THE WELSH REVIVAL 1904                                       

                                                                                            by Paul Sharkey of Struthers Memorial Church Glasgow

 

 

Late one evening in the Spring of 1904, having closed his Bible and put out the lamp, 26-year-old Evan Roberts settled down for his usual sound night's sleep. All evening he had been praying that the Spirit of God would come again to Wales.

 

 

At around one o'clock in the morning he was awakened by the Holy Spirit: "I was taken up to a great expanse - without time or space. I found myself with unspeakable joy and awe in the very presence of the Almighty God. What it was I cannot tell you, except that it was divine." The experience lasted about four hours and was to repeat itself every night for the next three months. At the end of that time, Evan Roberts was a changed man.

 

Meanwhile in Tabernacle Church, New Quay, West Wales, a group of young people, predominantly women, who had a hunger for God were showing signs that the Holy Spirit was moving in them. Their godly minister, Rev. Joseph Jenkins had been praying out of concern for the spiritual life of the church. During a Sunday morning youth meeting in February 1904, a young woman of sixteen, Florrie Evans, declared that she "loved Jesus Christ with all her heart."

 

This had a staggering effect on the congregation: weeping was heard all over the church and all those present were deeply affected - something had changed in the spiritual temperature - and soon, news of what had happened spread to other churches and villages.

 

Numbers began to increase with young eople travelling from miles around to attend the meetings. A new fervour for God was born in the church. At each meeting young people came forward to declare Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

One visiting minister, Seth Joshua, recorded in his diary: "The fire is burning here! The young are receiving the greatest measure of blessing. they break out into prayer, praise and testimony in a wonderful way."

 

Evan Roberts, attending some of these Spirit-filled convention meetings in Blaenannerch, was deeply affected. He was touched by the power of the presence of God and moved by the depth of spiritual life evident in the New Quay girls. One evening, Seth Joshua, while closing the meeting in prayer used the words ".and Lord, bend us!" (Meaning to 'bend us' to God's will). The Holy Spirit made these words come to life for Evan Roberts and as he went out from the meeting he prayed in his heart "Lord, bend me!" Little did he know, that the very next day God would answer his prayer.

 

Rising at six the following morning, Evan attended the seven o'clock prayer meeting and the next meeting at nine o'clock after breakfast. The Holy Spirit began to move as one and another of those gathered rose to pray. Roberts, on his knees, slumped across the pew in front of him in tears of agony and sweating profusely. He later explained: "It was as if a living force came into my bosom, it grew and grew with each prayer, it boiled within me - it was God commending His Love." He described that for about two minutes this experience was " fearful " and that afterwards an immense peace spread over and through him. From that hour, Evan was filled with a wonderful compassion for the souls of men and women throughout Wales that he had never before experienced.

 

Returning to his hometown of Loughor, empowered by a vision for the young people in his own church, he began evening meetings along the same lines as those in Blaenannerch. He spoke passionately about Christ and His cross and encouraged an utter yieldedness to the Spirit of God. The first evening sixteen remained behind and entered into a wonderful experience of the Holy Spirit. By the end of the week, sixty-five was the total. The meetings were wonderful and lasted well into the night, sometimes not finishing until two or three in the morning.

 

The newspapers became interested in what was happening and began to report the progress of the meetings on a regular basis. News that the Holy Spirit had come to Loughor and the name of Evan Roberts quickly spread throughout Wales. In a short time the streets outside the chapel were lined with people waiting or unable to get into the meetings. Ministers and others touched by the fire of revival took the message to the villages and towns of every part of Wales. Evan Roberts toured the valleys, Liverpool and North Wales spreading the flame of the gospel while Joseph Jenkins and the Spirit-filled girls from New Quay also made a powerful impact in North Wales.

 

The most powerful evidence of the coming of the Holy Spirit to the nation of Wales in 1904 was the change taking place in the lives of ordinary people. Public houses closed due to lack of business and fewer crimes were committed. Prayer meetings were held in steel works and in the mines: the colliers arriving half an hour early for their shift so that there was time for prayer and praise meetings held by the light of their lamps, far underground. There are even stories of pit ponies unable to understand the cleaned-up language of the miners and therefore, working less well.

 

 

 

Ten months later, in August 1905, Evan Roberts, through physical and mental exhaustion was forced to retire from public ministry and had to take a prolonged rest. For Wales, and indeed the whole world, the full effects of the revival may never be known - but in the six months following the outbreak of revival in Loughor it is estimated that at least one hundred thousand people in Wales experienced a radical change in their lives brought about by an encounter with the Spirit of God.

 

 

 

 

 

                     References:

1.   The Welsh Revival Of 1904 by Eifion Evans published by Evangelical Press 1969

                      2. A Diary Of Revival by Kevin Adams Copyright © 1904 Ltd

Published 2004 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP

                     3. Numerous websites on the Welsh Revival

                     For further information see: www.1904-revival.com