Revive Us Again!

Are Revival Meetings Still Desirable?

One week ago, I was blessed to be the guest preacher at Providence Baptist Church in Campbellsburg, Kentucky. The pastor is Travis Hearne who is a good friend. Some might look at me skeptically for preaching a revival meeting. After all, why would a Reformed Baptist participate in what is seen as a vestige of Second Great Awakening Revivalism? Does not such a meeting represent more of my old fundamentalist background than my present-day confessional convictions? The days that I spent at this small, rural Southern Baptist church reminded me of what really matters in kingdom work.

The world of academia sometimes fosters the creation of echo chambers in which abstract notions of church life replace the reality on the ground. I am not saying this from my ivory tower as condemnation! The struggle is one I share. As Travis drove me around last week, as I talked with church members, and as I just observed the rhythms of the church, it struck me that this is the reality of church life for most people. More men in seminaries need to venture outside of the academic bubble and engage with those believers in smaller, often rural churches. That is where a lot of Baptist ministry takes place. Now, this is not an attempt to romanticize rural church ministry. Trust me, the challenges are real, complex, and more difficult than some realize. So, am I romanticizing the idea of a revival meeting?

Revival meetings can become a time of emotional manipulation. More than once, I witnessed such emotionalism in such meetings. The time that I spent in rural Kentucky last week though was devoted to the ordinary means of grace. Both Travis and I emphasized that revival takes place when God in an extraordinary way uses the ordinary means in the life of His people. I preached through Philippians and emphasized the centrality of Christ in all aspects of our spiritual pilgrimage. The people of God enjoyed more fellowship, more worship, and more time studying the Scriptures. Is that a negative thing? I sure hope not! I would argue that such meetings, whether called a revival meeting, Bible conference, etc., help foster the actual means that the Lord uses for revival. Furthermore, I think seminarians become better preachers and pastors when they get out in the field where the people live.

This brings me to the final point: we should be praying and yearning for revival. We hear a lot of talk about revival lately, but it is also connected more with some type of political or cultural renaissance. This is not the revival that we should be praying that we see. Instead, we need to be desirous of more gospel proclamation, church fellowship, and missional opportunities. These are the fruits that come out of true revival. I fear that it is rather common for confessional Baptists to look with disdain at talk of revival. I get it! There is an unhealthy revivalism that still lurks and flourishes. We do not want to have any part of that. However, do we not join with Baptists like Andrew Fuller and Wiliam Carey to pray and labor for revival? Do not the journeys of Isaac Backus to visit Baptists in the South exemplify the way a healthy desire for revival can be a part of the church’s prayers? That is a part of the Baptist heritage that is worth recovering!

My time at Providence Baptist Church was a healthy experience for me. I love the labors that I do in the library and in the academy. I want to be the most faithful historian and librarian that I can be. I believe that means remembering most Baptists are like the men and women I ministered to in rural Kentucky. If they are not a part of the work that I am doing, then I am failing to be faithful in my stewardship. This brings me to Travis Hearne. Travis embodies what is so needed. He graduated this May with his PhD in church history. His work on Christian Nationalism among Protestant liberals in the 20^th century provides helpful categories and insights. He is a top-notch scholar. He is also a faithful pastor in a community most would overlook. The way that he relates to his congregation shows a man who demonstrates how the academy is to serve the church. That is the type of revival we need. This Reformed Baptist hopes that I never forget that the prayer of the old hymn is timeless: revive us again!