World Renewal International

I have seen similar revivals to Asbury/Anderson in the past 40 years. In 1991, God sent a revival to the Bethel College campus in Mishawaka, Indiana. I had given testimony to the Asbury revival in a Friday morning chapel. The response was immediate as not only were students finding Christ as Savior, but confession of wrongs done and restitution were taking place. I knew it had happened again! When the students and faculty left Bethel campus that weekend the revival went with them! It quickly spread throughout the entire Missionary Church denomination. According to then Missionary Church President Dr. John Moran, the revival had a lasting change on the denomination that has lasted to this day. Bethel College certainly has never been the same. It has tripled in size as students who seek a deep relationship to Christ have recognized the spiritual depth on campus. Chapel services continue to be a place to experience God.

I remember sitting on the front row of Bethel Chapel, which was held in the college cafeteria, waiting to bring the last message of that “Spiritual Emphasis Week.” I was only being given 20 minutes to speak. I had a problem. I sensed God was asking me to share about the Asbury/Anderson Revival including my testimony of being filled with the Holy Spirit. How could I do that in 20 minutes? I prayed “Lord, you know me, I cannot say ‘Hello’ in 20 minutes, this seemed impossible.

As I sat on that front row next to my dear friends, Bob and Marilyn Ham, I also had an old spiritual sensation inside. It took me back 21 years to the Anderson Revival. I felt heaviness in my chest that I remembered feeling as I walked up the steps to the pulpit area on Sunday evening that first day of the Anderson Revival. It is hard to explain that feeling. I regard it as spiritual, yet it feels physical. God seems to have at times allowed me to sense the burden of sin in people’s lives. In its strongest form it seems at times to take your breath away. I thought to myself as I waited to preach, “God is going to do it again.” In the next 20 minutes, He did it again.

People started walking to the altar area of chapel that day before I could finish. They knelt and prayed and wept. Maybe as many as 50-70 people. Soon people were apologizing to each other over one of the microphones. I thought to myself, “This looks and feels real.”

This is how one Bethel writer described it,

The first eight services went well but the Spirit was not moving. Gary remembers being frustrated with the lack of response, the spiritual sleep of the students. Then Friday morning came and Gary felt that God called him to present his testimony and to share about the Asbury revival. Then, with an open invitation, God showed up.

Dr. Rod White-Stevens, a professor of chemistry at Bethel, sat near Dr. Dennis Engbrecht. When the service neared conclusion, Dr. Rod sensed that God was telling him that the service must not end. He scribbled a note to Dr. Engbrecht telling him not to stop chapel.

Each person who attended the Friday morning service remembers the huge response: people crying, lines to the microphone to confess sins and ask for forgiveness, praying, singing, joy, calling family and friends. Holtgren remembers: “As is often the case when God chooses to move in a mighty way, confession of sin was the catalyst. I remember students walking up to an open microphone, confessing their sin(s) and asking for God’s forgiveness and the community’s forgiveness. There was a genuine sense of remorse, and a determination to turn from sin and embrace holiness.” The service lasted for four hours. Classes were canceled for the rest of the day and a special worship service was planned for later that night, even though the regular Spiritual Emphasis services were finished.

It truly has proven to be real revival. I remember sensing the Lord speak to me. He said, “Your work is finished, do not say another word.” I saw an empty seat that someone had vacated on the back row of the chapel so, without saying another word, I walked off the pulpit area and sat in that seat. Again, I sensed the Lord speaking to me, “I said, you are done, leave now!” I got up and went to one of the campus leaders and explained that I needed to be on my way. I went to the room I had stayed in and packed my bags and left. I did not return until two years had gone by and Christine wanted to visit the campus.

Dr. Dennis Engbrecht sent me reports from time to time about the revival spreading throughout the students churches and wherever that went giving testimony. I must admit I was thrilled when Chris chose Bethel. During her visit as we walked the campus we would be introduced to faculty and students. “Gary was the speaker when the revival came,” they would say. I could tell few remembered me. I thought, “This truly was revival, they don’t remember the messenger. That so encouraged me.

Later my son David wanted to visit Bethel. Before the campus tour the admissions representative took us to a room to introduce us to Bethel. She began, “The center piece of Bethel College is that in 1991 God sent a great revival to this campus.” She explained that she had not been a student there but explained the far reaching spiritual changes. I sat there and listened to this history with tears rolling down my cheeks hoping she would not see or hear my emotional state. Carol reached over squeezing my hand. Later in the day the young lady came back to me and apologized for “not knowing who I was.” I said,” Hon, don’t apologize you just gave me one of the great experiences of my life.”

In true revival, I believe people are not so aware of the messengers, they think of God. This was true of the Anderson, Asbury and Bethel revivals.

It seems that God finds the college campus more fertile for such movements of the spirit in recent centuries in America. This I do know, those who experience it are not the same. True revival lasts at least for the generation that experiences it.

I have given my life’s work to renewal in the existing, older church. I have preached coast-to-coast, border-to-border in churches of all kinds of evangelical theological persuasions. I have known what revival looks and feels like. I occasionally sense revival in varying portions in the local church. But real spiritual renewal should turn the number of conversions into a growing normality in the church. It should last for a whole generation. It must last for at least one more generation. True revival that we evangelicals should seek should not dissipate in weeks and months. Is the intensity seen in new churches only for new churches or can it exist in the older church too? What is it in the newly planted church that makes it the best method of evangelism? What is it that happens to the church over the years that causes it to decline or plateau? Can the plateaued or declining church return to its early success?

Thank You Lord Jesus! Please send revival to Your Church. Shake us and wake us. Revive us O Lord!