To testify of His work: A recounting of the past and present work of God through Asbury University
Mary Margaret Flook, Staff Writer
Psalm 96:3-4 says, “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.”
Asbury University, located in Wilmore, Kentucky, has had an ongoing service that has been characterized as a time of worship, prayer, scripture reading and confession that has now continued for two weeks. Some are calling this a revival.
Many would say that it started Wednesday, February 8, after a regularly scheduled chapel service. Yet, testimony shows that the expectation and prayer for revival started long before 2023.
Taavet Taimla, is an international Asbury alumnus from the graduating class of 2017. He spoke of the culture at Asbury University while he was a seminary student there, prior to what is happening at Asbury.
His first impression of Asbury was a positive one, which he would describe as hospitable and loving. He saw this through the way the students helped him during a time of need. Taimla is originally from Võru, Estonia. He was connected with Asbury University through missionaries as well as through his local church in Estonia.
When he arrived at the school, he only had $100 in cash for the first two weeks. Taimla did have resources promised to him and on the way, yet at the time had no bank account or access to cash the checks. Students did not know of the situation that he was in; yet, they would ask him out to eat. This showed him the kind of culture that was present there.
This same hospitable culture has been seen at Asbury as the school hosts individuals from different denominations, states and even countries such as: South Korea, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil and Russia, according to Fox News.
When speaking of the worship culture at Asbury, he explained how when he was there it was a mix of both contemporary and traditional hymns. Yet, there was much passion in both genres of music.
Taimla also spoke of the revival culture. He said that there was this expectancy. It was part of Asbury’s history as well as their future hope. Robert Coleman, commonly known for his authorship of the book The Master Plan of Evangelism, witnessed at least two past revivals at Asbury. Coleman included Taimla in his discipleship group that he had.
Taimla remembered something that Coleman would tell him and the boys that he was discipling, he said, “If God is doing something like that, then you just stop what you’re doing and you get out there.”
Taimla also remembered a definition that Coleman would give for the term revival. Coleman said that in revival you are trying to catch up with what God’s doing. There is this intensity. People come to you asking how to be saved, whereas in everyday discipleship, you take the initiative.
Fast forward to present day life at Asbury University, and some are hopeful that what they expected and prayed for could be happening at Asbury.
On Wednesday, February 8, Asbury University held its regular chapel service at 10am. Asbury University holds chapel for its students three times a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Like any other chapel service, there were regular announcements including announcements about their basketball team traveling and even a Galentines Day event happening that Saturday. The sermon preached that morning was within a series the university was doing entitled “Becoming Love in Action” based out of Romans 12. That livestream can be accessed here.
Students were encouraged by the speaker to look at their hearts and see whether they were truly loving others out of the love that God has given them, or whether they were simply striving in their own strength to love others.
Following chapel, students were dismissed, and many students can be seen walking out of the chapel.
Yet, according to Christianity Today, some students also stayed after chapel and continued to worship.
One student, named Canaan, when sharing a short testimonial (fast forward to 34:30 of livestream) of the revival, attests of chapel continuing on. He explains how he came into chapel struggling with some personal issues and God was revealing pride in his heart. After having a few friends hug him, he ran out to the restroom to cry. When he returned, he was surprised to see that chapel was still going on.
Since Wednesday, students would continue to worship and pray for days.
Friday of that week, during what would be the regular chapel time, Greg Haseloff, a pastor at Asbury said, “Forty-eight hours ago we began chapel on Wednesday and ever since then the Spirit of the living God has been in this room filling the hearts of men and woman seeking Jesus.”
Haseloff also acknowledged that prayers for the university were being received from all around the globe.
Worship and prayer continued through the weekend and into the next week. University president Kevin Brown addressed the crowd that Monday, February 13, during what would be Asbury’s regular chapel (Brown’s address is at 5:45 of livestream).
Brown said that he wanted to express to all of those who were turning an eye to their university that he thinks that what is happening at Asbury is very reflective of the godly wisdom spoken of in James 3:17.
Brown also said that he recognized that it was a disruption, that people had the right to be skeptical and that they had no playbook for this.
Brown acknowledged that what God was doing at Asbury was not limited.
Brown said, “Spiritual growth and spiritual things happen in Hughes [auditorium], but they also happen in a classroom. They also happen outside of this space.”
One of those spaces that has been influenced by what is happening at Asbury is North Greenville University.
One NGU student, Davy Haase, was able to visit Asbury University. Haase said someone from his church invited him to go to Asbury. Yet, Haase said he knew little of what was happening there, so he looked further into it.
Haase said he felt the tug to go, and he had no reason not to, other than the far drive (a little over 5 hours from NGU’s campus). Haase decided to go and a group from his church waited for him to get out of Hermeneutics class before taking off.
Haase described that when he arrived it looked like thousands lined up to get into the chapel. There was also a stereo playing outside with the audio of what was occurring inside. The line was long for most, but preference was given to students 16-25 years old. Haase and his group were able to get inside within about 20 minutes.
When describing what happened inside, Haase said, “Most of like the vibe of the night was like focused on singing, and scripture reading, testimonies exhortations…But it was all like focused around Jesus and the gospel.” Haase later mentioned that there was a gospel presentation given while he was there and an opportunity to respond to it.
When asked about how God worked in his life he said that it is something that he is still processing. “It’s just not something that you experience every day,” said Haase.
Another NGU student, Jordan Pracht, was also able to visit Asbury University. Pracht and her mom had planned a trip to Louisville, Kentucky before knowing about the revival. Because Asbury was roughly an hour and a half away, they decided to go.
When Pracht and her mother arrived there were police cars directing them where to go. They drove through a neighborhood and had to park in what Pracht called, a meadow, and then walk a mile and a half to get to the chapel. When they arrived on campus Pracht described how she saw tons of people out on the grass fields, some praying for each other.
Pracht waited in line for about 10 minutes. As she waited in line she talked to a guy from North Carolina, and a guy from Hawaii.
When it was time for Pracht to go in, she said she walked in and someone escorted her to a seat. She described everyone as being in their zone, and very focused in. She also said that it was all student led.
During the service, Pracht said that students were invited to share their testimonies. She said about 30 people went up. They were instructed to keep it brief, that it needs to be all about Jesus and they do not need to preach.
When asked how God personally worked in Pracht’s life through this, she said, “I think definitely, he softened my heart to this kind of thing.”
Pracht went on to explain how she can be critical and skeptical at times, but as she was there, she asked the Lord to soften her heart.
Pracht explained how she grew up in a Christian home and so she never experienced like radical transformation. It was simpler for her.
She said, “But I didn’t want to like diminish the fact that the Lord can definitely work in other people’s lives.”
Pracht said, “I can’t limit the Lord.”
Pracht went on to explain how she can be careful and test what people are saying. If it is not biblical, she does not want to be apart of it. Yet, she cannot limit God and how He can move.
Pracht said, “Maybe like we don’t do revival a ton. But like that doesn’t mean like the Lord is not apart of this.”
One thing she said she would take away from this revival is compassion. She saw many praying for each other and laying their hands on each other, and mourning with each other, when many times the only thing they had in common was that they were believers. She asked herself if she was doing that with the people in her own circle that she knew.
Going forward, Asbury’s last service will be held on Thursday, February 23. More information regarding scheduling can be found here.
In a statement, Brown said, “I have been asked if Asbury is “stopping” this outpouring of God’s Spirit and the stirring of human hearts. I have responded by pointing out that we cannot stop something we did not start.”
Brown expressed previously during one of the services that this was not just about them, but so that they can then go out and be lights as spoken of in Mathew 5:16.
Taimla attested to this missional spirit of Asbury, when he said that it is has been pointed out that there’s a statue on campus of Francis Asbury on a horse and it has its rear end on Wilmore. He explained how it is this idea of going out, not going in.
There are numerous testimonies of students being changed during this time at Asbury University. There are stories of prayers being answered. It has been said that a pair of churches have been reconciled to each other after years of hostility. There are different journalists with different angles, and different opinions. There are some who disagree with what is happening. There have been mistakes made during the revival.
Yet one central story will remain, regardless of anything that has happened at Asbury.
The story of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will never fail. May all the glory go to Him who is forever praised.
Revelation 7: 9-10 says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Edited on September 7, 2023 to correct a direct quote given by Brown, to correct the spelling of Taimla, to clarify Taimla’s financial situation, and to clarify Taimla’s relation to Coleman.
Photo credit to Haydn Thomas
