The 2006 Shillong Revival took place in the northeastern section of the country of India, in the state of Meghalaya.
The town of Shillong is located in the state of Meghalaya.
The area outlined in red is the Indian state of Meghalaya.
Introduction
Among the Presbyterians, one hundred years prior to this revival, there was another revival that started at the same location. You can read about that revival with this link: 1905-1906 Khasi Hills Revival.
The revival in this post was given the name The Shillong Revival, because many churches in and around the town of Shillong were greatly impacted.
Conditions Prior to the Revival
In March 2003, the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod held a meeting in the village of Mawkyrwat in the West Khasi Hills district of the Indian state of Meghalaya. The leaders at the meeting confessed that there was a major spiritual decline that had occurred in the Church and in the people in general. Churches of other denominations in the area acknowledged the same conditions.
Extraordinary Prayer
At the meeting of Presbyterian leadership in 2003, it was decided that all churches would have their doors open in the mornings for people to gather for prayer, specifically for a revival similar to what had brought transformation to the Khasi Hills one-hundred years earlier (1905-1906 Khasi Hills Revival). In addition to the prayer, it was decided that there would be one-half hour of revival singing at every public worship.
Churches throughout the Khasi and Jaintia Hills were participating in earnest prayer for revival, and the prayers became increasingly fervent.
A continuous prayer chain was organized across the region, with one church, every day of the year, praying for revival.
What Happened
Celebration Banner for the
April 18-23, 2006
Revival Centenary Celebration
Held at Mairang Presbyterian Church
From April 18-23, 2006, the Presbyterian churches of the region conducted a Revival Centenary Celebration to commemorate the 1905-1906 Khasi Hills Revival. The celebration was held at the Mairang Presbyterian Church.
With fervent prayer leading up to this celebration, exercising faith that a revival would come, it was on Saturday, April 22, 2006, that the Holy Spirit fell upon them, and about 300 people were so overwhelmed by the presence of God that they fell unconscious to the ground, with thousands more being greatly affected. People were repenting of their sins and crying out to God for mercy. The next day 300,000 attended from all the synods of the Presbyterian Church of India.
In the days that followed reports began flooding in that the Holy Spirit was being poured out in many different locations, with thousands of churches being greatly impacted. The revival was touching mostly the younger generations in the Presbyterian churches, though other churches were also affected. The revival also spread to the neighboring states of Assam and Mizoram.
People could not get enough of the presence of God. After three years of prayer, revival had come and the people wanted to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Several hundred thousand gathered at the Mairang Presbyterian Church to celebration the 100-year anniversary of the 1905-1906 Khasi Hills Revival.
Public Schools
During August and September 2006, dozens of schools, both public and parochial, were simultaneously experiencing outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Hundreds of children were so overwhelmed by the divine presence of God that they lost their physical ability to stand. Some, overwhelmed by deep conviction of sin, were weeping profusely. Many experienced unconscious trances.
The KJP Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Shillong was the first to experience this outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the classrooms. It began when 200 students fell down under the power of God. Most of them were in tears and were pleading for forgiveness for their sins and interceding passionately for their parents who were living in sin.
K.J.P. Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Shillong – the first school to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during school hours.
School administrators were shocked when the children would break out in songs, praying, as well as falling down under the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes this would take place during the morning assemblies, and at other times during class hours.
School administrators asked parents to take their affected children to a local hospital for an EKG, and the students would only be allowed to return to the school if the results of the test were normal. Some schools administrators threatened to expel students if there would be repeated outbursts of weeping and crying. Newspaper headlines reported of children conducting protests of schools that expelled their friends due to them experiencing revival during school hours. Reconciliation did eventually take place, and all the children that were expelled were welcomed back again.
Following that, when schools would experience an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the administrators would declare a holiday, and classes would be canceled.
The pattern in these schools would be that a couple of middle school students would begin singing a worship song, and immediately it would be followed by fervent prayer and confession of sins and repentance, as well as intercession for families. This move of the Holy Spirit would quickly move from one class to another—engulfing the entire school in a flash.
Teachers and school administrators, as well as pastors from neighboring churches were called in to do what they could when these situations would occur. Parents were also called, but there was nothing they could do but sit idly by and allow the Holy Spirit to work.
Children experienced deep
conviction of sin, leading them
to weep bitterly in repentance.
In the town of Shillong, the young people, so overcome by the presence of God, were weeping and crying, some of them so overcome that they were carried to a local hospital, as the school administrators had never seen nor heard of this type of phenomena before.
A national news television station from Delhi, reporting on the revival happenings, labeled it as mass hysteria. Not having an understanding of what has commonly taken place during revivals, the secular media could only attempt to describe what was happening in rationalistic terms.
Christian Schools
On September 1, 2006, at All Saints School in the city of Shillong, prior to the start of the morning classes, the Holy Spirit fell upon the students. The students were so overwhelmed by the presence of God that the teachers had them all go to the chapel. There they spent the entire day singing, worshipping, and intensely praying. Parents were called, and by late afternoon the “service” was still continuing, with teachers, administrators, and others being present.
Children of four to five years of age would begin singing and praying, calling out to God, “Lord Jesus, help me, help me.”
All Saints School in Shillong was one of dozens of schools that experienced unexpected outpourings of the Holy Spirit.
Passionate Intercession by
a Young Girl
Children
Pastors acknowledged that the Holy Spirit manifested Himself powerfully through children in sincere intercession. Some of these children were as young as four to six years old, and their intercession was way beyond their years, indicating the Holy Spirit was “praying through them” (Romans 8:26).
Some of the pastors said they could not understand nor explain some of the manifestations, but they acknowledged that some of the children interceding like that were praying for their parents, and many of those parents eventually converted to Christ.
Many were surprised at the number of children that were intensely interceding on behalf of their parents. It is not uncommon to hear of parents praying intensely for their wayward children, but children praying for their wayward parents was very uncommon.
Unity Surong: 13 Years Old
In June of 2006, 13-year-old Unity Surong began having visions or trances, and when she would come out of them, she would tell of revival that was going to start in a given location. And when it was investigated, it came to pass like she foretold. This happened on a number of occasions. Unity also described hell and the judgment of God, and spoke about the Anti-Christ and the return of Christ. She also gave precise scriptural accompaniment to her prophecies.
Rebaan, a girl only three years old at the time, began giving prophecies and praying for the sick, with remarkable success.
Many children experienced trances, and when they woke they testified of experiences of meeting Jesus and seeing angels. Their lives were then filled with a tremendous passion for Christ.
Some children were demon possessed, and no matter how many hours were spent in prayer for their deliverance, nothing happened. It was then that the Lord revealed to the counselors that the problem was with the parents who were following the indigenous religion. When the parents were called to see their child, and they were told the gospel, they converted, and then the child was immediately delivered from the evil spirit.
Young People
From June 8-11, 2006, the youth of the Nongsawlia Church organized evangelistic meetings, which were attended by youth from throughout the Khasi Hills. The church was crowded every night, in spite of torrential downpours. On Sunday, June 11, there were 200 that made a commitment of their lives to Christ.
During those meetings, some of the students were so overcome by the power of God that their physical bodies lost all strength and they were prostrated, not able to respond to any external stimuli. Though no noise was coming from their mouths, tears were streaming down their cheeks.
When the youth meetings ended they all returned to their respective villages, carrying the revival fire with them, and the revival spread throughout the Khasi hills and beyond.
Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church in Cherrapunjee
Missions Returns to the Number One Priority
Rev. Lyndan of the Thomas Jones School of Missions said that enrollment in the school had declined to just over 6 students. After the revival started, they immediately received 52 applications, evidence that missions came back to the number one priority.
Thomas Jones School of Missions
Counterfeit Manifestations and Prophecies
In this revival there were demonically generated prophecies and other counterfeit manifestations, mimicking the work of the Holy Spirit. This demonic effort was to take people’s eyes off Jesus and focus on the phenomena. The counterfeit manifestations also had the intent of generating dissension in the body of Christ.
The leaders of this revival quickly discerned the origin of those prophecies, counseled the individuals through whom they came, and the counterfeit phenomena was put to a rapid end.
Ms. Iban worked on the
team that prayed for those
possessed with demons.
Common Revival Phenomena
Every denomination that has experienced a genuine revival (Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, etc.) have all experienced the Holy Spirit’s manifestation of supernatural phenomena. The 2006-2007 Shillong Revival was no different. Here are some of the manifestations:
► Severe conviction of sin, followed by confession and then overwhelming joy upon deliverance
► Dreams
► Prophecies
► Trances
► Visions
► Ability to discern spirits and to cast out demonic ones
► Prostrations, with people being unconscious for hours at a time
► Physical bodies trembling
► The “spirit of grace and supplication” was poured out upon them (fervent Holy Spirit led intercession—Zech. 12:10; Rom. 8:27)
This map of the State of Meghalaya shows some of the locations that were touched by the revival. This does not list the many public and parochial schools that also experienced outpourings of the Holy Spirit.
Healings and Deliverance from Demon Possession
Undeniable displays of God’s power through physical healings and deliverance from demon possession gave tremendous evidence of God being at work.
Strange Phenomena
Occasional “signs and wonders” would take place. These occurrences appeared in both small and large churches in many different locations. The pastors could not explain, and didn’t feel the need to attempt to explain, what it was all about. Some of the “signs and wonders” were:
Glitter
Many churches experienced small flakes of glittering particles that fell from the sky, through the church roof, landing on the floor and people. The particles were about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter. These and other “wonders” attracted Christians and many Hindus to the churches, where they would hear the gospel and many of them would be converted.
Jesus Seen in the Sky and Moon
Many people confessed to having seen the image of Jesus in the sky, and at times with his image appearing in front of the moon.
Thousands Testified to Having Seen Angels
At many different locations, thousands of people testified to having seen angels.
Bah Khlain Bor, a bi-vocational government employee who conducted teaching, healing, and deliverance services throughout the state of Meghalaya, was holding a service in the village of Smit. Two thousand people were present at the church that night. The young 13-year-old girl named Unity, who was prophetically used during the revival, alerted Bah Khlain Bor, that something unusual was going to take place that evening. At 9 pm, as the service was closing, a group of angels became visible in the sky, and a huge illuminated cross also appeared in the sky. Thousands of people that were in the service witnessed this, as well as many pedestrians and non-believers who were outside along the street.
The revival affected mostly children
and young adults
Children Praying in Languages They Didn’t Know
During a service in the Jaintia Hills village of Latyrke, where the dialect is very different from the Khasi language of Shillong, it was observed that children were praying in fluent Khasi, although the villagers knew those children didn’t know that language.
Peace Comes to the Village of Diskiang After an Earthquake
The village of Diskiang had governmental disputes lasting 33 years. Multiple lawsuits were being dealt with continually due to these disagreements. A group of four teens prayed for unity while villagers met on the church lawn. They prayed that God would shake the village leaders’ hearts, and in answer to their prayers, there was an earthquake, and immediately both sides reconciled, and the court cases were withdrawn, with the lawsuit papers being burned.
One of the many birds that
visited churches during
worship services.
Appearance of Birds and Animals
Birds and animals had come into the worship services in the towns of Kutmadan, Nongsawlia, Mawngap, Mairang, Nongrummai, and Nongthymmai, as well as in other locations.
In the church in Kutmadan, an unusual bird came and for three days stood on the Bible that was on the pulpit.
The birds would also come to people’s homes were worship services were taking place. A banded linsang came to the Massar Presbyterian Church on September 5, 2006.
Image of Jesus and a Dove
On September 5, 2006, the Malki Presbyterian Church in Shillong, reported that on the wooden cross located on the wall behind the pulpit, an image of Jesus appeared. At times there was an image of a dove with its wings spread on both sides. When the revival faded many months later, so did the image on that cross. This occurrence generated international attention, with the BBC reporting on it, and thousands flocked to see it, Christians and non-Christians alike. For days the worship service in this church was conducted non-stop, 24-hours a day.
Patricia Mukhim: An esteemed journalist
and editor of the Shillong Times, was an
eye-witness to phenomena during the revival.
The esteemed journalist and editor of the Shillong Times, Patricia Mukhim, confessed that there was a luminosity coming from the cross at the church at Malki that was genuinely miraculous. Mukhim, along with her friend Christine, also confessed to having seen a large cross “hanging in the sky” early one morning. She said she begins everything with a lot of cynicism and skepticism, so having seen that cross at the Malki church, and then the cross in the sky, she confessed that something spiritual was taking place through the revival.
News Media
Every day the local newspaper, Mawphor, had a lead article about the revival. Many other news outlets reported on the revival. Here are a list of a few of them:
► The Shillong Times
► The local television station would occasionally do a story on the revival.
► The British Broadcasting System (BBC) covered this revival.
► The Hindi television station Aaj Tak
► Daily News and Analysis (DNA India)
► The Telegraph (Calcutta)
► The Pioneer
► Meghalaya Guardian
Results of the Revival
► Public confession of sin was common.
► Many broken families experienced restoration.
► Many lives were transformed.
► Churches were full of people every day of the week.
► The hunger for the word of God was tremendous.
► Reconciliation took place among those whose relationships were strained.
► Time was forgotten, and worship services took place day and night.
► Alcoholics were miraculously delivered.
► Compulsive gamblers transformed, giving up that practice.
► Criminals confessed to crimes and surrendered themselves to the police.
► Lawsuits were withdrawn and reconciliation between parties took place.
► Divided churches experienced unity.
► Different churches in a community that mistrusted one another were reconciled.
► Bars and liquor stores were closed down in some areas, and sales decreased dramatically.
► Young people took all their secular CDs and DVDs and burned them.
Fading of the Revival
Every revival has faded away, but that doesn’t mean they have to. In July 2009, Pastor Reuben Pradhan was asked what led to the revival’s decline. He replied that
…although the revival made a huge impact in the churches, it wasn’t visible enough in the various strata of the society. Towards the end of the revival man-made traditions, rules and regulations began to creep in and children and youth were discouraged from going to these revival meetings because their studies were being neglected. Eventually, I believe the Holy Spirit was quenched and the move of God came to a stop although some embers still seem to spark here and there.
By October 4, 2006, strong demonic attacks were well underway. Criticism from both Christian and non-Christian sources were attacking the revival. Journalists would end their reports on a negative note, while cessationist Christians would attack every spiritual influence that was taking place—labeling everything as demonic.
Sources
► 150 Years of Revival by Matthew Backholer
► Miracles Boost Indian Christians by BBC News
► Revival Fire Ignites in Northeast India as Presbyterians Pray by Carol Saia
► Shillong Revival blog
► Shillong Revival 1 by www.shillongrevival.com
► Shillong Revival 2 by www.shillongrevival.com
► The Journey blog by Reuben Pradhan
Return to List of Revival Stories
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