Revival Meetings in Evangelical/Mainline Anabaptist

[cooper]

I'm curious if anyone knows when MCUSA and evangelical Mennonites such as LMC discarded the practice of week-long revival meetings. I'm also curious about the stated and unstated reasons for this change.

[Ken]

I don't think that big revival meetings were every really an overt policy of mainstream Mennonite conferences. My understanding of this history is that certain Mennonite individuals such as the Brunk brothers started their own stand-alone revival ministries that were not really under the auspices of the Mennonite hierarchy of the time.

Why then? I think the 1950s was a particular moment in American history where revival was sweeping across America led by people like Billy Graham and Oral Roberts who were operating on a vastly larger scale. I think the Brunks, Augsburger, and others were part of that larger wave and were probably inspired by people like Billy Graham. And when the revival wave faded in the larger evangelical world, it faded in the Menno world as well.

Actually I'm not sure that evangelical revivalism really actually faded. I think what actually happened is that a lot of the effort shifted away from tent revivals to TV ministries when TV became ubiquitous in American life. Oral Roberts, for example, had mostly shifted from tent evangelism to televangelism by the 1970s or 1980s. And a lot of televangelists of the 1980s got their start with tent revivals. Billy Graham is kind of the exception to the rule. Instead of converting to televangelism, he mostly expanded globally and spent large portions of his later years leading overseas efforts.

For obvious reasons, TV evangelism is not a direction that any Mennonite evangelists followed. So when big-time tent revival meetings faded away in the larger American culture, they seem to have faded away in the Mennonite world as well.

[cooper]

I don't think that big revival meetings were every really an overt policy of mainstream Mennonite conferences. My understanding of this history is that certain Mennonite individuals such as the Brunk brothers started their own stand-alone revival ministries that were not really under the auspices of the Mennonite hierarchy of the time.

I wasn't talking about tent-style revivals specifically - that was more of a 1950s phenomenon. I was thinking primarily about revival meetings in a congregation. Here's a quote from GAMEO that explains the genesis of Mennonite revival meetings as a result of the Great Awakening.

John S. Coffman (1848-99) was the pioneer in the use of the revivalist method in the Mennonite Church (MC), beginning in 1879 when he moved to Elkhart, Indiana. By 1900 the method was widely accepted in the church, and by 1920 it had become practically a universal custom for each congregation and each church college to have at least one series of revival meetings annually.

Revival meetings are still very common among conservative Mennonites (not Old Orders) - although in some places they may be less about revival and more about a week of meetings by a charismatic guest speaker. Most Conservative Mennonites are very opposed to tent-style revival meetings.

[HondurasKeiser]

I don't think that big revival meetings were every really an overt policy of mainstream Mennonite conferences. My understanding of this history is that certain Mennonite individuals such as the Brunk brothers started their own stand-alone revival ministries that were not really under the auspices of the Mennonite hierarchy of the time.

I wasn't talking about tent-style revivals specifically - that was more of a 1950s phenomenon. I was thinking primarily about revival meetings in a congregation. Here's a quote from GAMEO that explains the genesis of Mennonite revival meetings as a result of the Great Awakening.

John S. Coffman (1848-99) was the pioneer in the use of the revivalist method in the Mennonite Church (MC), beginning in 1879 when he moved to Elkhart, Indiana. By 1900 the method was widely accepted in the church, and by 1920 it had become practically a universal custom for each congregation and each church college to have at least one series of revival meetings annually.

Revival meetings are still very common among conservative Mennonites (not Old Orders) - although in some places they may be less about revival and more about a week of meetings by a charismatic guest speaker. Most Conservative Mennonites are very opposed to tent-style revival meetings.

I vaguely remember one or two in our LMC congregation when I was young in the 90’s. We also had yearly retreats over Memorial Day weekend, that served that function as well.

[danfreed]

Spiritual renewal / revival / Bible conference meetings are still scheduled in many churches across the Mennonite spectrum.
Most are not at the size or intensity of Evangelist John Coffman in the late 1800s, or the 1950s tent meetings.

Through the years, with a few exceptions, I have found found revivals meetings spiritually uplifting, motivating prayer, holiness and intentional witness for Jesus. They are a method of teaching and evangelism that are overall positive, IMO.

I'm very thankful for the positive spiritual influence that the Brunk Tent Revivals had on my grandparents (and others in their churches) in the Franconia Mennonite Conference Souderton, PA area in the 1950s.

Today, evangelists like Nelson Coblentz, Dave Miller and others continue revival / renewal meetings, sometimes under a big tent attempting to reach a whole community, rather than just a single church.

https://www.gospelexpress.com/revival-meetings/

1 Cor 12
"4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith....."

[Praxis+Theodicy]

I'm curious if anyone knows when MCUSA and evangelical Mennonites such as LMC discarded the practice of week-long revival meetings. I'm also curious about the stated and unstated reasons for this change.

I know of one Rosedale Network church (I'd consider it an Evangelical Mennonite church) that holds big tent meetings in the summer. I think they have a ministry called Gospel Express do their meetings, or at least they have in the past.

[Sudsy]

When I was younger in Pentecostalism, we had revival meetings in the church that sometimes went on for a couple weeks, every night, and these were focused on reviving the saints. In other words, getting the saints to re-focus on their spiritual lives and make new beginnings in their walk with the Lord. Some of these 'revivalists' would mainly focus on reviving Christians who have become cold in their spirit to a deeper walk with God while others were more about evangelism and reviving the church to reach out into their community with the Gospel. And some tried to do both.

When I spent some years in a Mennonite Brethren church, I recall there were courses given at times for those who were keen on evangelism which taught people methods of reaching others with the Gospel in their daily lives outside the church. Courses such as 'Alpha' by Nicky Gumbel and 'The Way of the Master' by Ray Comfort and the 'Coral Ridge' soul winning method. I recall being quite involved using the latter in door-to-door evangelism while attending the MB church. The 'Alpha' course was the most popular course used. I am not aware that any of these are still in use.

But regular MB church services were not 'evangelical' in the sense of gearing Sunday messages to becoming born again nor to get all the saints involved in evangelism. What we did begin to have and still occurs, is inviting people to come to the front of the church during the last hymn for prayer and counselors would meet them to pray with them regarding what their specific need was. This practise is one that has been carried on since the last two pastors are from Pentecostal backgrounds where this was a norm.

I have watched the TV programs by this local MB church and listened to the testimonies of those in baptismal services. Very few are being baptised that did not come from some kind of church background and many are from various Mennonite backgrounds. The youth especially seem to be attracted by the modern day worship music and some escaping from Mennonite church dress and rules. So, it would appear to me that 'outreach' is not evangelical in the sense of reaching the lost and unchurched in our city. The growing in numbers churches are ones that have all kinds of activities going on throughout the week and church facilities that the whole family can get involved in. And sadly sometimes this is more geared to entertainment than it is making disciples. In our city, the Pentecostal and MB church lead the way by far in growth when it comes to numbers.

To me, 'revival' meetings are about reviving the Christians to get back on track with what is most important in light of eternity. However, this seems by some to mainly be about one's own salvation and little concern for others. I believe this getting 'revived' will be a return to reaching out to the lost in our community. This takes going to where they are and a certain degree of mingling with them as Jesus did. The concept of 'coming out from among them' does not mean to shun those Jesus came to save but rather to go against the grain of religion, such as the Pharisee type in Jesus day, and be involved in the salvation of others.

I tend to favor 'revival' meetings to be a concentrated effort to help get Christians to focus back on their relationship with God with an eternal perspective. One of the outcomes of this will be efforts to reach the lost with the Gospel. And leading people to Christ is, imo, more a one-on-one, 'outside the local church gathering' job. The local church is primarily for believers although some unbelievers may come and scripture tells us how we are to carry on in the local church in a way that they will not consider us going 'nuts' (lost our brains). Finding a fellowship with my understandings isn't easy but I am quite encouraged lately by our local Salvation Army and am getting involved in their ministries.

[Ernie]

I'm curious if anyone knows when MCUSA and evangelical Mennonites such as LMC discarded the practice of week-long revival meetings. I'm also curious about the stated and unstated reasons for this change.

I think they phased out gradually in the last half of the 20th century. Some congregations were quicker to drop them than others. In the present Moderate-Conservative churches, it will go from every year, to every other year. Or they may abbreviate the annual meetings to weekend meetings.

In the Old Mennonite church, there were only sermons. (Sundays and sometimes on holidays)
Then Sunday School and Revival Meetings were added. Then Prayer Meetings and Topics by laity. Then Winter Bible Schools for churches and youth. At some point Summer Bible Schools for community children. In more recent years, there are children's clubs and cell/small group accountability. At some point churches realize that they can't do everything, and they look at what seems most useful. This is the path of transitional churches. The more traditional churches keep doing annual week long revival meetings just like they did for the last 100 years.

I know that some people object to the emotional "accept Jesus as Savior today" type of approach and prefer letting the Holy Spirit move in people's hearts much like the Old Order churches expect the Spirit to do.

[Sudsy]

I'm curious if anyone knows when MCUSA and evangelical Mennonites such as LMC discarded the practice of week-long revival meetings. I'm also curious about the stated and unstated reasons for this change.

I think they phased out gradually in the last half of the 20th century. Some congregations were quicker to drop them than others. In the present Moderate-Conservative churches, it will go from every year, to every other year. Or they may abbreviate the annual meetings to weekend meetings.

In the Old Mennonite church, there were only sermons. (Sundays and sometimes on holidays)
Then Sunday School and Revival Meetings were added. Then Prayer Meetings and Topics by laity. Then Winter Bible Schools for churches and youth. At some point Summer Bible Schools for community children. In more recent years, there are children's clubs and cell/small group accountability. At some point churches realize that they can't do everything, and they look at what seems most useful. This is the path of transitional churches. The more traditional churches keep doing annual week long revival meetings just like they did for the last 100 years.

I know that some people object to the emotional "accept Jesus as Savior today" type of approach and prefer letting the Holy Spirit move in people's hearts much like the Old Order churches expect the Spirit to do.

To your last sentence, I'm curious, do the 'Old Order churches' preach about being born again ? Jesus indicated there is a start point to the Holy Spirit coming to live within us. Often this experience has an impact on our emotions but if it is just an emotional experience, I don't believe one has received Him as Lord and Saviour. Sadly some work on people's emotions in trying to 'get people saved' (which I observed in some of the Pentecostalism I was raised in) and they believe this emotional experience is their salvation. The new birth is the beginning of a whole new way of life with new desires to follow Jesus. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, a very religious Pharisee, you must be born again to see the Kingdom of God.

I do believe the Holy Spirit draws people to salvation in Jesus and that He uses Christians in this process and gives them the ability to lead people to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. I don't see anywhere in scripture that this evangelism role is totally a work of the Holy Spirit not involving believers and wonder where these 'Old Order churches' get this approach. Romans 10:13,14 makes it quite clear that we are to be involved in the salvation of others using words. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

[Sudsy]

The place where I am most familiar with where people are born again is through home bible studies. A Christian invites an unbeliever to join in their 'care group' where they have a time of getting to know each other and study the bible using a bible course or just going through a book in the bible a little at at time. The Christians in the group continue to pray in their private times for those who come that are unsaved and often at some point the unbeliever inquires about becoming a born again Christian.

Some not yet saved people have had some, not so good, experiences with professing Christians and are quite cautious about coming to these studies. However, when they find that not all professing Christians are the same and that many have genuine walks with the Lord, as the Holy Spirit draws them to Jesus, they overcome this road block and begin to desire what the genuine believers have that they don't.

I have been in various care groups and not all professing believers who attend these attend for much other than hanging out with their friends. These often become quite obvious as they seldom or never really join in spiritual discussions or leading in prayer and are often eager to get this part of the gathering out of the way so they can get unto secular type interests. They are the ones most interested in what is going on in this world and not from a concern for lost souls.

I tend to believe these care groups (some call them other titles) have replaced many 'evangelical altar calls to repentance in a church' method. And in my experience, this is a good means of evangelism.

I'm curious if there are Anabaptist groups here that use these care groups as a means of reaching the unsaved ?