Assessing Asbury
Learning from revival history
Innumerable remarkable reports have emerged of the Spirit of God moving across American colleges, schools and churches as a result of reports of revival at Asbury University in early February (PT's News and Views gives a full report on this).
Nevertheless, many continue to raise concerns1 regarding events at Asbury itself - not least several PT readers. A keen sense of spiritual discernment is essential in evaluating spiritual movements. As a revival historian, I believe that an understanding of revival movements of the past will also help us make sense of what has been happening in recent weeks.
Planned revival?
It is well known that a group known as the Collegiate Day of Prayer had already organised a “united, multi-generational day of prayer for revival and awakening” on college campuses in America, including Asbury, on 23rd February. Some critics have suggested that the movement that broke out in Wilmore on 8th Feb was therefore ‘planned’ and so did not arise spontaneously. While I have read this charge on multiple websites, emails and tweets, I have not seen any evidence to back it up. (One went further, suggesting the Pope might have had a hand in affairs!)
History reveals that revivals are always prompted by something or other.
It is further inferred that if there were any link to the call to prayer then the Asbury movement can’t have arisen spontaneously. This, too, is false reasoning. History reveals that revivals are always prompted by something or other; be that powerful preaching, the prayers of God’s people, social instability, economic hardship, or a host of other factors that tend to lead people to seek God in earnest.2
Some cynics have gone further, questioning whether the conclusion of the Asbury revival just days before the release of the major new film, Jesus Revolution – which true storyline focuses on the Jesus people revival that swept America around 1970 – was merely coincidence, or was precisely timed for promotional purposes. (Jesus Revolution is proving a phenomenal success, bringing in more than double the anticipated takings its first weekend.)
Asbury president Dr Kevin Brown insists that the movement was in no way planned, adding, “This was not a function of an innovative state of the art facility. It was not a function of a slick marketing scheme. There was no program planning committee, and it’s not because of celebrities or professional musicians. This has been a nameless, title-less movement”.
Seeing the bigger picture
Other critics have focused on rumours that one or two ‘queer’ Christian students – at least one of whom identified as ‘celibate gay’ – were in some way involved with worship services in the first days of the movement at Asbury. While the concerns are legitimate, one might have hoped that they would rejoice that someone with same-sex attractions was celibate, rather than fuss over labels.
Even if all the claims in this regard were actually true, given Asbury’s strong stance on biblical sexual ethics it would seem highly premature to call into question an entire movement owing to the beliefs or social media comments of one or two individuals. Scores of people had connections to the worship services at Asbury, and the great majority of resulting testimonies are of a positive nature. It is essential to try and see the bigger picture of what is going on.
This has been a nameless, title-less movement.
Nevertheless, I felt led to share this concern – and several others – with Californian pastor Shane Idleman, who has been following events at Asbury closely. The author and broadcaster emailed to say he would respond to the points I raised in a video podcast. This was broadcast later the same day, and can be viewed here (it’s well worth watching). Read also.
Revivals in February
I noted in my first report the reality that each of the various past spiritual movements at Asbury took place during February, or occasionally March. Could there have been practical reasons for this curious phenomenon – classes not being so full-on at this time of year, allowing students more time to follow spiritual pursuits? With the 1905 and subsequent Asbury movements having occurred in February, this month may soon have become associated with a time of heightened expectation among students – a time when they anticipated the Spirit to move, causing them to seek His face more.
History provides some interesting comparisons. I observed, for example, that dramatic revivals occurring among the fisherfolk of northeast Scotland in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries almost always occurred in the winter months, when the fishermen were stationed at home and work was slack.
revivals tend to occur in communities that have experienced a move of God’s Spirit a number of times in the past
It has also been observed that revivals tend to occur in communities that have experienced a move of God’s Spirit a number of times in the past – such as on the Hebridean island of Lewis. People know how they operate, and there is often a real expectancy that they will recur.
Lack of preaching
I noted last week, also, my initial concern that there hadn’t been a lot of preaching at Asbury services. I was partially reassured by those who insisted that “the truth is the complete opposite” – God’s word had been proclaimed and the congregation regularly given biblical exhortations. Missionary Greg Gordon, who followed the ‘revival’ since its inception, was clear that “God’s word was constantly honoured, and read as it should be, with tears and reverence”.
But a perusal of online services showed me that while Scripture passages were sometimes read out, preaching was indeed minimal; worship, rather, was at the heart of this movement. This has understandably caused concern for some – not least because, in general, revivals do indeed have as their focus Christ-centred preaching. But this has not always been true of student revivals, which occur predominantly among believers. Previous movements at Asbury often had as their focus prevailing prayer, repentance and worship, and testimonies over the years have proved the genuineness of several of these.Traditionally, revivals took place in a community setting – a village, town or rural parish. In these scenarios, while breaking out initially among believers, they quickly spread to non-Christian classes. Revivals in Christian institutions are a different species, as they tend to occur predominantly within a Christian ‘bubble’; thus, by their nature, have much less effect on secular groups.This was the case with Asbury (although there was certainly a knock-on effect among non-believers); where, furthermore, the vast majority of students and other visitors who flocked from miles around were also believers.Clearlyit is only as further facts emerge that we can properly ascertain the depth and reality of events at Asbury.
Summing up
Without doubt there have been aspects of the Asbury movement that have been questionable. No movement involving humans is going to be perfect, and some things could no doubt have been handled more appropriately. Many have avoided using the term 'revival' to describe events - perhaps 'time of refreshing' or 'renewal' would be more suitable.
From the outset, I was aware that the spiritual stirrings that have been spreading across America would be of a passing nature. They clearly do not constitute the deep, nationwide spiritual awakening that America – and indeed Europe – so desperately requires. Clearly, it is only as further facts emerge that we can properly ascertain the depth and reality of events at Asbury.
As for the President of Asbury University himself, Dr Kevin Brown is of no doubt that something wonderful occurred on his campus over two weeks in mid-February: “What we have experienced since that Wednesday morning has been a current of immeasurable goodness flooding our community and quickly moving into other regions of the world. Words fail any effort to communicate the abundance of experiences and stories that will leave us forever changed.”
Endnotes
1. One of the most recent, thorough and critical assessments of the movement can be viewed here.
2. A section in my book, 'Glory in the Glen', entitled 'Revival Considerations', offers numerous examples from revival history of 'revival facilitators'.
Additional Info
Author:
Tom Lennie