Wales 1904

The Welsh Revival started in 1904. It began as a movement of prayer. A key figure was a former coal miner, Evan Roberts, who was studying at Newcastle Emlyn College. He attended a campaign held by Seth Joshua, a Presbyterian evangelist, who prayed at the meeting, ‘O God, bend us.’ Roberts had responded with ‘O God, bend me.’ Following this he kept hearing a voice that told him to go home and speak to the young people in his home church. On his return to Loughor, his home town, his reluctant pastor allowed him to speak only at the end of a prayer meeting.

Roberts told them, ‘I have a message for you from God:

You must confess any known sin to God and put right any wrong done to others.
Second, you must put away any doubtful habit.
Third, you must obey the Spirit promptly.
Finally, you must confess your faith in Christ publicly.’

The response to his message was remarkable and following a series of meetings a break occurred and the movement spread rapidly over Wales: in five months a hundred thousand people were converted throughout the country. The revival had a widespread social impact.