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Welsh Revivalists - There was shouting and rejoicing, even dancing in the meetings
Identifier
017073
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
The Welsh Revival of 1904-1905
The Welsh Revival of 1904 is generally considered as something quite distinct from other spiritual movements that developed before or after it. In fact, there is much evidence that the Revival was part of the Pentecostal Outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the early 20th century.
The emphasis of the Welsh Revival of 1904 was without doubt the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit. The early beginnings of the Revival were influenced by Reader Harris, founder of the Pentecostal League of Prayer, who preached a sermon in Carmarthen in January 1904 stating that the Church was to see another Pentecost.
When on February 14th, in New Quay, Cardiganshire, young Florrie Evans stood to her feet and publicly confessed "I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart" a mighty move of the Spirit of God broke out in that Church.
Hungry for the Spirit, many young people gathered in after-church meetings, and God began baptising initially, mainly young girls and women in their teens and early twenties, with the Holy Spirit.
They began singing and praying spontaneously, there was shouting and rejoicing, even dancing in the meetings, and many of the girls were prophesying.
This was unquestionably a Pentecostal visitation.
Evan Roberts exercised spiritual gifts, including the word of knowledge, when things about someone in the congregation would be revealed, often leading to conversion.
The parallels between the Welsh Revival of 1904 and the Pentecostal Revival already taking place in parts of England and the USA were unmistakable :-
(1) Totally Spirit-led spontaneous worship, singing, testimonies and ministry.
(2) The exercise of Spiritual Gifts, including prophecy and word of knowledge.
(3) Claims of receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with manifestations such as "wind", "fire" and falling under the Holy Spirit's power.
(4) Many recorded instances of Speaking with Tongues, which became a major controversy with those who opposed such manifestations.
(5) It is a fact that from 1905 when the Revival waned, it was the Pentecostals, who continued in the Spirit of the Revival, and a good percentage of the converts of the Revival joined the newly-formed Apostolic and Pentecostal Churches, many of which were pioneered in Wales, by converts of the Revival.