The Revival and Renewed Hope

In the midst of a decline in religion, a gathering of students, faculty, and staff at a small southern college chapel are experiencing a revival that spread throughout the nation and the world.

The aftermath of the sexual revolution of the 1960s saw the advent of a decline in religious observance in America in particular among Christians. Weekly attendance at services has seen a major decline in most demographics and age groups. According to a 2022 Pew Research study 65% of the population professes to be Christian, a considerable decline from 50 years ago when the number stood at 90%.

According to the study, if the number continues to fall, Christianity would no longer be the majority religion within several decades. As for those who identify as Christian, what of that number continue to practice their faith? Daily or weekly attendance at services has declined over the years to approximately 49% in 1958, 44% in 2000, and 30% in 2021 according to a Gallup poll. 

These disturbing numbers are a stark reminder of a nation that seems to have to allowed secular mores and moral relativism to place temporal existence over the eternal and a relationship with God. Are we caught up in our basest desires and have we allowed ourselves to covet materiality and at times lose sight of what is important? 

In the midst of all the doom and gloom and what appears religion falling to the wayside and out of people’s lives, there’s still a ray of hope, a light in the darkness. What makes this event so inspiring and hopeful is that those involved that created this small miracle, if you will, the participants were mostly young people.

Ashbury University is a small Christian college in Wilmore, Kentucky. On February 8 (2023), students gathered in an impromptu service in the campus chapel. Students are required to apply a certain amount of church attendance each semester. In what has now been identified as “The Ashbury Revival,” the gathering went beyond that first day.

Following the final choir’s hymn, when the faithful would usually exit the church, the congregation remained and did not leave. In an interview on WKYT radio, university President Dr. Kevin Brown remarked “We would say there is just a Spirit of the Lord in this place, which really browed its way into the hearts and minds of our students, staff, faculty, and our community.”

Theology Professor Tom McCall wrote in an essay in the magazine Christianity Today, that, “They (students) were struck by what seemed to be a quiet but powerful sense of transcendence, and they did not want to leave.” The professor described it as a “Surprising work of God.”  

After 11 days students were still there worshiping, but it did not stop there. Word of the 24-hour Revival went viral on social media and spread across the nation and the world. Students from surrounding colleges converged on the campus chapel and joined in the service, along with people from other countries, as far away as Finland and the Netherlands.

The town of Wilmore, Kentucky is home to about 6000 residents. They were overwhelmed by the mass of people that were drawn to the Revival. The streets became clogged with traffic. The crowds were vast, and could not be accommodated inside, so it became necessary to create overflow chapels and install large-screen televisions. The worshippers braved the cold temperatures and prayed outside.

After the first initial report of the revival, something else was revealed. Student Gracie Turner kept a secret from all those around her; she had at some point in her life lost her faith and this disturbed her greatly. One morning she woke up and felt a driving need to go to chapel. When she arrived, she was awestruck by the immense crowd, over a thousand had gathered; the pews were filled. The worshipers were weeping and swaying to the sound of a lone guitar. 

According to Turner, the movement began when suddenly a volunteer soccer coach at the university, Zach Meerkreebs, got up and addressed those gathered. He spoke of how some of the students have experienced “radically poor love.” He continued “Some of you have experienced that love in church.” He went on “If you need to hear the voice of God the Father in Heaven, whose lover is perfect, gentle, and kind, you come here and experience His love, don’t waste this opportunity.” 

The university announced that because of the increasing number and swelling crowds, Sunday, February 19, would be the last public evening service. It encouraged worshipers to take their prayers with them and spread the message.

Yes, it was only one isolated event, but perhaps it just might have lit a spark that will spread and give life to a movement across the nation. When people, especially the young, can find the time out of their active lives, and beyond the classroom, to gather together and pray to God, then perhaps we should feel a sense of renewed hope, especially we Christians.