Unplanned revival at Christian university in Ky. draws from 'far and near' seeking God's healing, forgiveness and hope

UPDATE, Feb. 19: The Lexington Herald-Leader reports, "The final public evening service will be held on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Public worship will continue in the afternoons through Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. each day."

Worshippers at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky., on Monday afternoon, the sixth day of continuous  worship. (Photo by Robin Cornetet, Kentucky Today)

They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine (Hosea 14:7). Hosea means “Yahweh has rescued.”

The chapel at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, has been filled with a fire of revival and the joy of rescue since last Wednesday's regular chapel service morphed into continuous worship and prayer, attracting people form a wide area, report Chip Hutcheson, Hannah Julian and Robin Cornetet of Kentucky Today, a publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. "They came from far and near, from mothers carrying their infant children to senior citizens — all flooding into chapel. . . . A whiteboard just inside the front doors of the chapel speaks to the impact of more than 120 hours of preaching, singing, testimonies and confession of sin. The board was jam-packed with praises and prayer requests, evidencing how God had moved on people during this extended revival time."

Asbury student Carly Cawthon told Kentucky Today, “The revival at Asbury happened unexpectedly, just as the scriptures say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has imagined what the Lord has prepared for those who love him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9). . . . there was nothing special about this week, no one could have imagined Tuesday or even Wednesday morning what was about to transpire."

People have answered a seemingly collective call to attend: "Hannah Dennison, from Akron, Ohio, read about the revival on social media and came alone — 'Everyone thought I was crazy.' . . . Susan Carson with her three children drove Sunday night from Brunswick, Ga., because Susan wanted her children to experience the revival. . . . Emma Sparks from Ashland was with a group of Boyd County High School [near Ashland, Ky.] who received permission from the principal (and their parents) to be there Monday said, 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing — we took two cars and drove two and a half hours.'"

A dry-erase board in Hughes Auditorium contains prayers and praises
by revival attendees. (Photo by Robin Cornetet, Kentucky Today)

On Monday at 10 a.m., "the 1,500-seat chapel was filled. Asbury students left to attend classes. Those seats they vacated did not remain empty for long as people continued to stream into Hughes Auditorium. . . . That worship time found young and old lifting hands and bowing heads in praise. . . . On the altar were numerous prayer requests written on sticky notes."

Greg Haseloff, the Asbury campus chaplain, told Kentucky Today that said the events provide “such a beautiful experience of seeking God — it is holy ground. It will continue to be a place of worship and prayer.” Asbury is nondenominational but grounded in the Wesleyan-Holiness movement.