Baylor University has picked up the torch of Christian revival from Asbury University, hosting 72 hours of continuous prayer and worship this week which led to the baptisms of 20 people.
On the university’s website, Kate Nelson quotes Charles Ramsey explaining the purpose of the meeting, called FM72:
“The purpose of FM72 is to stir a passion for Jesus Christ in the Baylor community,” said Charles Ramsey, director of Baptist Student Ministries at Baylor. “It is a time to take inventory of one’s own journey, to linger in prayer, and to recalibrate towards what is most important: our shared faith in Jesus Christ.”
Baylor — located in Waco, Texas — has already announced a second 72-hour session of worship, prayer, and fellowship to be held March 27-30 on Fountain Mall, from which FM72 takes its name.
A number of Christian colleges and universities around the United States have sponsored similar prayer events following the immense spiritual success of a two-week-long revival last month on the campus of Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Over those two weeks, some 50,000 Christians from all over the nation (and beyond) who wanted to share in the spiritual experience poured into Wilmore, overwhelming the small college town, which has population of only about 6,000.
Some have hopefully referred to this ongoing phenomenon as a potential new Great Awakening in United States history. Asbury itself was the scene of an important Spiritual Revival that began on February 3, 1970, and lasted for several weeks, drawing large crowds and attracting national media attention.
That revival was characterized by a strong emphasis on personal confession of sin, repentance, and spiritual renewal, led by a group of college students who had experienced a spiritual awakening and felt called to share their faith with others.
One of the defining moments of the revival occurred on February 11, 1970, when a visiting evangelist named Tom Harmon gave a powerful sermon that led to a mass confession of sin. The revival continued to grow in intensity over the next several days, with many people reporting dramatic experiences of conversion, healing, and spiritual renewal.
