THE WELSH REVIVAL of 1904-05

THE WELSH REVIVAL of 1904-05
by Oliver W. Price

During the spring of 1904 a young Welshman named Evan Roberts
was repeatedly awakened at 1:00 a.m. He met with God until
5:00am. The Welsh revival followed. Churches were packed for
prayer meetings. In a prayer meeting for young people, Pastor
Joseph Jenkins asked for testimonies. A young girl named Florrie
Evans, who had only been a believer a few days, rose and with a
trembling voice said simply, "I love Jesus with all my heart." The
other young people's hearts were melted. A powerful spiritual
awakening that brought 100,000 people to Christ was under way.

On November 7th, 1904 Moraih Chapel was filled to capacity for
a prayer meeting that lasted until 3:00 a.m. Soul winning spread
through the coalmines. Profane swearing stopped. Even the miners'
horses were puzzled when their masters stopped cursing. Orders
to the Bible Society "for Scriptures from Wales during November
and December, were over three times the amount for the
corresponding months of 1903..." The Times said this resulted
from the Welsh revival, adding that this demand showed no sign
of falling off.

"The mighty and unseen breath of the Spirit was doing in a month
more than centuries of legislation could accomplish" the pastor of
Saint John's-Wood Presbyterian Church declared on Sunday,
January 1st, 1905 according to the London Times.The Welsh revival
"had a great effect" in healing spiritual carelessness among Christians
and "the growing bitterness which has accentuated our unhappy
divisions", the Bishop of Bangor declared on January 2nd, 1905.
He called "congregations to meet together often for united prayer."

The Times added that "the religious revival in Wales continues...
with unabated zeal." Huge crowds were attending the meetings.
Bible verses covered the doors down in the coalmines. "At
Swansea the Poor Law guardians...dealt with revival cases in
which people...have taken their parents from the workhouse. The
Welsh revival movement has shown no sign of flagging...", The
Times pointed out on January 10th. Entire congregations were
on their knees in fervent prayer and "for the first time there was
not a single case of drunkenness at the Swansea Petty Sessions."

The Times observed that "The whole population had been suddenly
stirred by a common impulse. Religion had become the absorbing
interest of their lives. They had gathered at crowded services for
six and eight hours at a time. Political meetings and even football
matches were postponed...quarrels between trade-union workmen
and non-unionists had been made up... At Glyn-Neath a feud had
existed for the past 10 or 12 years between the two Independent
chapels, but during the past week united services have been held
in both chapels, and the ministers have shaken hands before the
congregations."

The Salvation Army set apart January 19th, 1905 for a day of
confession, humiliation, and prayer throughout England, Ireland,
Scotland, and Wales. All day prayer meetings were held in many
of the principal cities of the British Isles, according to the London
Times. The meeting was marked by "fervent prayer and any one
who felt called upon to pray." Fires of spiritual revival and moral
recovery were spreading.

The revival fires burning in Wales in 1904-05 spread through
England, Ireland and Scotland. Prayer meetings multiplied. As
many as 2,000 attended a prayer meeting in the city of Bradford.
In the City of Leeds, Samuel Chadwick reported that his church
was never empty all day...