Amy Carmichael with Lullitha, a girl
rescued from temple prostitution.
Introduction
Amy Carmichael, originally from Northern Ireland, founded the Dohnavur Fellowship in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in 1901. That ministry is still in existence and is located thirty miles north of India’s southern tip. This post is about an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that happened there in October of 1905.
Conditions Prior to the Revival
Beginning in 1895 there was an increased spiritual expectation for revival in India—it was felt everywhere. Intentional prayer was the response to that expectation.
Extraordinary Prayer
►In December of 1897, leaders of the Student Volunteers suggested “a Day of Prayer for the Awakening of India,” and it took place the same month.
►In August of 1898, another “Day of Prayer” was set apart for revival.
►Early in 1903, a church at Mawphlang in the Khasi Hills of central Assam opened up special prayer meetings for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
►In 1904 the news of the Welsh Revival arrived in India and it greatly increased the passion and intensity of prayer that was already being conducted.
►Beginning in 1905, hundreds of people joined with Pandita Ramabai in prayer sessions for revival.
All this preliminary prayer set the stage for the revivals that began to light up the Indian continent in 1905. This was the same thing that was taking place throughout the world wherever there was a mission outpost or Christian presence.
►On the first Sunday in March 1905, at Mawphlang, when their Bible lesson dealt with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, an unusual manifestation of the presence of God filled the congregation with prayer, weeping, and praise. This led to a sweeping revival throughout the Indian continent.
A cottage nursery at the
Dohnavur ministry.
An Example of the Many Awakenings
The revivals taking place in the local assemblies in the Indian city of Coimbatore, among the Christian Brethren, was an example of just one of the many revivals that were igniting the Indian continent. The veteran missionary Handley Bird said;
“God has come to Coimbatore and we are like them that dream. Our mouth literally is filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.” (Psalms 126)
The extremely conservative Christian Brethren were reporting that at times cries of agony of soul and the sobbing of brokenhearted people were more than what many could stand. At the same time there were those who were praying for mercy, while others were expressing loud praises for deliverance already received.
These scenes reminded missionary Handley Bird of Ezra 3:13
The people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.
Front of the chapel at Dohnavur.
Occurrences of New Testament-Like Phenomena Expunged from Reports
The phenomena that were occurring during these revivals were consistent with revivals throughout the ages. Though denominations embracing cessationism consider the phenomena undesirable, the miraculous features have consistently been manifested. The phenomena occurring in Coimbatore (and in many other locations), were trances, visions, prophecies, exorcising of demons, etc.
When reports from the Christian Brethren missionaries arrived in England, elaborating on the phenomena and explaining that they were experiencing the gifts of the Holy Spirit just like what was common with New Testament believers, the editors of missions magazines and periodicals commented
We do not understand ‘prophesying’ and ‘visions’ of which we read, and prefer to say little about them.
That has been the typical pattern editors of denominational periodicals have followed through the ages. They sanitize the revival to remove elements that are not aligned with their theology. We have seen this same “sanitizing practice” repeated in the dozens of revivals we have studied and reported on. Writers tend to point out all the gains made through the revival, but they are hesitant, or outright refuse to write anything about the accompanying gifts of the Holy Spirit that were undeniably manifested, and that contributed to the subsequent growth of the Church.
The back of the chapel
at Dohnavur.
What Happened at Dohnavur
Amy Carmichael had founded the Dohnavur Fellowship in 1901. It is located about 30 miles to the north of India’s southern tip. This ministry eventually became a sanctuary of over 1,000 children, most of whom would otherwise have faced a very bleak future.
Just like what was taking place throughout India at this same period, Amy Carmichael and her helpers had been praying specifically for a visitation of the Holy Spirit. They had heard of the revivals taking place in Europe and the USA, as well as at different mission stations and cities throughout India, like in the city of Coimbatore, which was located about 400 miles to the north from Dohnavur.
Elisabeth Elliot, in her biography of Amy Carmichael, A Chance to Die, documented the following occurrence which had “happened in the little village church next to the compound. All were together—school children, workers, bungalow servants, some of the village Christians,” when this outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place.
On October 22nd [1905], to quote one of the little girls, Jesus came to Dohnavur. He was there before, but on that day He came in so vivid a fashion that we cannot wonder that it struck the child as a new Coming.
It was at the close of the morning service that the break came. The one who was speaking [Amy Carmichael was the one speaking] was obliged to stop, overwhelmed by the sudden realization of the inner force of things. It was impossible even to pray. One of the older lads in the boys’ school began to try to pray, but he broke down, then another, then all together, the older lads chiefly at first.
School at Dohnavur
Soon many among the younger ones began to cry bitterly, and pray for forgiveness. It spread to the women. Our children began, I think, simultaneously with the boys, but it was so startling and so awesome, I can use no other words, that the details escape me. Soon the whole upper half of the church was on its face on the floor crying to God, each boy and girl, man and woman, oblivious of all others. The sound was like the sound of waves or strong wind in the trees. No separate voice could be heard. Some of the older men and women were in the greatest dismay, and by earnest signs besought me to stop it. As Mr. Walker was in North India, and Mrs. Walker on the sea, and my mother in Travancore, and the pastor away, you will understand how, in some sense at least, one felt responsible. I had never heard of such a thing as this among the Tamil people. Up in the north, of course, one knew it had happened, but our Tamils are so stolid, so unemotional, I had never seriously imagined such a thing as this occurring. One old woman seized my feet, and by signs implored me to do something, but when I looked up for directions, the only reply was, “Do nothing.” By this time the lower end of the church, the careless part of the congregation, was staring at the other part and talking and shouting excitedly, and the heathen rushed around the church and gazed in at the doors and windows. But nothing disturbed those who were praying, and that hurricane of prayer continued with one short break of a few minutes for over four hours. They passed like four minutes.
Amy Carmichael with girls
rescued from temple prostitution.For the next fortnight, life was apportioned for us much as it was for the apostles when they gave themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. Everything else had to stand aside. At first the movement was almost entirely among the convert boys, schoolboys, our own children and workers, and some of the younger members of the congregation. But the older ones were caught in the current more or less, and at first it was impossible to gauge its real depth. Looking back after nearly seven months of testing, we have enough of true results to make us sing with all our hearts. Almost all our children were, I trust, out and out converted. Most of our workers were thoroughly revived. The bungalow servants were greatly blessed, several backsliders were restored. Many of the schoolboys were converted, and very few, if any, of the convert boys were unblessed. In the village there were several notable conversions and the true Christians were quickened. For all this we praise God. But we want more. The congregation as a whole is as cold as ever; the village as a whole is unstirred. Nothing has happened to touch the heathen and Mohammedans in the surrounding villages. We have just seen enough to make us very hungry to see more.
To my mind the deepest joy of all was to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. It was not our pleading, it was the touch of God, the divine apart from the human. It was as if veils were suddenly drawn aside, and Gethsemane and Calvary and the Powers of the world to come suddenly became intensely real. One trembled lest one should do anything to make the veil come between again.
The result in our lives has been, I think, a quickened power of expectation.
Amy Carmichael at age 57
The Results of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
1. All work was set to the side so that time could be given “to prayer and the ministry of the Word.” This was mostly time given for counseling new converts or newly revived believers.
2. There was the professed conversion of all the students at the school.
3. The servants at Dohnavur were all greatly blessed by the revival.
4. Backsliders were restored.
5. There were notable conversions by some in the nearby village.
6. There was a genuine revival among the Christians.
7. Anglican churches in the surrounding areas experienced a revival.
8. There was a remarkable spirit of unity among everyone.
9. The revival also spread to Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon), the island just to the southeast of India.
10. A great hunger for even more of God gripped them and they became filled with even more faith for a much larger move of the Holy Spirit.
To Carmichael’s disappointment, the congregation in the village was not greatly moved—it was left “as cold as ever” and the revival made no impact on the Muslims in the surrounding area.
Sources
► A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot
► Amy Carmichael by Wikipedia
► Amy Carmichael by Women of Christianity
► Amy Carmichael Helped the Helpless by Christianity.com
► Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur by Frank L. Houghton
► Evangelical Awakenings in Southern Asia by J. Edwin Orr
► The Flaming Tongue by J. Edwin Orr
Return to List of Revival Stories
Chet & Phyllis Swearingen:
Office: (260) 920-8248
romans1015@outlook.com
Beautiful Feet
P.O. Box 915
Auburn, IN 46706
