Purpose of this Session
As protestant churches became nationally recognised and denominations became established, others continued to press into new truth, and stretch into practical and experiential application of the truths they were discovering in the Scriptures.
Forerunners of the Next Wave of Restoration
The Anabaptists – c.1525AD
Beginning in Zurich this movement was part of the ‘radical’ reformation. Groups broke away from the protestant mainstream, believing that the reformation had not gone far enough. The main mark of their doctrine was that Christians must choose baptism as consenting adults rather than as infants. For this they were hunted and killed by both Catholics and Protestants alike.
The Puritans - c.1600AD
The Puritans were English Reformers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They were frustrated by the slow progress of the Reformation in the Anglican Church, and laid the foundations for the coming holiness movement. Famous Puritans include Thomas Cartwright, John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, John Owen and Oliver Cromwell. To escape persecution from the established church, both Catholic and Protestant, a number of Puritans set sail for America, founding colonies in the new world based on their beliefs.
The Holiness Movement or Evangelical Revival
The Holy Spirit continued His work of restoration with a fresh and vigorous movement known as the Holiness movement or the Evangelical Revival. It was an amazing snowballing series of revivals affecting every nation. Powerful manifestations of the Spirit, multitudes of souls, and multiplied missions resulted from an outpouring of God’s Spirit that kept sweeping the earth with wave after wave.
The First Great Awakening 1727-1777
Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf – 1700AD – 1760AD
Zinzendorf was the leader of a movement that began with a great outpouring of God’s Spirit in Herrnhut, Germany. It began in August, 1727. The influence of these ignited missionary believers was far reaching. They are known for the 100 years of continual prayer inspired by their encounter with God’s spirit, and were instrumental in the salvation of men like John Wesley, the most renowned leader in the holiness movement. When asked later in his life about the driving force in his life Zindendorf said, “I have one passion: It is Jesus, Jesus only.”
Germany, America, England, Wales and many other nations were shaken from slumber in what is called the first Great Awakening. It was an evangelical revival, with powerful preaching followed by signs and wonders. Deep conviction would strike the hearts of congregations and crowds as they heard the message of repentance, faith and holiness preached by men such as George Whitefield, John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards. It also saw a fresh move of God musically, with composers of hymns such as Charles Wesley writing hymns and choruses that carried the message of the revival just as powerfully as any preaching.
The stoic character of the Protestant revival gave way to emotional manifestations and outbursts. Holy laughter, loud shouts and cries, and demonstrative responses to God’s presence were common during this and the revivals that followed.
Jonathan Edwards 1703AD – 1758AD
American preacher Jonathan Edwards is best known for his sermon “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”. His preaching carried such conviction that people would often swoon, convulse or scream as he preached. He also wrote extensively on the subject of revival. Indeed, it was the writings of Edwards which stirred the desire and expectation for the revival in Britain which soon followed.
In 1734 a revival began in Edward’s Northhampton (USA) church which soon spread to other communities in New England. Edwards was recognised as one of the foremost leaders in this movement, which became known as “The Great Awakening”. This revival was an awakening of massive proportions, and the whole of North America was affected. In New England alone, out of a population of 250,000, at least 50,000 were added to the church.
John Wesley 1703AD – 1791AD
Influenced by Moravian missionaries, Wesley came to know Christ in a personal and powerful way in 1738. At the end of that year he was among sixty believers who met in the Fetter Lane chapel in London. George Whitefield and Wesley’s brother, Charles, were also among those gathered. As the group began to pray, at 3am in the morning, the Spirit of God came mightily upon them. The Evangelical Revival in England had begun.
Wesley’s influence cannot be overemphasised. For the next fifty years, his tireless efforts, and profound ability to organise and disciple converts of the revival, transformed the British Isles.
By the time of his death Wesley had travelled 250,000 miles, preached 40,000 sermons, left about 140,000 Methodist members, 1500 travelling preachers, and had been the instrument in God’s hand to awaken innumerable souls to Christ.
David Brainerd 1718AD – 1747AD
A close friend of Jonathan Edwards (who later published excerpts of Brainerd’s diaries), Brainerd was responsible for revival among groups of native Americans scattered throughout the forests of New England. His diaries reveal a man tireless and selfless in prayers and labours for the souls whom he loved.
George Whitefield 1714AD – 1770AD
Another notable leader in the first Great Awakening and holiness movement was British preacher George Whitefield. A preacher of influence in both England and America, Whitefield’s gatherings, often outdoors, drew massive crowds, and were marked by dramatic manifestations of the spirit.
Whitefield was a close associate of Wesley, and both men were deeply influenced by one another during their ministries. Whitefield in particular inspired others to break with convention, releasing a new wave of lay preachers and evangelists into fruitful ministry.
It was his visit to New England in 1740 that fanned the flames of the 1734 revival back into full flame, which continued for several years afterwards.
Daniel Rowland 1713AD – 1790AD
Together with Howell Harris, Daniel Rowland was one of the foremost leaders in the Evangelical revival. His efforts centred on Wales, and for almost 50 years he experienced almost continuous revival. It is said of his preaching, often to large crowds in the open air, was so alive with power that his hearers at times did not know whether they were in heaven or on earth.
Howell Harris 1714AD – 1773AD
A close associate of Whitefield and friend of the Wesleys, Howel Harris, together with contemporary Daniel Rowland, was responsible for the Evangelical Revival in Wales.
Like England in the early 1800’s, Wales was a low ebb spiritually, and desperately in need of revival. Both Whitefield and Harris were saved in the same year, 1735, and both became white hot evangelists. Despite savage persecution and setbacks, Harris managed within 10 years to rouse all of Wales. Like Wesley, whose ministry in England followed a few years later, Harris was able to consolidate his converts into groups, or ‘societies’.
The Second Great Awakening 1780AD – 1810AD
As the fires of the first awakening began to ebb saints across the world began to pray. It began in England when Monday nights were set aside to seek God for revival and the extension of the kingdom to unreached lands. Many denominations joined in this concert of prayer to the Father, and God began to answer in phenomenal ways. Indeed, this awakening is not centred upon prominent preachers or anointed ministries. It was a groundswell revival of prayer among congregations in the UK, America, South Africa and Europe, as well as other places, that precipitated the great outpouring.
Significant revivals, reminiscent of those in the first awakening with dramatic manifestations of God’s power and presence, were reported in England, Wales, Scotland, the United States, Scandinavia, France, Finland and the Netherlands.
The revival also gave rise to powerful social reformers such as William Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect, and Elizabeth Fry, as well as numerous evangelical and missionary societies. The Sunday School movement also gained tremendous momentum during this period, ensuring that the teaching of the Bible was a primary factor in the very foundations of the revival.
William Carey took the gospel to India, Adoniram Judson likewise took the message to Burma. Missionaries were sent to Australia and New Zealand.
In America, the revival transformed society entirely. The church and the revival was one of the most powerful cultural forces of the time, shaping societies laws and manner of living.
The General Awakening 1830-40
Without a pause another wave of God’s power swept the globe, this time touching more nations. American evangelist Charles Finney, among others, was instrumental in bringing powerful revivals across that nation, and his writings inspired others to engage in new methods of evangelism, leading to a great number of converts in most denominations. The use of an altar call, for example, was an important addition to the form of evangelistic meetings at this time.
England too saw outpourings, among the Methodist congregations particularly, and it was in meetings during this time that William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, was born again. Wales and Ireland were also touched. So far reaching were the effects in Ireland that the Bishop of the Church of Ireland called it ‘a second reformation’.
Other great men and women arising out of this period include D L Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Billy Sunday, Fanny Crosby, the Booths, Robert Murray McCheyne, and literally thousands of others.
Missions inspired during the preceding years also reported great moves of God throughout Asia, India, Norway, Switzerland, France and Holland, Africa and Hawaii.
The Fulton Street Prayer Revival
Mention must also be made of this awesome layman’s prayer revival, which swept the world, bringing hundreds of thousands to Christ.
In 1857 Jeremiah Lanphier, a Dutch reformed minister, began a lunchtime prayer meeting for businessmen in the Fulton Street neighbourhood. Beginning with only six in attendance, within only a few months the little prayer meeting sparked a nationwide awakening which eventually went around the world. There were no great crusades, no leading minister or preacher, just thousands of praying laymen and women calling on God for an hour at noon each day. God answered in remarkable ways, transforming communities and sweeping entire neighbourhoods with His power. By May 1859, thousands of cities were holding noon prayer meetings, factories were closing their doors at 11.55 and reopening at 1.05 to resume work after prayer. By May 1859, 50,000 people were reported converted to Christ through the revival. It was reported that in New England there were no unconverted adults in many towns as a result of the prayer revival. Within a few years over a million people had been added to the church in America alone.
The 1859 Ulster Revival
Similar prayer fires began in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, with the same soul saving results. One of the most notable being the Ulster revival of 1859. Beginning with four young Irishmen holding a weekly prayer meeting in a village hall near Kells, this revival grew into a great outpouring that swept 100,000 converts into the churches in Ireland. One of the young men, James McQuilkin, heard of the Fulton Street revival, and asked himself why such a thing should not happen in Ireland also. The first convert from the meetings was in December 1857, and thousands followed. Prayer meetings also multiplied just as they had done in America. In 1859 a deluge was released from heaven, with outbreaks of mass conviction in church and street alike. There were even times when schools had to be closed when the entire building fell under conviction as children cried out to God.
Truths Restored During this period
- Water Baptism
- Conviction of sin
- Sanctification (Faith demonstrated by works and holy living)
- Divine Healing
Truths restored during this period included water baptism by immersion, sanctification and towards its end, divine healing. During the middle part of the 19th Century God used Canadian born, A B Simpson, and his Christian and Missionary Alliance, to restore the truth of divine healing. Simpson’s personal experience of Christ as both saviour and Healer, led the alliance to preach what he called the ‘four-fold gospel’: Jesus Christ as Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King.
Simpson’s teachings had a great influence on the Pentecostal movement which soon followed, and with which he was closely involved during his latter years.
Manifestations restored during this period
As well as doctrinal restoration, one of the primary factors prevalent in the holiness movement was the restoration of expressive worship, and release of the soul to God. The whole man was involved in expressive worship to God, and emotional demonstrations of conviction, joy and worship were common. Manifestations such as falling under the power of the Holy Spirit, jerking, falling into trances, holy laughter, wild dances like that of King David before the Ark, and other emotional responses to God’s Word and Presence were all very common during the holiness meetings and revivals. Thousands of joyful, emotive hymns and songs were also written during this period, and singing became an integral part of the church meeting and service. Lay preaching was also restored, as men like John Wesley encouraged, trained and released ordinary but anointed men into fruitful ministry, regardless of their formal ministerial training or lack of it.
Church denominations formed during this period
Major Church denominations formed during this period include:
Baptists (evolving from the Puritan and Anabaptist movements in Europe), Methodists (arising from the Wesleyian movement in England), the Christian and Missionary Alliance church under A B Simpson, as well as hundreds of other independent churches and organisiations.
The period also saw a great number of ‘Christian’ cults arise, including the Unitarian church, Christian Science, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Swedenborg Church, Spiritualist churches and others.