, and justice.
Students from surrounding campuses in Ohio and Indiana flocked to Asbury and filled the auditorium after learning about the revival event through social media. Several claimed TikTok was when they first discovered about the nonstop service and expressed a desire to sign up. Since then, news of the round-the-clock revival has spread throughout the nation and the globe.
With huge lines of automobiles from hundreds of miles away, Wilmore, a town at west of Lexington, has been overrun by the throng. The New York Post reports Many braved the chilly weather to worship outside, and the school built up overflow chapels and huge screens outside the theater to accommodate the masses.
By February 14, there were 3,000 worshippers in attendance, both at the campus chapel and four additional locations. At least two-thirds of the guests, according to university president Dr. Kevin Brown, were from other states.
On another note, NBC News reported that according to Mark Whitworth, vice president of communications at Asbury University, “It has absolutely been social media that is the mechanism that people found out about this,”
Similar revival took place at Asbury in the 1970s, albeit it didn’t endure as long. Asbury is non-denominational but associated with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement.
In light of the growing numbers, the school declared that Sunday would be the final evening service for the general public.
What is a revival?
According to Christianity, the term “revival” describes a spiritual reawakening in a believer’s life after a period of slumber or stagnation. It includes the return of a love for God, a sense of God’s purity, a fervor for His Word and His church, a convicting knowledge of individual and societal sin, a spirit of humility, and a desire for repentance and advancement in righteousness.
A believer’s faith is revitalized and occasionally deepened through revival, which causes the believer to see the truth in a brand-new, novel perspective. It typically has the meaning of a new beginning with a blank slate, signifying the start of a life spent in obedience to God.
American Protestants saw a spike in devotion during the first revival, also known as the First Great Awakening, in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a lasting imprint on the country’s religious landscape.
It came about as a result of authoritative preaching that impacted the church members deeply with a convicting realization of personal sin and the amazing nature of redemption through Christ.
The Great Awakening transformed Christianity into something that was extremely personal to the common person, as it should be, by igniting a strong emotional longing for a relationship with Christ. It did this by eschewing dull routine and monotonous ceremonial.
Back to the Asbury Revival Story, according to Kentucky Today, the school will begin encouraging worshipers on Friday to carry their prayers with them and share the message with others.
Independent Writer. Marketing and communications strategist for politicians, artists, public figures & corporate brands for more than 10 years. Contact: @alejandrosbasso (Twitter)
Escritor independiente. Consultor en marketing y comunicaciones de políticos, artistas, figuras públicas y marcas por más de 10 años. Contacto: @alejandrosbasso (Twitter)