Reflections on the 1970 Asbury Revival
In 1970, my aunt, Mary Beth (Kjellin) Bowers, was a freshman at Asbury University. During her second semester on campus, revival broke out in Hughes Auditorium. This revival changed the lives of thousands, and its fruit is still being felt today. In light of the current outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Asbury’s campus, I asked my aunt about her experience during the 1970 revival … how it shaped her, how it continues to influence her faith today and how this current revival has impacted her. This is her story. I pray it blesses you and reveals the continuous thread of God’s gracious faithfulness to His people throughout the generations.
On Feb. 3, 1970, I was a freshman at Asbury college when the 1970 revival hit. The college required that all students attend 3 chapel services each week, and I was in the balcony of Hughes auditorium in my assigned seat. At the close of the service, the speaker invited students to come to the microphone to share what the Lord was doing in their lives. One of the seniors came to the podium and began to apologize for his behavior over the past years. As a freshman, I didn’t know much about him but could tell that his repentance was genuine. From that moment on, other students began to come toward the podium to share or to kneel in prayer at the altar.
At this point, I recall thinking, “What a great way to end the chapel service.” But it didn’t end!
The next class was postponed, then the next class and the next. The atmosphere in Hughes took on a weight. I don’t recall how long I stayed in my seat. From my view in the balcony, I just sat and watched as students patiently waited their turn to stand at the microphone to read scripture, ask for repentance or to lead in a praise chorus. Something very special was happening! The word palpable has been used many times to describe the presence of the Holy Spirit in that place, and I agree. I found myself crying. I didn’t want to leave. Looking back now, I don’t remember how long I stayed in Hughes Auditorium that day, but I recall phoning my parents that evening from the only pay phone in my dorm. (It was a long-distance call, and I had to reverse the charges. No such thing as cell phones!) I told my mom that it was the most fantastic revival service I had ever attended and that I wish she could be with me. I really thought the service would be over the next day. But as you know, it lasted 10 days!
From that point, my memory gets rather vague as those 10 days progressed. Classes were canceled; I recall wanting to be in Hughes as much as possible. People from other locations learned about the revival through phone calls and word-of-mouth and the campus had lots of visitors. Many people would remove their shoes when they entered Hughes because they knew they were on holy ground!
All over campus, people were getting right with the Lord and with each other. I specifically recall one of the girls coming to me with tears, asking me to forgive her for having jealous feelings toward me. I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about! We had both been candidates for an honor given to a girl in the freshman class, and before the results were determined, she had resented me. She didn’t have to tell me, and I never would have known how she felt, but she wanted a clean slate before the Lord. I was amazed and humbled. We cried together. By the way, she won the honor after all!
After the gathering in Hughes subsided, the college leadership began to assemble witness teams to go to other campuses and churches to report on the revival. I had the opportunity to go out with different teams several times that winter. After the school year ended, I joined a team called “The Calvary Singers” that traveled around the Midwest during the summer of ’70. We held services in many churches and some camps. My walk with the Lord deepened as the summer progressed. My testimony in churches included the following:
I live in the central part of Kansas, and my family’s favorite place to vacation is Colorado. Almost every summer, we pack up the car with camping equipment, and we head west. Driving through western Kansas can be rather boring, so we anxiously watch for road signs giving the distance to our destination. As we approach the Colorado state line, a large sign says, “Welcome to Colorful Colorado!” You KNOW that you are now in Colorado, but it doesn’t look much different than Kansas. You don’t even see the Rocky Mountains on the horizon until you travel further.
We can stop just inside that state line, pitch our tent and accurately report that we spent our vacation in Colorado, but we would miss the best part of being in the state! We need to travel on and go further before we experience the breath-taking mountains. It’s kind of like that in my walk with the Lord. I can accept Him as my Savior, pitch my tent, go no further and be assured that I’m a Christian. But there is so much more! The Lord wants us to go deeper into the Christian life. He wants us to experience the awesomeness of His presence and to see Him at work in us and in the lives of others. If you are a believer in Jesus, pack up your tent and let the Lord do the driving.
I’ve shared this illustration many times through the years, and just putting it in print pricks my heart. Have I gotten comfortable where I am with Jesus? Has my zeal to see people around me come to know Jesus cooled? Am I being transparent with other believers? The current Asbury revival has challenged me to trust the Holy Spirit more to accomplish His purposes in my life.
As for differences between the 1970 and the 2023 revivals, there are so many things that are similar. Feeling the physical presence of the Holy Spirit, repentance, unplanned worship, singing and much prayer are what they both have in common. Many people have accepted the Lord as their Savior in both revivals! This time, the college leaders have had to deal with huge crowds, so logistics have needed much prayer. I’ve read that before any worship team or speaker takes the microphone, they are prayed for at least 30 minutes. The auditorium is reserved for those under 25 for periods of the day, so that youth leadership is encouraged. Much discernment is needed. It seems the 1970 revival gave a pattern for extending the effectiveness of the current revival. This is a new thing for this generation.
I would have loved to drive to Wilmore to be in the midst of this current outpouring, but I’ve had a taste of it every time I read a text or watch a video about the revival. As I said earlier, I’ve spent a lot of time crying and worshipping the Lord while sitting at our computer. The Holy Spirit can move anywhere He pleases, and I’m so grateful He has revisited Asbury with this divine moment. As one professor said, “It seems that Hughes auditorium is a thin space between heaven and earth!” This event reminds us that His ways are not our ways, and that the Lord works in mysterious ways.
To God be the Glory, great things He has done!
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