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"A Thumbnail Sketch Of Revivals in America"
| 1st Great Awakening | 2nd Great Awakening | 3rd Great Awakening |
| Azusa Street Revival | Neo-Pentecostalism | Charismatic Revival |
1st Great Awakening
A Revival is defined as a coming back to life; a recharge or a refreshing. The word 'revival' is not used in the entire Bible in its noun form. However, its use in the verb form (i.e. revive, reviving, etc.) appears several times in both the Old and New Testaments.
Pentecost was the first revival of the church as well as the birth of the church. Since then, church history as well as the book of Acts are full of revival occurrences.
The United States has had more revivals than any other nation since the day of Pentecost. These revivals in time spread to other parts of the world. A study of Christianity in America is indeed a study of revivals.
In the 1720's there were several local church and regional revivals in the first thirteen states of the U.S. They never in themselves spread over any wide area.
The most prominent of these were the ones under Jonathan Edwards and his grandfather Solomon Stoddard. At best though, these revivals were limited to the Connecticut River Valley.
However, revivals came of maturity under the itinerant ministry of a twenty-four year old Englishman, George Whitefield. At last a revival was sparked that spread to all corners of the U.S. Not one city or town was spared its effect hence the name, 1st Great Awakening.
Unfortunately the American Revolutionary Wars disrupted church life and the positive effects of this revival were eroded a few decades later. The Christian population was whittled down to about 5% of the adult population. There was so much ungodliness and vice on a horrendous national scale.
A Revival is defined as a coming back to life; a recharge or a refreshing. The word 'revival' is not used in the entire Bible in its noun form. However, its use in the verb form (i.e. revive, reviving, etc.) appears several times in both the Old and New Testaments.
Pentecost was the first revival of the church as well as the birth of the church. Since then, church history as well as the book of Acts are full of revival occurrences.
The United States has had more revivals than any other nation since the day of Pentecost. These revivals in time spread to other parts of the world. A study of Christianity in America is indeed a study of revivals.
In the 1720's there were several local church and regional revivals in the first thirteen states of the U.S. They never in themselves spread over any wide area.
The most prominent of these were the ones under Jonathan Edwards and his grandfather Solomon Stoddard. At best though, these revivals were limited to the Connecticut River Valley.
However, revivals came of maturity under the itinerant ministry of a twenty-four year old Englishman, George Whitefield. At last a revival was sparked that spread to all corners of the U.S. Not one city or town was spared its effect hence the name, 1st Great Awakening.
Unfortunately the American Revolutionary Wars disrupted church life and the positive effects of this revival were eroded a few decades later. The Christian population was whittled down to about 5% of the adult population. There was so much ungodliness and vice on a horrendous national scale.
The Second Great Awakening
No revival in American history had such a deeper impact on the nation, lasted as long or left such a legacy as did the second Great Awakening. With the frontiers men pushing westward the theater of revival shifted from the Atlantic Seaboard (the 1st Great Awakening), westward.
In 1800, a Presbyterian minister, James McGready (reputed as a passionate man of prayer) organized a very successful camp meeting. In August of 1801, Barton Stone organized another camp meeting which was hugely successful. About 25,000 attended. This is the famous cane ridge revival which broke out of Kentucky and rapidly spread to the rest of the nation. The camp meeting was born. The most famous preacher of this revival, Charles Grandison Finney, a Presbyterian minister (He, however, did not want to be associated with that denomination and their Calvinistic doctrine) was converted in 1821. He revolutionized the concept, practice and theology of revivals.
No revival in American history had such a deeper impact on the nation, lasted as long or left such a legacy as did the second Great Awakening. With the frontiers men pushing westward the theater of revival shifted from the Atlantic Seaboard (the 1st Great Awakening), westward.
In 1800, a Presbyterian minister, James McGready (reputed as a passionate man of prayer) organized a very successful camp meeting. In August of 1801, Barton Stone organized another camp meeting which was hugely successful. About 25,000 attended. This is the famous cane ridge revival which broke out of Kentucky and rapidly spread to the rest of the nation. The camp meeting was born. The most famous preacher of this revival, Charles Grandison Finney, a Presbyterian minister (He, however, did not want to be associated with that denomination and their Calvinistic doctrine) was converted in 1821. He revolutionized the concept, practice and theology of revivals.
Third Great Awakening
If there was a revival in the history of the church that brought record numbers of new converts in the shortest period of time (1857-`59) the Third Great Awakening is unmatched. In a period of two years, it's estimated that a million people were saved in the U.S. alone. The revival spread to other parts of the world.
It originated in NYC, as a noon prayer meeting begun by a Dutch Reformed Church missionary, Jeremiah Lanphier on Sept. 23, 1857, after the stock market crashed. The interesting feature of this revival is that it was never run or organized by ordained ministers. It is therefore sometimes referred to as the Layman's revival or The Prayer Meeting Revival. Over two Thousand people would gather daily at noon in the Chicago Metropolitan Theatre, to pray.
If there was a revival in the history of the church that brought record numbers of new converts in the shortest period of time (1857-`59) the Third Great Awakening is unmatched. In a period of two years, it's estimated that a million people were saved in the U.S. alone. The revival spread to other parts of the world.
It originated in NYC, as a noon prayer meeting begun by a Dutch Reformed Church missionary, Jeremiah Lanphier on Sept. 23, 1857, after the stock market crashed. The interesting feature of this revival is that it was never run or organized by ordained ministers. It is therefore sometimes referred to as the Layman's revival or The Prayer Meeting Revival. Over two Thousand people would gather daily at noon in the Chicago Metropolitan Theatre, to pray.
The Azusa Street Revival
Los Angeles (city of angels or messenger city) was a true melting pot in the late 1800's. This city would live up to it's name when a revival broke out of it to the rest of the world in April of 1906, known as the Azusa Street Revival or the Pentecostal Revival.
The beginnings of Pentecostalism can be traced all the way to John Wesley (1st Great Awakening) who taught that there was a second experience subsequent to the new birth experience. From the mid-1800's a general restlessness was being felt in a large segment of Christianity as people yearned for more meaning and depth to their personal walk with God. The book of Acts started getting more attention from several sectors of Christianity. At the same time more and more Christians left their traditional churches to form new ones while several others developed a deep distrust of organized religion. It was time for another revival.
In the winter of 1906, a struggling Nazarene Church in Los Angeles invited a middle aged holiness preacher to try out as the congregation's pastor. He was a mild-mannered, one eyed black man from Houston Texas. He'd for a while attended Charles Fox Parham's Bible School in Houston, who taught that speaking in other tongues was the Biblical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The Nazarene Church was not ready for that kind of teaching so they locked the church doors against their prospective pastor after he preached on this subject the first time he spoke that morning. Without a place to stay and with no return ticket to Houston, William Joseph Seymour was taken in by a generous Christian family. He continued teaching on the subject of the baptism in the Holy Spirit although he had not spoken in tongues himself. The meetings were being held on Bonnie Brae Street.
On April 9, seven people spoke in tongues. The Los Angeles Times started depicting the meetings in the most demeaning light. That drew the curiosity of the city. As the numbers grew, a new location was found in an abandoned stable-like building in the industrial part of downtown Los Angeles on 312 Azusa St. The crowds were predominantly black to begin with. It wasn't a few months later and the crowds were predominantly white.
People from all over the United States and from all over the world made their way to Azusa Street to experience this new phenomenon and they were not disappointed. In less than three years, the Pentecostal revival had spread to every continent and still remains the fastest growing brand of Christianity in the world.
Los Angeles (city of angels or messenger city) was a true melting pot in the late 1800's. This city would live up to it's name when a revival broke out of it to the rest of the world in April of 1906, known as the Azusa Street Revival or the Pentecostal Revival.
The beginnings of Pentecostalism can be traced all the way to John Wesley (1st Great Awakening) who taught that there was a second experience subsequent to the new birth experience. From the mid-1800's a general restlessness was being felt in a large segment of Christianity as people yearned for more meaning and depth to their personal walk with God. The book of Acts started getting more attention from several sectors of Christianity. At the same time more and more Christians left their traditional churches to form new ones while several others developed a deep distrust of organized religion. It was time for another revival.
In the winter of 1906, a struggling Nazarene Church in Los Angeles invited a middle aged holiness preacher to try out as the congregation's pastor. He was a mild-mannered, one eyed black man from Houston Texas. He'd for a while attended Charles Fox Parham's Bible School in Houston, who taught that speaking in other tongues was the Biblical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The Nazarene Church was not ready for that kind of teaching so they locked the church doors against their prospective pastor after he preached on this subject the first time he spoke that morning. Without a place to stay and with no return ticket to Houston, William Joseph Seymour was taken in by a generous Christian family. He continued teaching on the subject of the baptism in the Holy Spirit although he had not spoken in tongues himself. The meetings were being held on Bonnie Brae Street.
On April 9, seven people spoke in tongues. The Los Angeles Times started depicting the meetings in the most demeaning light. That drew the curiosity of the city. As the numbers grew, a new location was found in an abandoned stable-like building in the industrial part of downtown Los Angeles on 312 Azusa St. The crowds were predominantly black to begin with. It wasn't a few months later and the crowds were predominantly white.
People from all over the United States and from all over the world made their way to Azusa Street to experience this new phenomenon and they were not disappointed. In less than three years, the Pentecostal revival had spread to every continent and still remains the fastest growing brand of Christianity in the world.
Neo-Pentecostalism
The Pentecostal revival was never recognized in it's theology as evangelical. It was an outsider and very ostracized, flourishing mainly among the lower classes. Its influence and spread was very phenomenal in a very short period. By 1930 the Pentecostal revival had pretty much plateaued and institutionalized. There were theological, regional and racial divisions that kept mutating. Out of these, three major denominations had risen: The Assemblies of God, Church of God and Pentecostal Holiness Church. By the early 40's the Pentecostal movement was no different from any other denomination in its fervor. Nowhere was this more noticeable than in the larger, white denominations. This led to a renewal movement in the late 40's.
William Marion Branham was the first most renowned leader of this movement. But in the process of time, Oral Roberts successes begun to overshadow Branham and he became the point-man of this revival. Hundreds of healing evangelists criss-crossed the nation in a trail blaze reminisced of the book of Acts and eclipsing the Pentecostal revival's beginnings. This was Pentecostalism being repackaged although most Pentecostal leaders and denominations distanced themselves from these healing evangelists. Interestingly, this new wave of Pentecostal did not leave their traditional churches as the earlier generation had to form new denominations much to the chagrin of the older generation of Pentecostals. Oral Roberts himself became a member of the Methodist Church.
The Pentecostal revival was never recognized in it's theology as evangelical. It was an outsider and very ostracized, flourishing mainly among the lower classes. Its influence and spread was very phenomenal in a very short period. By 1930 the Pentecostal revival had pretty much plateaued and institutionalized. There were theological, regional and racial divisions that kept mutating. Out of these, three major denominations had risen: The Assemblies of God, Church of God and Pentecostal Holiness Church. By the early 40's the Pentecostal movement was no different from any other denomination in its fervor. Nowhere was this more noticeable than in the larger, white denominations. This led to a renewal movement in the late 40's.
William Marion Branham was the first most renowned leader of this movement. But in the process of time, Oral Roberts successes begun to overshadow Branham and he became the point-man of this revival. Hundreds of healing evangelists criss-crossed the nation in a trail blaze reminisced of the book of Acts and eclipsing the Pentecostal revival's beginnings. This was Pentecostalism being repackaged although most Pentecostal leaders and denominations distanced themselves from these healing evangelists. Interestingly, this new wave of Pentecostal did not leave their traditional churches as the earlier generation had to form new denominations much to the chagrin of the older generation of Pentecostals. Oral Roberts himself became a member of the Methodist Church.
The Charismatic Revival
In 1951 Oral Roberts encouraged Demos Shakarian (whose grandparents had immigrated to California from Turkey) to found the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (FGBMFI). He was a successful dairy businessman. The goal of this organization was mainly to provide lay support for the healing revivalist. Hundreds of Chapters started popping up all over the nation meeting in the best hotels that could be secured. The result was that the Pentecostal message was getting a lot of clout and class. Indeed, Pentecostalism had moved uptown. It is at this point that many denominational Christians were brought into contact with Pentecostalism through FGBMFI.
While Demos Shakarian was riding the wave high, David du Plessis was taking the Pentecostal message not to the lay people but to the leaders and to the World Council of Churches itself. But the shot that was heard around the world came in 1961 when Father Dennis Bennett, Pastor of an Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California announced that he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and as a result had spoken in tongues. Major global news media, including Time magazine, reported the incident. The charismatic revival (renewal), as it was branded, had now penetrated the Roman Catholic, Episcopal and even the Greek Orthodox Church. In reality this was just a third wave of Pentecostalism now being embraced not only by the evangelicals and Protestants but by the Roman Catholics and Episcopalians. Not a strand of Christianity had escaped the mutating influence of Pentecostalism. Worship and music, too, would soon follow.
Today, as Pentecostals are in the third or fourth generation, it has become more and more evident that an overwhelming chunk of their constituencies finds the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues less desirable. Today, Charismatics are largely known for decorum than fervor. The fire and energy they were known for is all but gone.
The next revival is clearly on the horizon and will far exceed what the world has seen. (Acts 2:17-21) Like all other revivals it will take the prayers of the faithful. Come and be a part of this by registering on this website as a participating member!
In 1951 Oral Roberts encouraged Demos Shakarian (whose grandparents had immigrated to California from Turkey) to found the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (FGBMFI). He was a successful dairy businessman. The goal of this organization was mainly to provide lay support for the healing revivalist. Hundreds of Chapters started popping up all over the nation meeting in the best hotels that could be secured. The result was that the Pentecostal message was getting a lot of clout and class. Indeed, Pentecostalism had moved uptown. It is at this point that many denominational Christians were brought into contact with Pentecostalism through FGBMFI.
While Demos Shakarian was riding the wave high, David du Plessis was taking the Pentecostal message not to the lay people but to the leaders and to the World Council of Churches itself. But the shot that was heard around the world came in 1961 when Father Dennis Bennett, Pastor of an Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California announced that he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and as a result had spoken in tongues. Major global news media, including Time magazine, reported the incident. The charismatic revival (renewal), as it was branded, had now penetrated the Roman Catholic, Episcopal and even the Greek Orthodox Church. In reality this was just a third wave of Pentecostalism now being embraced not only by the evangelicals and Protestants but by the Roman Catholics and Episcopalians. Not a strand of Christianity had escaped the mutating influence of Pentecostalism. Worship and music, too, would soon follow.
Today, as Pentecostals are in the third or fourth generation, it has become more and more evident that an overwhelming chunk of their constituencies finds the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues less desirable. Today, Charismatics are largely known for decorum than fervor. The fire and energy they were known for is all but gone.
The next revival is clearly on the horizon and will far exceed what the world has seen. (Acts 2:17-21) Like all other revivals it will take the prayers of the faithful. Come and be a part of this by registering on this website as a participating member!
