The Welsh Revival

[Jared]

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the Welsh revival of 1904. I know that in some sense it "gave birth" to the the modern Pentecostal movement through its influence on the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles.

I do know however that there was more Calvinism in the Welsh revival. Evan Roberts, the main leader of the revival was a reformed methodist. I know too that Martyn Lloyd-Jones mentioned the Welsh revival, I believe if I'm not mistaken it was the one in 1904 that he mentioned, but it may have been the one that had happened earlier in the 1800's.

One of the reasons that I'm asking is that I wanted to know whether or not Rees Howells was reformed. Some Charismatics are interested in him because of his teaching on intercessory prayer and I know that he was part of the revival of 1904. It would be good to be able to tell someone that this person they like is reformed. Anyway.

 

[Heidelberg1]

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the Welsh revival of 1904. I know that in some sense it "gave birth" to the the modern Pentecostal movement through its influence on the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles.

I do know however that there was more Calvinism in the Welsh revival. Evan Roberts, the main leader of the revival was a reformed methodist. I know too that Martyn Lloyd-Jones mentioned the Welsh revival, I believe if I'm not mistaken it was the one in 1904 that he mentioned, but it may have been the one that had happened earlier in the 1800's.

One of the reasons that I'm asking is that I wanted to know whether or not Rees Howells was reformed. Some Charismatics are interested in him because of his teaching on intercessory prayer and I know that he was part of the revival of 1904. It would be good to be able to tell someone that this person they like is reformed. Anyway.

If I remember right, the sermons that Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached in 1959 (that later became the book Revival) were in a sense preached to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the 1859 revival in Wales, not the 1904 revival.

 

[JennyG]

Lloyd Jones was definitely very conscious of the 1904 revival - I think he had childhood memories of it. Wales at the time and long after was a stronghold of Calvinism, and it's a small place, especially considering how much of it is only habitable for sheep...the Christian community was close-knit and strongly aware of their heritage in that great event. However there does seem to have been a Charismatic strain to it too.
Rees Howells seems to have made a mystique out of "Intercession", which he sharply distinguished from mere intercessory prayer. Just before the War in 1939 he is supposed to have said "the Lord has told me that prayer has failed, and only intercession can take us through" - I don't know the thinking behind that. My guess is that he was not reformed, but I know little about him.

 

[jambo]

Lloyd-Jones was interested in both revivals, and indeed all revivals. As a boy he would have been 5 when the 1904 revival occurred and would probably have met some who experienced the 1859 revival and certainly the children of parents who lived through it. The 1859 revival also coincided with revivals in Ireland and Scotland and had its effect felt in New York. Eifion Evans wrote an excellent work on the 1904 revival in Wales (published by the Evangelical Movement of Wales) whilst the Banner of Truth have a slim volume of the 1859 revival.

I was engaged in a mission in south Wales back in the early 80s. Although I did not meet anyone who had lived through the 1904 revival, I did meet a few who could remember as children hearing stories from their grandparents who experienced it.

In terms of Rees Howells, I have read his biography which I did enjoy and found quite challenging. However, as Jenny says, he does use Charismatic type language along the lines of "the Lord told me this..." etc.

 

[timmopussycat]

Evans has also written an excellent book on the 1859 revivial.