Background
This account was taken from a book written by William Claiborne Walton (1793-1834), the pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church of Baltimore, Maryland.
Walton accepted the invitation to become that church’s minister in January 1823, and he arrived there on February 22, when he was 30 years old.
It appears Walton suffered from tuberculosis, as well as depression, yet he was relentless in his pursuit of God for revival, and his effort paid off, because by the spring and summer of 1823 the revival got its start, and it continued till the first months of 1824.
Walton’s Desire for Revival
Prior to Walton’s arrival in Baltimore he had read and heard about revivals occurring in many places throughout the United States, as it was during this era that the Second Great Awakening (1790-1840) was underway. At his previous pastorate he had made a commitment to do what he could to ignite a revival in his church, but his efforts, he said, “were of short duration” and soon he went back to ministry as normal, weighed down with daily challenges of ministerial life.
Being inclined toward depression and melancholic demeanor, his attitude toward revival turned hopeless and he doubted that revival would ever materialize. To justify his lack of duty in pursuing God for the revival of his congregation, he simply preached the Word of God and had the attitude that if God wanted the church revived He would do it on His own.
New Pastoral Position in Baltimore
Upon Walton’s new pastoral position at the Third Presbyterian Church in Baltimore (February 1823), there was also a renewal in his passion to seek God for revival.
Walton was blessed to have had the opportunity to become acquainted with a young theology student who had spoken directly with the highly renowned Rev. Asahel Nettleton, who had tremendous success in revivals throughout New England.
That theology student had firsthand experiences in Nettleton’s meetings, as well as having clear understanding of Nettleton’s methods for sparking revivals. Walton drew from this source of information:
believing now, that if we made use of the proper means we might have a revival.
Means Used to Launch the Revival
The renewed information about Nettleton’s efforts stimulated Walton’s faith, and he understood that to have a revival, there was an effort that had to be exerted, not only by God, but also from his congregation.
During a Sunday morning service around the middle of June 1823, Walton asked those of his congregation that were interested in the prospects of revival to stay behind for a few moments, and “a considerable number remained.”
It was then that he presented them with the topic of revival and asked them to form prayer groups made up of 2-3 people, and that they would regularly meet to pray and discuss revival.
Extraordinary Prayer
That same Sunday evening Walton met with a group of young people in his home, answering questions and discussing the spiritual state of their souls.
Monday was a continuation of the Sunday night meeting, but in a different home. And so Walton continued, meeting from house to house, speaking directly to people about revival and their individual spiritual condition.
William Claiborne Walton (1793-1834)
Home Visits
As the prayer effort was underway—small groups meeting in homes—Walton began an extensive home visitation effort that proved to be extremely productive.
About six days later, during an evening meeting at the church, Walton said that there was “more than ordinary excitement.” The topic of discussion for the evening was “self-examination, self-abasement, humble confession to God, and earnest prayer for the outpouring of His Spirit.”
Noticeable Signs
The regular Monday evening meetings Walton held at his church turned into anxious meetings. These were meetings that were open to those who were “anxious” about the condition of their souls, or, were under severe conviction of sin. With his many visits to homes there produced an increase in the number of people who felt the conviction of sin and their need for salvation.
The Presbyterians at this time didn’t believe in instantaneous conversion, so they didn’t press nor lead those under conviction of sin toward such a thing. Because of this drawn-out conversion process, even though some were longing to be saved, no one was reported as having been converted till the end of July.
Numbers Recorded by Walton
Walton documented the following about conversion and church membership:
► By October there were 16 people who had been converted and gone through the process of becoming members of the church.
► By the end of November there were 30 converted, with 29 being added to church membership.
► By February 6, 1824, there were another 18 that became members of the church.
► The total number of conversions was somewhere between 80 and 90.
Revival in the City of Baltimore
At this same time other churches in the city of Baltimore were also experiencing a move of the Holy Spirit, and it led to churches coming together to hold unified prayer gatherings on Saturday nights. People from different denominations filled the buildings where they met, specifically praying for the revival to spread.
On Sunday, December 7, 1823, after preaching at his church, Walton visited a Methodist meetinghouse, where he witnessed many experiencing severe conviction of sin. About that house church meeting, Walton said:
[I] Heard such prayers and such directions given them as distressed me, and excited a stronger desire to promote the cause of truth.
From that one account, it can be assumed that what was occurring at the Third Presbyterian Church was occurring at other churches as well.
Every Night of the Week
Third Presbyterian Church began holding meetings with different groups every night of the week for prayer as well as to receive ministry from the Word of God. These individual groups were made up of:
► Older men
► Younger men
► Older women
► Younger women
The congregation also started a free school for poor adult females, holding classes two nights per week with 50 students at the start.
Nominal Christians Converted
There were “some of the most moral, kind, good-natured people” … who were trusting in their morality for salvation, but they became awakened to their awful delusion and were converted.
For many people, their conversions relieved them of their fear of death without Christ, bringing tremendous joy and peace. In conjunction with that joy was a strong desire for salvation to be experienced by others.
The Work and Results of the Revival
Though in poor health, suffering from tuberculosis and frequently being “bled,” Walton pushed himself to make house visits. Walton’s house visits during the week would number between 7 to 12 homes per day. This was one of the major keys to the revival.
What William C. Walton Learned About Revivals
► Many are deceived into assuming that revival depends solely on God, and that there is nothing humans can do to change that fact.
► Ministers are deceived into thinking that their sermons are all that is needed to spark a revival.
► Extraordinary prayer of small groups was indispensable.
► Many home visits open the door for honest conversations about the true condition of people’s spiritual state.
► Simplifying sermons, using many illustrations (like Jesus’ preaching method), was far more effective in communicating spiritual truths than using philosophical thought.
► The effort to encourage people to make an immediate decision for Christ, as well as immediate repentance, was taught. It was understood that if people allowed time to elapse, hearts would become hardened and genuine life transformation would not occur.
► There is no need to wait for a simultaneous revival of the entire congregation. When efforts are initiated and decisions made, revival could be experienced.
We close this revival account with what we find to be Walton’s most profound statement in his book:
I have been, for a number of years, in the habit of reading accounts of revivals, and I do not recollect one that was produced without some extraordinary effort, either on the part of the Minister, or of some of his people.
Sources
► Memoir of William C. Walton by Joshua N. Danforth
► Narrative of a Revival of Religion in the Third Presbyterian Church in Baltimore by William C. Walton
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