Special revival convention is to be held in Lisburn CWU Hall

The building erected, in 1772, has a long history and a plaque on the front wall commemorates a visit by John Wesley in 1789 to what was then Lisburn’s first Wesleyan Preaching House.

Two hundred and thirty three years later a preacher whose life is not dissimilar to that of John Wesley has arranged a Revival Convention from March 15-26. Evangelist John Weir from Belfast’s Donegall Road has a well travelled ministry throughout Ireland and further afield. He will be chairman throughout the two weeks of meetings. The convention will take the form of visiting guest speakers from various churches. They will relate the stories of memorable Christian revivals in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland that have influenced the spiritual standing of generations.

The convention will open on Tuesday, March 15 with Reverend Dr Paul Ferguson, who has returned to his homeland from Singapore where he ministered for many years. He will share the story of the 1859 Revival, which commenced in Kells, stemming from the prayers of four young men who met each Friday evening from September 1857 in the Old Schoolhouse there. They each carried bundles of turf for the fire along with their Bibles. By 1859 their prayers were answered and churches had great numbers of people seeking God, so much so that the First Presbyterian Church in Ahoghill had to be vacated. Such was the crush of 3,000 people trying to get in, one of the pillars holding up the left side of the gallery sank several inches into the floor. Throughout Ulster the towns experienced the effect of the revival with less crime and diminishing trade in public houses with some closing. People kneeled by the roadside and in fields calling on God for mercy. It is believed that over 100,000 souls were converted during this spiritual awakening.

The second speaker on March 17 will be travelling from Strabane, Reverend Caldwell Darragh, an octogenarian who has preached in Lisburn CWU over the years. His task will be to relate the amazing time of God’s Blessing which was outpoured in the Hebrides, beginning on the Isle of Lewis and spreading to other islands in the region during 1949 to 1952. As a young man having trained as a Bible student Caldwell Darragh knew Reverend Duncan Campbell whose ministry God used and people sought the Lord. Again this was in answer to prayer, this time by two elderly sisters Peggy and Christine Smith, one with arthritis and the other blind. They were burdened for the lost and prayed regularly into the night hours. They held on to a promise from Isaiah 44:3 “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty; and floods upon the dry ground.” Their intercession sparked off the revival as others also prayed. Duncan Campbell recalled the first night he arrived and preached in the church. It was a good meeting but nothing happened and he pronounced the benediction. As he was leaving the door opened and the local blacksmith announced “Mr.Campbell something wonderful has happened! Outside there were some 600 people waiting. Where had they come from? Duncan Campbell believed that God swept in – the power of the Holy Ghost! Revival had begun. What happened in the following years was a community where the overwhelming Presence of God was known. In some places supernatural ‘Heavenly Singing’ was heard. One minister writing about the Revival stated “You met God on the meadow and mooreland. You met Him in the homes of the people. God seemed to be everywhere!”

On the first Saturday of the Convention (March 19) local minister Reverend Roger Higginson from Lisburn Free Presbyterian Church will share with the congregation ‘Revival in the days of Reverend W P Nicholson’ who was born in Bangor, Co Down. He was nicknamed ‘Tornado of the Pulpit’ and was known for his forthright and sometimes humorous sayings but his preaching was used by God to reach people and they responded in repentance, finding new life in Christ. A large number of men attended his meetings including the shipyard workers who marched to church in Belfast in their working clothes to hear him. This year will see the one hundredth anniversary of Reverend Nicholson’s visit to Lisburn where his meetings were packed out. His mission in 1922 commenced in the Orange Hall, but space proved inadequate and had to be moved to Railway Street Presbyterian Church.

Such was the crowd that the window sills served as seats. At that period of time in Lisburn there was little or no court cases as crime had dropped to an all time low. In the twenties the province was on the brink of civil war and it is believed that this was prevented by the spiritual influence in the country. W P Nicholson’s last gospel mission in Lisburn CWU was in May 1958 seventeen months prior to his passing. His motto was John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The increase of souls for Christ was the aim of W P Nicholson and is the reason Christians pray for revival today.

During the second week of the convention on Tuesday, March 22 the location and history of a past Revival will move back to Scotland. Mr Trevor Matthews, who served with the Faith Mission for many years, will relate the times of blessing in the early days of the organisation.

Founded by John George Govan in 1886 the young people who joined him in the work became known as Pilgrims. The need for “Full Salvation and a clean heart” was their message. Life was not easy as they lived by faith, sometimes in caravans or whatever accommodation was available. They carried out an itinerant ministry in the Highlands. Small villages and hamlets knew times of great blessing when barns, houses and churches were crowded and many found Christ as a personal Saviour.

In 1891 J G Govan made his first visit to Belfast. It was the start and Missions began in Ireland. The ongoing work continued in Scotland and it became clear that the Faith Mission needed a training home for their workers. Today the Bible College based in Edinburgh continues to train students from around the world to equip them for Christian service.

In 1916 the annual Bangor convention began and from this many more have surrendered their lives to serving the Lord both at home and abroad.

On Thursday March 24 Reverend Billy Park, a retired Independent Methodist Minister will be the speaker. His subject will be ‘Revival in the days of John Wesley’ an intrepid preacher who founded Methodism. He was born in England in 1703 and travelled throughout the land on horseback. When unable to obtain a church to preach in he held meetings in the open air. A tombstone in a graveyard served as his pulpit. On many occasions he was attacked by those who opposed him but this did not detract from the urgency of his message to win people for the Lord and edify Christians in their faith. He travelled to Northern Ireland on several occasions. His journal has several notes on these visits and indicates a sense of humour. However, on his last visit to Lisburn he noted in his journal on June 6, 1789: “In the evening I was in the new chapel in Lisburn, the largest and best finished in the north of Ireland.” (Since 1936 Lisburn CWU Mission Hall). Over 6,500 hymns were written by the Wesleys and are still sung today. One man on fire for God saw the fruit of his labours in the conversion of many. John Wesley’s message lives on, and his heritage is the many Methodist churches throughout the world.

On Saturday March 26, evangelist John Weir will bring the special event to a close. Now known for conducting many Gospel Missions throughout the province where people are being saved, his subject will be ‘The Need for Personal Revival’ endeavouring to promote the importance for Christians to surrender their lives to Christ. The aim of the convention is not only to recall the times of past revivals when God moved in power, but that He is able and willing to bestow again in our time a work of grace, a spiritual awakening that will see many turning to Christ. 2 Chronicles 7: 14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Singers will also take part in the convention. On Saturday March 19 Sarah McMillan will be the soloist and on the final evening Ruth and Paul Agnew will bring duets. Refreshments will be served each evening after the service.

All meetings will commence at 8pm starting with community singing of the old time gospel hymns which were sung during the days of past revivals.