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What Is Happening at Asbury University Wasn’t Planned—Is This the Start of Widespread Revival?

The 1970 revival produced 2,000 Asbury witnessing teams that went to colleges and churches across the nation.

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At this same time, on the west coast in the late 1960s and early 1970s, God was bringing people to repentance through what is known today as the “Jesus Movement,” a revival that brought evangelist Greg Laurie to faith and resulted in his becoming a pastor. Laurie’s movie, “Jesus Revolution,” which tells the story of how he came to know Jesus, hits theaters on Feb. 24.

ChurchLeaders on Location

ChurchLeaders went on location to Asbury University on Wednesday, Feb. 13, seven full days after spontaneous worship began.

Arriving around 9 a.m., the chapel was closed to the public until after 11:30 a.m. so that students could attend their required 10 a.m. chapel service. The university set up two overflow areas on the campus so that non-students could watch the chapel service via video feed. Estes Chapel, the overflow building located across the street from Hughes Auditorium, was standing-room-only when the chapel service began.

Asbury University president Kevin Brown told the packed Hughes Auditorium, “Our hearts are full, because this auditorium is filled with students.”

As Brown welcomed those who don’t attend the university, he shared that what they are experiencing is uncharted territory.

“We have made a discernment as a leadership team, a conscious decision from the start of this moment, for Asbury not to seize what’s happening now as a platform for our school,” he said. “And that’s why we have not live streamed, and we have just asked other guests that have come into this facility to honor that discernment for this present moment.”

Reciting some of Paul’s words from Colossians 3, Brown addressed whether what is happening just a sociological phenomenon.

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“Well, on one level, yes, it is,” he said. “We’re human. We’re people. There’s a certain character to this. But at the same time, on another level, I think that something is happening that is not reducible to sociological phenomena alone.”

Brown made clear that there is no political agenda behind what is happening at the university, saying, “The only political agenda is that Jesus is Lord. The only agenda is that we are citizens in the kingdom of heaven…What is happening here isn’t just for us at the university. It’s not an exclusive event. Everyone is invited.”

“Jesus is the kind of Savior that invited people, that if I’m honest, I don’t think they should be invited,” Brown shared. “Jesus is always inviting.”

Brown laughed when addressing whether the event was preplanned.

“No way,” he said. “We are just trying to shepherd and steward and be as hospitable to the Spirit as we know how in real time.”

The president admitted the events that began on Feb. 8 aren’t convenient. Addressing the students, he said, “It’s not convenient for you. It’s not convenient for our university. It’s not convenient for our staff and faculty.”

Noting that several university leaders had been unable to fulfill their normal job functions for the past week, Brown explained, “They’re redeploying their efforts to facilitate and host this special thing. So it’s not convenient.”