The First Great Awakening: The Revival That Shook the World

 

The First Great Awakening was a series of revivals that swept Britain and its 13 North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. This revival movement sparked a burning flame in the souls of men of those days to seek God, His holiness, and righteousness.

In the United States, the term "Great Awakening" is most often used, while in the United Kingdom, the movement is referred to as the "Evangelical Revival." The revivals transcended denominational boundaries and helped forge a common evangelical identity. It was led by John Wesley, his brother Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and Gilbert Tennent.

They were all members of a religious society at Oxford University called the Holy Club. George Whitefield joined the Holy Club in 1733 and became the most notable figure in the First Great Awakening. Under the influence of Charles Wesley, he read the book The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal. In the book, Scougal wrote, "True religion is a union of the soul with God. It is Christ formed within us."

Whitefield, despite being a Christian, knew that he was incomplete and had not experienced this true religion. From that point on, he sought a new birth. After a period of praying and seeking God's presence, he experienced conversion during Lent in 1735. In 1736, he began preaching in Bristol and London. In December 1737, he left England for the colony of Georgia. John Wesley had left for Georgia as well in 1735 to become a missionary.

In September 1738, John Wesley returned to England. Both he and Charles preached in London churches. Whitefield remained in Georgia for three months to establish Bethesda Orphanage before returning to England in December 1738.

In February 1739, parish priests in Bath and Bristol refused to allow Whitefield to preach in their churches on the grounds that he was overzealous for the gospel. In response, George Whitefield began open-air field preaching in the mining community of Kingswood, near Bristol.

Open-air preaching was common in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but it was unheard of in England. Within a week, he was preaching to crowds of 10,000. By March, Whitefield moved to preach in London.

In London, Whitefield preached to a crowd of over 50,000 people. Within a short time, newspapers began to carry news of his revivals, further boosting his popularity.

At first, John Wesley was reluctant about preaching outdoors, as it was contrary to his belief in church decency and etiquette. However, upon seeing the success of George Whitefield with open-air preaching, Wesley changed his mind. On April 2, 1739, he preached to about 3,000 people near Bristol. From then on, he continued to preach wherever he could gather an assembly.

George Whitefield and John Wesley faced various oppositions, including literary criticism and even mob violence. Despite these challenges, the revival continued to grow. John Wesley's methodical and disciplined way of practicing his faith during and after the peak of the Great Awakening established him as the primary founder of the Methodist Church.

WALES AND SCOTLAND

The Evangelical Revival first broke out in Wales in 1735. Howell Harris and Daniel Rowland experienced conversion and began preaching to large crowds throughout South Wales. Their preaching initiated the Welsh Methodist Revival.

NORTH AMERICAN REVIVAL

In November 1739, George Whitefield returned to America. His first stop was Philadelphia, where he preached at Philadelphia's Anglican Church and later to a large outdoor crowd from the courthouse steps. He then preached in many Presbyterian churches. From Philadelphia, he traveled to New York and then to the South.

In 1740, Whitefield began touring New England. He landed in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 14, 1740, and preached several times in the Anglican Church. He then moved on to Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent a week. There were prayers at King's Chapel (at the time an Anglican church) and preaching at Brattle Street Church and South Church.

On September 20, Whitefield preached at First Church and later to about 8,000 people who could not gain entrance. The next day, he preached outdoors again to about 15,000 people. Later, he preached at Second Church and then at Harvard University. After traveling as far as Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he returned to Boston on October 12 to preach to 30,000 people before continuing his tour.

Whitefield then traveled to Northampton at the invitation of Jonathan Edwards. He preached twice in the parish church, and Edwards was so moved that he wept. He then spent time in New Haven, Connecticut, where he preached at Yale University. From there, he traveled down the coast, reaching New York on October 29.

Whitefield met Gilbert Tennent on Staten Island and asked him to preach in Boston to continue the revival there. Tennent accepted and, in December, began a three-month-long preaching tour throughout New England. Besides Boston, Tennent preached in towns throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Like Whitefield, Tennent's preaching attracted large crowds and led to many conversions.

In the summer of 1741, Tennent was followed by the itinerant minister James Davenport. Whitefield, Tennent, and Davenport were followed by a number of other itinerant preachers. Through their efforts, New England experienced a great awakening, characterized by powerful preaching, prayer, and conversions.

It is estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 new members were added to New England's Congregational churches. By 1745, the Awakening had begun to wane. However, revivals continued to spread to the Southern backcountry and slave communities in the 1750s and 1760s.

The First Great Awakening transformed nations. The fear of God gripped cities, and testimonies of conversions spread like wildfire. Slave owners repented, and both the poor and the rich stood side by side, equally desperate for God.

The Awakening greatly contributed to racial integration. The preachers converted both White and Black people. Some were enslaved at the time of their conversion, while others were free. Caucasians began to welcome dark-skinned individuals into their churches, and unity and harmony reigned in the congregation of God.