Some of the many revivals that spread across India from 1904-1906

Background to this Series of India Revivals
From 1904-1906, revival swept across India, touching every mission station and church, regardless of the denomination. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Brethren, Anglicans, Christian and Missionary Alliance, London Missionary Society, and the YMCAs and YWCAs, wherever the revival was welcome, blessings came. In addition, it fostered significant unity, breaking down previous barriers between denominations.

The 1904 Sialkot, India Revival appears to have been the spark that ignited the sweeping fires. Subsequently, upon receiving reports of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival, prayer for revival intensified to such an extent that revival in India seemed unstoppable. The outcomes are documented in the following accounts:

1. 1904 Sialkot, India Revival (Over 5 locations)
2. 1905 Khasi Hills Revival (Dozens of Locations)
3. 1905 Mukti Revival (5 Locations)
4. 1905 Revival at Dohnavur (2 Locations)
5. 1905 India Revivals I (20 Locations)
6. 1905 India Revivals II (8 Locations)
7. 1905 India Revivals III (5 Locations)
8. 1906 India Revivals IV (10 Locations)
9. 1906 India Revivals V (8 Locations)
10. 1906 India Revivals VI (8 Locations)
11. 1905-1906 India Revivals VII (9 Locations)
12. 1905-1906 India Revivals VIII (14 Locations)
13. 1906 India Revivals IX (8 Locations)
14. 1906 Aurangabad, India Revival (5 Locations)
15. 1906 Mizo, India Revival (13 Locations)

Background to These Revivals
The eight revivals recounted here occurred among American Baptist missionaries and their mission stations. Surprisingly, their practices resembled early Pentecostal gatherings, which was very similar throughout India at that time.

Revival at Ongole
Facing repeated illnesses among missionaries, the American Baptists nearly closed their Indian ministry. However, perseverance prevailed. From June to December 1878, a powerful movement to Christ swept Ongole, resulting in 9,606 baptisms.

Another powerful move of the Holy Spirit came to Ongole in early 1906, but this time it wasn’t specifically for the conversion of sinners; it was for the reviving of believers. When the story of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival was printed and distributed in leaflets, the Indian believers, becoming filled with faith for the same, changed the name of their weekly prayer meeting to New Life Meeting.

During the April quarterly meeting, a missionary described what unfolded:

We seemed to be shaken, and one of the most quiet of our workers rose to his feet and with a tremendous voice kept crying out, ‘ Holy One, Holy One,’ at the same time smiting his breast.

That was the beginning of the revival at Ongole, and for two weeks meetings were held, wherein attendees would witness:
► Public confessions of sin.
► Reconciliation occurring among those who had been at odds.

Continued Revival and Impact
On the following quarterly meeting, Sunday, July 1, 1906, a missionary who had been on furlough in his home country of Wales, gave a report of what he witnessed during the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. As soon as he finished, an opportunity was given for silent prayer, and then a spirit of conviction fell on the 1,000 people present, and according to the report:

It was like a cyclone. The missionaries could do nothing but pray. After about two hours the meeting came under control, but was continued with great enthusiasm till one o’clock in the morning.

Subsequent meetings experienced smaller versions of the “cyclone of prayer.” During the following weeks the residual effect of that revival’s power was manifested:
► Meetings were filled.
► The believers were filled with fresh life in their ministries.
► The revival’s power spread to other villages miles away where meetings were held nightly.
► Quarrels were settled; churches were united; special collections were made; and attendance increased.

Revival at Podili
It was in August when the revival struck Podili. A missionary there gave this brief report of its occurrence:

The new zeal in our workers almost makes us weep for joy.

Revival in the Villages outside Podili
As evangelistic teams traveled from Podili and into the neighboring villages, large numbers of Hindus would come to listen to them.

Previously, when these traveling ministry teams would come into a village with a church, they would often attempt to address differences among the believers, trying to settle disputes of various sorts. Once the revival began, they altered their approach and simply conducted meetings that would lead to the revival of the believers. At first there was indifference to the meetings, then interest, then on the third day breakthrough would occur and the quarrels would disappear.

Agriculture students at the American Baptist Nellore mission station

Revival in Nellore
The background to the revival in Nellore was that the believers there had been meeting every day for two years, praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

This city had a large boarding school for girls, and three of the female missionaries at this school had experienced revival during the spring of 1906. When they arrived back at the school at the end of June, after a vacation, they organized daily prayer meetings for revival and were determined to continue till the revival came.

After ten days of prayer, there was a noticeable increase in the intensity and power of their prayers. On July 15, during the prayer meeting:

There was a sudden sob from someone, then another, and in a flash something passed over the congregation. Some said it was like a rushing wind, and in a second all were on their knees wailing on account of sin. This continued for an hour and a half; people rolled on the floor in agony as the realization of sin came to them.

On Monday, the schools were closed, and the church was filled by 8 A.M. Another visitation of the Holy Spirit occurred, affecting everyone, even those who were deemed too young for such meetings.

No one left the church even for food till 6 p.m. Then with an hour’s intermission the meeting went on till 2.30 a.m. … there was a joyful ring in the testimonies. The hearts of the revived ones just sang for joy.

This led to meetings continuing for two weeks, with the schools remaining closed.

Some of the witnesses of the 1906 Nellore Revival
(Dr. David & Mrs. Downie seated center) – 1923

Trances at the Nellore School
On Saturday, July 21, one of the older girls went into a trance, leading her to laugh with excitement. The missionary reporting on it said:

She held conversations with someone, and seemed to be listening to singing, then sang herself. This lasted three hours. She would not tell the vision, but said she would read it, and then read the fourth and fifth of Revelation. While she was in the trance a second wave, as of a rushing wind, passed over the meeting, and again people were in agony for sin. One girl threw herself across the bench and fairly writhed for two hours before peace came. Another fought out her redemption on the stone steps. It seemed as though Satan was fighting to prevent them from receiving the blessing they craved. But the meeting ended in songs of victory.

Revival’s Lingering Affects in Nellore
After three weeks, the schools were reopened, and meetings continued every evening because interest had not waned. There were conversions to Christ during this revival, as well as reconsecrations of those who had backslidden. Other effects of the revival among believers were:
► Confessions of hidden sin.
► Reconciliation of an eighteen-year feud.
► Evangelistic teams traveled each afternoon to nearby villages and neighborhoods to speak to the lost.
► There was an increased desire by the Hindus to hear the Gospel message because they had heard and seen the believers who had been weeping over their sins.

Toward the end of July, during a Saturday testimony meeting, another wave of the Holy Spirit’s power was poured out on those assembled.
A missionary described it as a:

Perfect storm of prayer, followed by such singing!

That same missionary made the following statement to show who was in control of the meeting:

One could as easily have stood on the shore and controlled the Bay of Bengal as control that meeting.

Teachers and students at the girls high school in Nellore

More Trances Experienced
On that same Saturday night, as well as the following two days, as many as twenty of the older girls at the school went into a trance. These young ladies became unconscious for up to 36 hours. While in this state, they:
► Prayed
► Sang
► Laughed
► Clapped
► Experienced being in different settings, or scenes

After they came out of their trances, they shared what they had seen, though some were not permitted to share their experiences. Some said what they saw resembled Revelation chapters 4, 5, and 7.

For some of them the glory was more than they could bear. In the trance, one was asked by Jesus to ask for her greatest desire, and she responded that she desired “the gift of prayer.” Jesus replied to her, “I have given it, and as you use it, it will increase.”

While in a trance, Jesus told one of the girls that her task was to get others ready for Christ’s return and to wake up the Nellore Church. When she came out of the trance her physical body trembled for several days. She then began to exhort others to confess their sins and to get right with God.

Dr. David Downie: Missionary of 42 years in Nellore

Dr. David Downie, the veteran missionary who spent 42 years with the American Baptists in Nellore, commented on this revival:

I was in the great revival of 1858 and many revivals since, but never saw anything like that time [1906 revival]. There were no human leaders. The Spirit of God led. One evening, thinking the girls needed rest to fit them for the next day’s work, I tried to close the meeting; I said: ‘It is late and you need rest; we will sing the doxology and pronounce the benediction.’ It was done but no one moved. Then a girl got up and said, ‘Let us pray.’ This was about ten o’clock and the meeting continued until after midnight.

Results of the Nellore Revival
► Students in the school demonstrated a higher level of holiness and commitment to Christ.
► Quarrels were settled.
► Restitution was made for things stolen and wrongs done.
► Small objects, which were of great value to the owners, like jewelry, etc., were freely given to their rightful owners or surrendered to the church as free-will offerings to the Lord.

Locations of revivals associated with American Baptists

Revivals in Other Locations
In Sooriapett, it was said that:

Nearly all the chains are broken. Everything looks new to us, and how we now love our Telegus!

In Hanamkonda, a missionary gave this report:

God did not pass us by, but visited His people. . . . God is cleansing one heart after another, and preparing the Church for the outpouring of His Spirit; and this makes us happy and fills our hearts with praise.

At Nalgonda and Atmakur, missionaries reported their overflowing joy due to the revival they were experiencing.

In the city of Kumool, a leading missionary was experiencing discouragement and knew that only a genuine revival could turn things around. He shared his concerns and desires with the men, and one of them suggested that they should stop their work and focus on prayer. They all agreed, and after three days of prayer, a breakthrough came!

The whole company were weeping and wailing on account of sin; they lay prone on the ground like the slain on the battlefield. The confessions were awful. Every proud heart was humbled and made to confess its sin. This went on for days. At last the joy came. He who had torn now healed. The power of the new life seized all hearts. Peace, pardon, and reconciliation flowed like rivers of life to thirsty souls. Wonderful testimonies were given.

The believers spent twelve days praying and rejoicing like this. Then they returned to their ministries in the villages and led new lives, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Primary Sources
► Revival in India by Helen S. Dyer
► A History of the Evangelistic Work of the American Baptist Mission by Santha K. Varikoti-Jetty
► From the Mill to the Mission Field by David Downie
► The Nellore Station and Field by American Baptist Telugu Mission

Secondary Sources
► A History of Missions in India by Julius Richter
► Abrams, Minnie F. (1859-1912) by Boston University School of Theology
► Christian Missions and Social Progress by James S. Dennis
► Evangelical Awakenings in Southern Asia by J. Edwin Orr
► Indian Pentecost: Christianity Today by Edith Blumhofer
► Memoir of Anthony Norris Groves by His Widow
► Minnie Abrams: Lessons from the Pentecostal Revival in India by Darrin Rodgers
► Pandita Ramabai: Her Vision, Her Mission and Triumph of Faith by Helen S. Dyer
► Pandita Ramabai, the Mukti Revival and Global Pentecostalism by Allan Anderson
► Pandita Ramabai: The Story of Her Life by Helen S. Dyer
► Scattered Seeds by Mrs. Malcolm Ross
► The Flaming Tongue by J. Edwin Orr
► The High-Caste Hindu Woman by Pandita Ramabai Sarasvati
► The Pandita Ramabai Story by Pandita Ramabai
► They Were Men Sent by God by Eustace Blake Bromley

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