Kerby Anderson
A recent story from CBN News reports that there has been a fourth major collegiate revival in the last month. According to the story, “thousands of students gathered at the University of Arkansas on Thursday night to seek Jesus Christ and find salvation in His name. Unite US reports that 10,000 students from 67 different universities gathered in Bud Walton Arena.”
One young man shared his powerful testimony right before getting baptized at the event, saying, “I spent a lot of years running from God. I just came to Jesus about five weeks ago, but I got caught up in, I’ll just say it, cocaine and alcohol. I had a lot of really near-death experiences, and I think Jesus had his hand on my life because I should not be here.”
The other campuses reporting a revival last month include the University of South Carolina, Texas A & M at Corpus Christi, and Ohio State University. You are probably also aware of the major revival that took place on the campus of Asbury College in early 2023.
Jerry Newcombe wonders if the “recent campus revivals will spill over to the nation.” He reminds us that poll after poll documents that millions of Americans feel the country is headed in the wrong direction. He goes on to argue that there is a great need of a national revival and then reminds us of the First Great Awakening.
That revival began in the 1730s with the preaching of Reverend Jonathan Edwards and spread through the colonies due to the work of the traveling evangelist George Whitefield. He quotes Benjamin Franklin and John Adams who witnessed the impact of the revivals that led to the great awakening.
America needs a revival and reformation. I pray that what is happening on campus will spread to the rest of the country.