History of American Revival

100 Years of Revival

Each movement made contributions to our knowledge of the prophetic and spiritual gifts. This list is not exhaustive by any means. I will be expounding on how it impacted Christianity. It caused revival in the Catholic Church, it birthed the start of the Pentecostals, and later, the charismatic movement. I also will note, like all revivals, there can be aspects that are controversial. In every revival, there’s a lot of emotion, and a lot of great fervor. And sometimes people experiencing the supernatural, can draw the wrong conclusion. I will be focusing on delivering a lighter summary of the events. My intent isn’t to draw denomination lines, but to share positive effects these events continue to have on present-day culture. We’ll start first with Asuza Street Revival

Azuza Street Revival

In 1906, Preacher William Seymour rented a building on 312 Asuza Street, Los Angeles. He preached to crowds gathered from 300 to 1500. Scholars called this the beginning of the Pentecostal movement. Testimonies were published in Seymour’s newsletter. People reported being slain in the Spirit, and there were reports of healings, and speaking in tongues. Over seven years, over hundreds of thousands of people attended. This revival happened at the start of the century.

Latter Reign

1947 at an orphanage in Saskatchewan, Canada. This movement also spurred new missionaries to preach the Gospel and lay hands on the sick, to nations around the world. For the gift of prophecy, they experienced a deeper working of that gift. I will also note, they experienced a couple of important revelations, that we still hold today. First, spiritual gifts can be imparted through the laying on of hands. That’s something we consider normal today, but back then, it was a big revelation. Second was the responsibility of the local church body to equip its members for ministry. That’s something I’ve been talking about on our most recent episodes.

Charistmatic Renewal

This took place in 1967. It started with the Episcoplians. Father Dennis Bennett in southern California spoke in tongues, and shared his experience with the church. This revival also broke out in the Roman Catholic Church. What’s cool about this movement, is that it emphasized that different denominations should get along. It’s no surprise that even today, we have multiple denominations in the church. Even back then, some people thought that others were not “really” Christian, because they had a different approach or interpretation to Scripture. Whether it’s Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, or Charismatic, they all believe in Jesus, but they may have a different emphasis on which verses they focus on and teach.

Jesus Movement

Now coming up to more modern times, in southern California around 1968, we have the Jesus movement. I know different pastors who were saved in the Jesus movement. Many people under the age of 30 got saved. This move of God broke out on college campuses and among the hippies at the time. Jesus was the one that they preached, and about the peace of God. A major contribution of this movement, was in the area of worship. It was actually the first time, that instead of a church organ headlining a service, it was a guitar and drums. These instruments that are usually staples in Christian music, first became mainstream during this time. This movement also reached Central America and as far as Europe.

Third Wave Revival

The revival following this one was called the Third Wave Revival. It was led by a man by the name of John Wimber. The focus of this movement was to demystify the gifts of the Spirit, and to teach believers how to walk in them. There was a phrase popular back then, called “Man of Power, of the Hour.” It was normally seen that the preacher on stage, would be the one to operate in the gifts for all to see. But this movement changed that. Instead, the phrase became, “Church of Power, for the Hour.” Again, we have an emphasis on equipping the body of Christ.

The Toronto Blessing

Next up, the Toronto Blessing, is the outpouring that greatly influenced the ministries of Randy Clark, John Arnott, Heidi Baker, and Bill Johnson. This revival led to thousands of new churches being started. The contributions of this movement was the revelation of the Father’s heart for mankind, the goodness of God, and the relationship of signs, miracles, and wonders connected to the preaching of the Gospel. Many ministry leaders that I personally follow got their start and impartation through the Toronto Blessing. I couldn’t believe the figure when I was read it, but these meetings continued on for 12 years. Yes, this outpouring went on for 12 years. People would fly from around the world, coming to seek God, and be eager for more of Him.

Glory Days

We finally made it! We talked about revival in the past 100 years. You’ll find it interesting that most of the revivals in America, happened in Southern California. Azusa Street Revival was in Los Angeles, Charismatic movement was in Southern California, and Jesus Movement was in southern California. In fact, there is a revival happening right now in America. We are living in the Glory Days. We are in the beginning of the Billion Soul Harvest, and we seeing miracles all over America. I wrote a recent blog post called "Billion Soul Harvest" so be sure to check it out! Current outpouring happening right now. You are called and born for revival, Amen!!!