Evan Roberts was at the heart of the 1904 revival in Wales. From the 1730s, Wales had become dominated by a nonconformist ‘chapel culture’ that emphasised preaching and theological correctness but which tended to be formal and dry. This prevailing atmosphere was periodically interrupted by seasons of revival, where, amid song, the Spirit moved in power, bringing conversions and new commitment to God.
For Roberts, born in 1879 into a devout Welsh-speaking family in a South Wales mining community, the revival of 1859 overshadowed the spiritual landscape. From his youth, he hungered for a new ‘visitation of God’. Although well read in the Bible, Roberts had only minimal education and, at the age of eleven, began work in the coal mines. Always something of a contemplative, Roberts lived in a world where God, heaven and spiritual powers were very real to him and he spent hours in prayer, enjoying fellowship with God. For eleven years he prayed for a new revival and spoke of how, in a vision, he had seen a piece of paper with the figure of 100,000 written on it; the number of souls who would be saved.
In early 1904 Roberts began training to be a minister but as revival began breaking out across Wales he stopped his studies and began preaching in chapel meetings. Soon, without advertising or organisation, the numbers attending grew into thousands. Amidst spontaneous hymn singing, Roberts, radiating joy and the presence of God, would lead those present in prayer, repentance and testimony. His own role was unpredictable. Sometimes Roberts preached, but on other occasions simply prayed. Somewhat controversially, he tended to give informal messages and exhortations. His basic theme was simple: confess your sin through Christ, reject every habit you are doubtful about, be ready to immediately obey the Holy Spirit and publicly confess Christ as Lord. Overflowing with emotion, confession and praise, revival meetings could easily go on into the early morning hours.
As the revival grew, it came to the attention of the press and this spread news of what was happening. In response, sceptics claimed that the phenomenon was no more than what we would call ‘crowd psychology’. Yet this was unconvincing, not least because there were undeniable effects of the revival on society. Lives were transformed, pubs closed, crime figures decreased, the police found themselves with little to do and, down the mines, pit ponies struggled to make sense of commands without obscenities.
The revival continued into 1905. It was soon apparent that Roberts, who didn’t eat or sleep adequately, was suffering from exhaustion. Matters were made worse by opposition from within the church. Some chapel leaders opposed spontaneous enthusiasm; others, proud of their academic qualifications, were uneasy about Robert’s lack of education. The combination of criticism from outside and inside the church weighed heavily on Roberts.
In parallel with Robert’s own developing burnout, the revival began to fade and within a year it was over in Wales. Why this happened has long been debated but the fact is that revivals do start and stop without obvious reason. Roberts, never marrying, spent the rest of his life praying and writing books, poems and letters of counsel. He died in Wales, aged seventy-two, in 1951.
Despite its brevity, the revival associated with Roberts was astonishing. In Wales, it may well have produced the 100,000 converts Roberts felt had been promised. Although deaths in the First World War claimed many of the men who were converted, the revival had a lasting legacy for good. For decades, Wales had leaders who had known a work of the Spirit in the revival. Of global significance is how the fire of the revival spread beyond Wales, especially into those regions influenced by Welsh missionaries: Madagascar, Patagonia, India and China. Indeed, some people think that the Azusa Street revival of 1906 which birthed Pentecostalism owes much to the Welsh revival.
Evan Roberts was used by God in a way that very few people have been. Let me point out three striking virtues of his life and ministry.
First, his life was one of a profound spirituality. Central to all Evan Roberts was and did was his personal and passionate relationship with God; his long hours of prayer and his endless yearning for the revival of his church are both inspiring and challenging.
Second, his life and ministry were of utter sincerity. For all his public prominence, Roberts retained a remarkable integrity and humility. He shunned publicity and stayed free from scandal. He stood back and let God work.
Finally, it was one marked by a deep sacrifice. Quite simply Roberts threw everything that he was into the revival. His burnout was the result of him spreading the flame of the revival. Given the fruit of the revival, it was surely a price worth paying.
We desperately need genuine revival in the church today. May we pray fervently for it, as Evan Roberts did, and may we be privileged to see it today.
J.John
Reverend Canon
