Asbury University president warns against ‘revival’ claims

In a February 14 blog post, Asbury University President Timothy Tennent commented publicly for the first time on what some have called “Asbury’s renaissance”.

Although expanded services of penitence, worship and prayer in the chapel have been referred to as a revival in the media and social media, Tennent has expressed caution in using the term, preferring “Asbury’s Awakening” instead.

“Something special happened last Wednesday (February 8) at Asbury University Chapel. The Lord began to work in the life of a group of students. These coals have now fanned into flames, and there is clearly a certain movement of God among us.”

Tennent said that “we should not spend too much time looking for human causality, although many have sincerely prayed for it for years.”

“This is above all a tribute to the grace of God to reveal Himself and call the new generation to loyalty at a time when we most needed it. There comes a point when God’s people tire of causal prayer and reach a point of despair that opens up new avenues for us to do God’s amazing work. This is what I have experienced the most in the last week of my own life.”

Tennent used the term “spiritual river” to describe the experience of entering the chapel and spilling over.

“You feel the presence and power of God at work in the lives of people,” he wrote.

More needs to happen before this becomes a “rebirth”

According to Tennent, a lot more needs to happen before this can be called a revival.

READ: Whitefield and the Great Awakening

“I think it’s reasonable at this stage to view this as an awakening. Only if we see a sustainable transformation that shakes the comfortable foundations of the church and truly brings us all into a new and deeper place can we look back and say, “Yes, it was a revival.” Awakening is when God begins to awaken people from their spiritual slumber. This is definitely happening not only in Wilmore, but as this move of God expands to other schools and communities across the country and even around the world. There are many reports of this happening. But we must fix our hearts and eyes on Jesus and ask Him to complete the work He has begun so that, over time, there will be lasting change in the lives of those whom God has touched.”

It’s happened before

Events like this happened regularly at the college, including most recently in 2006. The school’s website lists eight other instances of what they called revival or continuous worship:

• “In February 1905, during a blizzard, the prayer meeting in the men’s dormitory spread to the rest of the campus and the city of Wilmore.
• “In February 1908, a revival broke out when someone was praying in the chapel; the revival lasted two weeks and was marked by prevailing prayer and intercession.
• “In February 1921, the last planned revival service continued until 6 a.m., and the services were extended by three days.
• “In February 1950, student testimony led to confessions, victories, and new testimony. It ran continuously for 118 hours and became the second leading news story in the country; an estimated 50,000 people gained a new experience in Christ as a result of this revival and the witness groups that came out of it.
• “In March 1958, the revival began with a student fasting prayer meeting that spilled over into the chapel and lasted 63 hours.
• “On February 3, 1970, Dean Custer B. Reynolds, who was scheduled to speak in the chapel, felt moved to invite people to give personal testimony instead. Many on campus had been praying for spiritual renewal and were now in anticipation. Soon a large group lined up to perform. A spirit of mighty revival swept over the assembly. The chapel was filled with jubilant people. Classes were canceled for a week during 144 hours of uninterrupted revival, but even after classes resumed on February 10, the Hughes auditorium remained open for prayer and testimony. These meetings were chaired by Reynolds, Clarence Hunter, and other faculty members. Approximately 2,000 groups of witnesses traveled from Wilmore to churches and at least 130 campuses across the country.
• “In March 1992, student confession during the closing chapel of the annual holiness conference turned into 127 consecutive hours of prayer and praise.
• “In February 2006, the student chapel resulted in four days of uninterrupted worship, prayer and praise.

Click here to read Tennent’s full blog post.

–Metro Voice and Tri-State Voice