An uncomfortable confession
Some time last year I was on the phone with a friend, who is also in ministry, catching up about starting a new role in a new church. We were discussing various ministries and when it came to our kids ministry, he was very interested. “A great kids ministry is the best way to grow your church,“ he said. The discussion moved on and, after it ended, I reflected on his words. Do I really want our church to grow? I thought. The honest answer is yes, kind of, but also no, not yet.
Before you close this post and denounce me for being lost in the ivory tower of theology, allow me to explain what I mean. On one hand I of course, along with every other church leader I have met, want to see growth in our church. I want to see new people, families and individuals, finding the truth and hope of Christ in a community where they can be loved and encouraged. That is already happening and we are seeing growth. On the other hand, I don’t think we’re ready for dramatic growth. The hard truth is that if our congregation were to experience sudden, exponential growth tomorrow, we would not be able to faithfully pastor and care for the influx of new believers. Church growth is about far more than numbers – it is ensuring that every human being represented by the numbers is pastored, discipled, equipped, encouraged, disciplined, cared for and released into whatever ministry God has for them. We have some work to do before I would be happy that a fast growing congregation was a healthy congregation, and we are not the only church in this position.
Looking back
I share this with you candidly because as we see the hopeful signs of revival looming on the horizon, I cannot shake a deepening concern that the Church at large may not be ready for what we are praying for. Detailed data is difficult to come by but as an example, the Hebrides Revival in the late 1940s – 1950s saw a staggering increase in church attendance. Some churches (plural) had more than a thousand people each Sunday. Are we ready to pastor, disciple, equip and release a sudden influx of baby Christians?
Further back, the Wesleyan revivals saw tens of thousands attend open air meetings and join churches. We will never know the full extent of what God did during this time, but we’re talking of potentially hundreds of thousands repenting and following Christ. John Wesley’s journals give us some small insight to the weight he carried in overseeing the organisation of the Methodist movement:
I had often wondered at myself (and sometimes mentioned it to others) that ten thousand cares, of various kinds, were no more weight and burden to my mind than ten thousand hairs were to my head. Perhaps I began to ascribe something of this to my own strength. And thence it might be that on Sunday, 13, that strength was withheld, and I felt what it was to be troubled about many things. One and another hurrying me continually, it seized upon my spirit more and more till I found it absolutely necessary to fly for my life, and that without delay… As soon as we came into the house at Bristol, my soul was lightened of her load, of that insufferable weight which had lain upon my mind, more or less, for several days.
While the events leading up to this insightful comment in Wesley’s journal did follow legal action being taken against him – the specifics we do not know – preceding entries also tell us of a particularly challenging time. The year before, Wesley had effectively purged the London Society of many members who did not “walk according to the gospel”. Some 1900 remained, a reduction great enough to prompt Wesley to write that “number is an inconsiderable circumstance.” This movement was not just about explosive growth – Wesley felt responsible to instil discipline in his community.
As the Wesleyan Revival kicked off, the brothers recognised the need to implement structure which ensured those who experienced Christ could be formed as disciples. To this end they established societies, classes and bands. Societies catered to larger groups of people and provided a space to learn the tenets of Methodism. Classes consisted of 10 – 12 people and resembled a bible study or life group in today’s language. Here there was more scope for personal edification, discipline and community. Bands were smaller still and in place to facilitate deep soul searching and transformation. With the establishment of every society, class and band, leaders needed to be raised, equipped and released – and so Methodism emerged not only as a revival movement, but a discipleship movement.
Lessons for Us
With such a rich history of revival in the UK (I haven’t mentioned the English Revival or the Welsh Revival, but these were significant in their own right) there is a lot to learn. Undoubtedly the greatest lesson from the Wesleyan Revival is that, while the movement lacked early structure – though this was quickly remedied – Wesley himself had been through a period of deep spiritual formation to prepare him for what was coming. His awakening to the truth of the Gospel and his increasing burden for the lost developed something within him that not only drove but helped sustain the Wesleyan movement.
Looking at these moments in history and considering our current context, there are four things I think every church and leader needs to do to ensure that we are ready for what God may do in our lifetime:
1. Seek salvation, not signs and wonders
I found it striking at a recent conference, which platformed some of the most well known local leaders in the Anglican church, that while every speaker spoke passionately about the coming revival and the accompanying signs and wonders, very little was said about the primary driver and purpose of revival: salvation. In fact, as I reflected on the conference, I realised that it has been years since I last heard a salvation addressed in-depth in a church context. I’m not talking about the customary addition of “raise your hand” at the end of a service. No, salvation is far more than putting up a hand, receiving a bible and joining a small group. It is being resurrected from death to life, adoption from orphan to child, release from slave to free. It is being clothed in the righteousness of Christ and living in absolute confidence that we are securely children of God. Salvation is a lifetime of sanctification as we submit to Christ and are formed by him daily. It is finally waking into our eternal, glorified state as we enjoy the promised resurrection of our bodies and live forever in the presence of Almighty God.
Reflecting on the Hebrides Revival, R.T. Kendall noted that, “The Hebrides Revival was all about people being saved – converted. There is no doubt that Christians were ‘renewed’. But the stress was on the need for people to be saved.2” True revival is not occupied with the renewal of the Church through the empowerment of spiritual gifts – it is firmly devoted to seeing the lost find salvation in Jesus Christ alone.
Preoccupation with signs and wonders at times of revival largely comes from the book of Acts. As we see the Church rapidly advance, it is impossible to ignore the accompanying miracles. The biblical account, and our own history, is clear that signs and wonders come with revival. You cannot get away from that in scripture. But may we not make the mistake of missing the purpose of revival for that which empowers it. If all we do is preach and proclaim a renewal of spiritual gifts, we run the risk of becoming isolated in our holy huddles while God calls his people back to himself. In Acts 2, Peter certainly discusses the strange occurrence which so many in Jerusalem witnessed as the apostles spoke in languages they did not know, yet the point of his sermon is to proclaim Christ as Lord and Messiah and call everyone listening to repentance (Acts 2:36, 38-39):
Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah… Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.
Salvation – as it is biblically described – needs to be at the forefront of our preaching and teaching and central to our identity as churches. We need to dust off our soteriology textbooks, immerse ourselves in the scriptures and be bold enough to tell the world that there is a penalty to sin, but there is also eternal hope in Christ Jesus.
2. Embed discipleship within your local church culture
One of the things that most concerned Wesley was that the movement would, over time, prove itself ineffective in producing disciples of Jesus. Although a personal experience of Christ’s redemptive power was core to Methodist doctrine, Wesley did not want the movement to simply be about experiencing something moving on with life. He expected experience to produce discipleship – life long and transformative.
I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.3
The “form of religion without the power” is a references Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” Both Paul and Wesley are speaking of the continuation of salvation – ongoing, lasting pursuit of Christ and the sanctification which is produced as a result. In a word, they mean discipleship.
We remember the Wesleyan revivals not because of the preaching, the crowds that gathered or even their impact on social issues. We remember them because of the intentional discipleship that centred the whole movement. Wesley himself was a man of remarkable discipline, and he demanded such from everyone else – preacher and congregant alike. He was keenly aware that unless the salvific experience produced disciples, they were not seeing true salvation.
We have a lot of work to do in embedding discipleship within our church cultures. It doesn’t look like a short course, a sermon series or joining a small group – those things are helpful nonetheless – but organically fostering relationships through which new believers, immature in their faith, can grow to maturity and fullness. It requires intentionality not only on the part of church leadership, but everyone who attends, and a willingness to welcome strangers into formative friendship.
3. Glorify the Kingdom, not our kingdoms
I rather think this is naturally becoming a moot point but it is worth mentioning – the age of ‘church kingdoms’ has long passed, and good riddance. We’re not building a church, we’re building the Church. Unfortunately revival can bring with it a temptation to our humanity by which we see the opportunity to build our own silo – grow your church! Revival is not about that. It is about the Kingdom advancing in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God. I have no doubt that we will see the most unlikely people and churches being used in the most powerful ways by God.
New Testament churches were separated by distance, had no social media to keep updated with each other, yet displayed remarkable unity across the body. They supported one another financially, prayed for each other and sent people to visit. They were glorifying the Kingdom, not a kingdom. May we be ready to do the same.
4. Work out your own salvation
Perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn from Wesley – and any revivalist for that matter – is that before God works through us he does his work in us. Before we see revival, we need to be sure of what we stand for. With whispers of a quiet revival all around us, there is an opportunity for church leaders to slow down and do some serious introspection. Are we pursuing Christ above all else? Do we desire his kingdom alone? Are we firmly established upon the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone? Do we get it ourselves, that we may call others toward him?
Wesley mirrors Martin Luther, the great Reformer, in one remarkable way – they were both terrified that their salvation was lacking, and ineffective in ministry as a result. Both men had to go through a time of deep formation as they searched for truth. In the end, it was not dreams or visions or words of knowledge, but scripture which enlightened them to the full meaning of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary. Luther learned what it truly means to be justified by faith, and Wesley learned what faith truly is. Before we see any revival, we need church leaders who are immersed in scripture to intentionally seek the truth of Christ.
There is much more that could be said, and for a start I would point you to a very short reflection on the Hebrides Revival by R.T. Kendall. I was particularly interested to read that he noted the preaching was expository. No doubt we need more of it today! But these are the musings which have occupied my thoughts as we see the hopeful signs of revival coming.
Above all else, remember that revival is only a work of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to engineer or produce it. The only thing we contribute to revival is our faithfulness in pursuing Christ, and that is always enough.
Footnotes:
1: Journal of John Wesley, February 1745.
2: https://www.premierchristianity.com/home/rt-kendall-8-observations-on-the-hebrides-revival/2176.article
3: The Works of the Reverend John Wesley, A.M., Volume 13, page 258 (Jackson edition, 1879).
