LESSONS FROM the WELSH REVIVAL
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-by TPW.
"REVIVAL IS a community saturated with God," said Duncan
Campbell. And so it was in Wales. Reports speak of "an
overwhelming sense of God's presence and holiness at homes, at
work, in shops," even in the pubs!
Powerful conviction of sin follows. "Many lay flat on the ground in
an agony of conviction." Some people "fell in a heap and cried out
pitifully and loudly for mercy."
Conviction triggers off intense prayer and repentance towards God,
but also confession and restitution towards man: "The most
remarkable confessions of sin, confessions that must be costly,"
church members and officers publicly confessing hidden sin in
their hearts. This results in long-standing debts being paid, stolen
goods returned, church and family feuds healed and enemies
reconciled.
Once sin has been dealt with, the presence of God releases "an
overwhelming outburst of praise." A meeting "continued for eight
hours with scenes of wild jubilation."
Worship, praise, prayer, Bible reading, witnessing - these become
the Christian's whole life. Meetings couldn't be closed and went on
all night. Men came in their work clothes with their next day's
lunch packed. Prayer meetings were held in mines, trams and
businesses. Shops sold out of Bibles.
Great numbers of people accept Christ: "70,000 in two months,
85,000 in five, and more than 100,000 in half a year." By the end
of the Revival, 90 per cent of the people of Wales were attending
church.
So the nation is changed. Its values become Christian. In some
Welsh districts drunkenness halved, pubs went bankrupt, police
had nothing to do, magistrates had no cases to try.
And because "righteousness exalteth a nation," prosperity often
follows, not least because of honesty in business and work done
"as unto the Lord." Strikes were settled. In one, the now-converted
trouble-maker asked if he could go back to work. Managers
reported their men both better workers and more regular attenders.
Working people took their aged parents home from the workhouse.
But do Revivals last? Dr. Edwin Orr says the Welsh Revival was
maintained until 1914 and its converts were "The choicest segment
of church life, even in the 1930s."
Who wouldn't want this? A tenth of the population newly converted
and still going strong 25 years on! Churches crammed to capacity!
Crime greatly diminished! Social problems solved! What Christian
would dare to criticise such a wonderful work of God?
Many! A feature of all Revivals is strong criticism from leading
Christians. We will see its effect in our next study.