Suggested Preliminary Reading
To gain historical perspective for the 1936 Solomon Islands Revival, we highly recommend first reading about the 1905-1906 Queensland Kanaka Revival.

Background to the Revival
The 1936 revival in the Solomon Islands has its historical roots in the Queensland Province of Australia. During the latter half of the 1800s, Australia’s plantation owners needed laborers, leading to the importation of 60,000 indentured servants (blackbirded) from the Pacific Islands to work those plantations.

At the turn of the new century, Australia passed the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, which required these Islanders to be deported to their island homes by 1906.

While still in Australia, most of the laborers were exposed to the Gospel through the ministry of the Queensland Kanaka Mission. This led to thousands converting to Christianity and being trained as Bible teachers. A revival occurred in 1905 among these laborers (Kanaka), wherein God sovereignly prepared them for their return to their island homes.

Upon their repatriation, the Queensland Kanaka Mission established the South Sea Evangelical Mission (SSEM), which worked with the returned laborers to start churches, schools, and other mission related enterprises.

Lukewarm Churches and Defeated Missionaries
After 30 years of churches being established on the island of Malaita, the spiritual fervor ignited by the 1905-1906 revival in Queensland—experienced by many of the Islanders prior to their repatriation—had cooled. Although Christians had established separate “Christian villages” on Malaita, a lack of adequately trained pastors and teachers led to the intermingling of animistic practices from the surrounding culture with Christianity. As a result, not only were the Christian islanders living defeated lives, the missionaries themselves also felt powerless and defeated.

At the southern tip of the island of Malaita lies South Malaita. The believers there were living at a much lower level of Christianity than others on Malaita.
► Many of the teachers and pastors were a stumbling block due to their lifestyles.
► Animist fetishes or amulets, supposedly used to protect from evil spirits were still being used by many Christians.
► Superstitious taboos were still observed.

Extraordinary Prayer
Beginning in 1931, Ronald Grant was the South Seas Evangelical Mission’s missionary on South Malaita (also called Maramasike). Deeply concerned about the condition of the Church on the island, Grant could find only four men to unite with him in prayer to turn the situation around.

For over two years these five men prayed and taught the Christians the truth about the fetishes and non-Christian taboos that had been controlling their lives with fear. They taught that God would never bless them as long as their placed their faith in objects for protection.

Another focus of Grant’s teaching and preaching was Jesus’ victory over Satan. In his sermons he used Hebrews 2:14 and uttered phrases like:

By coming to the earth and dying, Christ has defeated the power of Satan.

Christ has overcome the works of darkness. He is now victorious and lives to deliver us from darkness. We can now be free. No longer do we need to fear.

Superstitious Fear?
Two years earlier, Alexander Awalsoi, one of the men from South Malaita, who had been praying with Grant, trusted him when he spoke about the taboo of walking through the rainforest without following the customary practice of using fetishes for protection.

Nobody ever goes through it [the rainforest] without a lot of people shouting in front. The women always cover up their babies with leaf umbrellas, trusting in fetishes to give protection. Every time we go home to our village, we always cover up the babies.

At the time, Grant took the matter lightly, dismissing the taboo as merely superstition or imagination. When Awalsoi asked Grant why the babies die, his reply was:

Oh, I think babies felt the damp and caught a chill and died.

Reflecting on two years ago, when Awalsoi trusted Grant’s words, he and his wife took their baby home through the rainforest uncovered, with no prayer beforehand for protection. That very night, the baby died, with blood coming out of its ears and nose—a sign that the islanders recognized as death being caused by evil spirits.

The death shocked Grant. From that time on, he began to recognize that there truly were spiritual powers at work among these people, and that it wasn’t merely superstitious beliefs or their imaginations.

Step of Faith to Break the Fear of the Taboo
Now, two years later, Awalsoi, having listened to Grant’s teaching on Hebrews 2:14, decided, after discussing it with his wife, to challenge that long-held taboo again. Speaking with Grant, he said:

We’ve got another baby. I want to trust in God to protect it by the power of Jesus’s blood poured out when he died.

The three of them united in prayer for the protection of that baby. Then, by faith, Awalsoi and his wife took their child through the forest without any leaf-umbrella to hide it. They trusted completely in God’s almighty power, and the baby lived. In doing this, they pioneered a new path for the entire Christian community in that district.

A Movement of Faith
News of Awalsoi’s faith and victory over the evil spirits spread from village to village, bolstering the faith of a man in another village. Inspired, he brought out his family heirloom—an ancient stone fetish—and broke it up. For many years, people in that village had trusted that fetish to protect them from sickness and bring good luck to their harvests.

In other villages, people cut down their groves of trees that had been declared taboo. They did this wholeheartedly, exercising great faith, and the result was:
► The health of the Christian community improved.
► The crops from gardens grew exceptionally well.

A Deeper Work Still Needed
Even with the breakdown in the beliefs in fetishes and taboos, Grant recognized that a deeper work was still needed in the hearts of the people, as well as in his own heart. In January 1935, he wrote:

I sometimes feel desperate. I lack the rivers of living water. There is blessing, yes, but I long for that irresistible dynamic. Sometimes I feel as if fettered, and have to cry, ‘Oh, Lord, don’t fail these people.’ So many come who seem almost wistful in their desire for ‘something;’ others come more intelligently seeking victory and power. Many of the people are mere babes in Christ, many with much that is sinful that has to be confessed and put aside. They all need the working of the Holy Spirit and power.

The Work Began in the Missionaries’ Hearts
Around July 1935, Alan Neil, another missionary with the South Seas Evangelical Mission (SSEM) and brother-in-law of Ronald Grant, was on a sea journey from his mission station of Nongosila-Nafina on the east coast of Malaita. While passing through the Maramasike Passage, which divides Malaita from South Malaita, he stopped to visit Grant at Waisusu.

Mission house at Waisusu

While at Waisusu, and while the crew on Neil’s boat was overhauling and painting their vessel, the two missionaries discovered that they had much in common. They both recognized that not only were they unable to provide a “dynamic answer” for the defeated Christians on the islands, they themselves recognized their own inner failings:

They saw that they themselves had been ignoring the sin of their own attitudes, such as rivalry, pride in its many forms, fear and unbelief, regarding these things as unimportant and unavoidable.

The two missionaries discussed the situation with local leaders and the boat crew, drawing wisdom and insight from their observations. They recognized that these attitudes deeply grieved the Holy Spirit, and believed they had grown deaf to the voice of God, as Romans 8:5 GNT indicates:

Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.

At that moment in their conversation, they became aware of the holy presence of God and realized they needed to be open, honest, and transparent before each other and before God.

As they did this, they began to hear the voice of Christ speaking in a way they had never experienced before. This caused faith to rise up, and they began to believe that the Church could once again be awakened. They also saw that the gifts of the Spirit
(1 Corinthians 12) had never been rescinded.

Stirring of Revival in Malu’u
While the Spirit of God was working among the believers in South Malaita, He was also moving in the far northern tip of Malaita, in the Malu’u area.

In October 1936, a conference was held in Malu’u, with Islander, Shem Irofa’alu and missionary Alan Neal as speakers. Irofa’alu addressed the prevalent addictions to nicotine and betel nut, a practice which began in infancy, introduced to the babies by their mothers to soothe and calm them. These addictions led to further sins, such as deceit, resentment, hoarding, and stealing.

Feeling deep guilt and condemnation, the people recognized that they were powerless to break these addictions, acknowledging the spiritual forces that kept them bound.

Neal then spoke at the conference, and it was so powerful that everyone present knew God was speaking through him, convicting them of their sins. It was then that an “amazing and lasting release” was experienced, bringing people freedom and great joy.

Through this conference, the Islanders began to realize that just as the witchdoctors had power, the Christians also had power, and that God’s power is superior to that of Satan’s.

Village of Saa, on the southern tip of South Malaita

Revival in South Malaita
The missionary from South Malaita, Robert Grant, attended the October 1936 conference in Malu’u. Energized in his faith, he knew he had to step out and exercise it upon his return to his home in South Malaita.

After returning home, he and another missionary journeyed on foot to the inland village of Menehelisi, planning to stay there four days.

Upon their arrival in the village, they spent the first evening praying together and sensed God was saying:

Now is the time to go forward.

If Grant would have followed his own impulse, he wouldn’t have gone to Menehelisi, as there had not been previous evidence of spiritual hunger for more of God:

Many of the people were hardened nominal Christians, some hiding serious sins, many were cold towards God, full of divisive bitterness. The pastor himself was very far from God, two-faced, and a constant hindrance behind the scenes.

Yet, out of obedience to God, they arrived at Menehelisi, and during the first weekend, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. The four days they planned to stay in that village turned into three months.

Spirit of Prayer, Followed by Conviction of Sins
Following the first Sunday’s meeting after their arrival in Menehelisi, it was evident that God was at work there.

It began when all 150 people in attendance—men, women, and children—felt a tremendous release. They rose to their feet and began praying, oblivious to the person standing next to them.

This type of praying had never been witnessed in the Solomon Islands before. As they prayed, a deep conviction of their sins came upon them.

This pattern continued every evening for several weeks, leading to private and sometimes public confessions. The Holy Spirit was so powerfully at work that the people found no relief until they confessed, even sins that had been buried for decades.

Godly pastors from nearby villages were shocked when they heard of the sins being confessed; things were far worse than anyone had imagined.

An Islander visiting Menehelisi at that time wrote years later about what he witnessed during those services:

When the missionary gave the message, it really cut like a knife. It really broke down the heart. People were convicted of sin and came looking for Jesus. Men and women wept for Jesus to save them.

The revival originated on the island highlighted in red—South Malaita

Unity Prolonged the Revival
Every night, the missionaries and the national believers leading the revival would unite for prayer, confessing anything that could hinder their love, unity, faith, and the flow of the Holy Spirit among them. Following any discussion needed to bring about total unity—then, and only then—did they begin to pray for their next day’s ministry. After praying, they listened and worshiped, waiting for God to speak and give direction. Following this pattern the revival went on unimpeded.

Spiritual Opposition
Satan never stands idly by during revivals. During this one, he sent a “shattering, deafening downpour of torrential rain” every night for a whole week. The noise was so loud that people couldn’t hear themselves talk. However, after a group of leaders prayed, the rainstorms stopped.

Another demonic attack came through the village chief, who, although a Christian in name only, attempted to organize a large feast to distract people from attending the services. But again, a group of leaders prayed, and interest in the feast faded away.

This experience humbled the chief and his cousin, who was the pastor and complicit in the plans. They then repented and experienced genuine faith arise in their hearts as well.

Conviction: The Prominent Characteristic of the Revival
As the weeks progressed, nothing could stop the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Whether people were in their homes, in their gardens, at church, or at a coastal market, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit blanketed the area. People were unable to hold out against it. If they attempted to resist and refused to humble themselves, they would experience powerful distress. But once confessed and repented, tremendous peace and joy would come flooding in.

Asthmatic Healed After His Confession
While sleeping one night, Ronald Grant was wakened by a man from the village, banging on his bed. The person informed him about Adam Ahukela, a man who had suffered from asthma for years and was dying.

Grant hurriedly went to Ahukela’s home and observed him struggling to breathe.

Upon seeing him, Ahukela called out to Grant:

Pray for me! I’m dying!

Grant asked him:

Is anything on your mind, Adam?

Ahukela responded:

I wanted to hide this, but I must say it now. At Fairymead [plantation] in Queensland, I committed adultery, and I’ve hidden it ever since.

In less than a minute, to the shock and surprise of those present, Ahukela began to breathe normally, and from that time on, his asthma began to disappear.

Demon Possessed Set Free
The elderly Mae-hui, a witchdoctor who had been resistant to the Gospel, had been living in the Christian village of Menehelisi for years. When the power of the Holy Spirit came upon that village and area, he would jump around in his house, and dance on hot coals with high pitched cackles.

This was clear evidence of demon possession, so the missionaries and island leaders united in their prayers for him to be set free and saved.

As a result of those prayers, Mae-hui went to Alexander Awalsoi and asked him to tell him all about Jesus. After Awalsoi met with him nightly, Mae-hui gradually comprehended the Gospel. He then became severely convicted of his sins and began to pour out one confession after another: theft, sorcery, adultery, and murders.

They just let him go on until he had finished. When assurance came that his sins were now forgiven, his thanks poured out and his joy was unbounded. Within two hours, he was standing up in front of a large crowd at a heathen feast, telling everyone how God had come into his heart.

The demons were not going to give up on the one that they had controlled and lived in for decades, so they attempted to take over his being again. When it was recognized what was happening, a man ran to the missionaries, yelling out:

Come quick! Old Mae-hui is shaking terribly. An evil spirit has come upon him.

The missionaries ran to his house and found him crying out in a strange and eerie way. One of Mae-hui’s hands was holding the rafter of his hut, shaking it with supernatural power, while his other hand held an adze in a threatening manner.

The missionaries first prayed for protection for themselves and for those around them. Then they stepped forward, placed their hand on Mae-hui’s shoulder, and in the name of Jesus commanded the demon to leave. It was then that Mae-hui, in his own language, called out:

Lord Jesus, save me from this devil’s power!

The demon immediately left, submitting to the commands of the missionaries, with Mae-hui falling to the ground in a comatose state. Not long after, however, he regained consciousness and was himself again.

Mae-hui informed the missionaries that when he first saw them come into his home, even though the demons were controlling him, he was inwardly saying to the missionaries:

I’m on your side!

The Revival Spread Spontaneously
The revival that began in the village of Menehelisi didn’t stay there. People came from the surrounding region to participate in the revival services, and when they returned home, the “Spirit of revival” returned with them.

One example was in the village of Korotalau, where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the people in the small church there, and they were all taken up with a spirit of prayer, wherein everyone would begin praying independently of anyone else, almost oblivious to those around them. It was as if it was just them and God, alone together. The same occurred in Menehelisi.

During the three-month revival at Menehelisi, many respected leaders from the islands visited the revival site. One of these island leaders was Clement Maelalo, who was regarded as one of the South Sea Evangelical Mission’s most important teachers and who also worked in collaboration with SSEM missionaries in writing a vernacular (native dialect) version of the Gospels and Acts. After visiting Menehelisi during the revival, he returned to his location of ministry in Langa Langa Lagoon, and subsequently the entire district experienced renewed repentance and revival, with the Holy Spirit’s presence coming upon village after village.

1970 Solomon Islands Revival
Another powerful revival shook Malaita and the Solomon Islands in 1970. That revival spread to other surrounding nations. Read that account with this link: 1970 Solomon Island Revival.

Primary Source
► Fire in the Islands by Alison Griffiths

Secondary Sources
► Evangelical Awakenings in the South Seas by Edwin J. Orr
► Florence Young by Wikipedia
► Florence Young: Mission Accomplished by Janet and Geoff Benge
► Florence Young and the Kanakas by Christian Today
► Pearls from the Pacific by Florence Young
► Solomon Islands by Wikipedia

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