Tag: asbury

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News

After Asbury Revival Leaves Campus for Non-Existent ‘New Location’, Attendance and Interest Collapses

For twelve days, tens of thousands of revival chasers from around the world descended on the small city of Wilmore, KY, to experience firsthand the so-called ‘Asbury Revival.’ Supporters called this the next big thing, claiming it would sweep across America like other historical revivals and set the world on fire as they scrambled to occupy the now iconic Hughes Auditorium. 

Things got so frenetic that as the city’s population swelled five times its normal size with visitors, the university imposed a time limit for attendees to be in the hall. Visitors gathered in multiple outbuildings and lined up for blocks to enter. Some reports detailed cars backed up for miles seeking to enter the town, bursting the city at the seams.

Then on February 21, the university announced that the revival would be moving to a new location in the “central Kentucky area,” according to a message posted to the university website, to reduce disruptions to the school and city. 

No official location was ever revealed.

Three days later, the university announced that they would no longer be involved in any further outpouring services, with Asbury President Dr. Kevin Brown writing that their involvement had come to an end.

“Thursday, February 23, marked the end of this historic multi-week gathering at Asbury University…. I have been asked if Asbury is “stopping” this outpouring of God’s Spirit and the stirring of human hearts. I have responded by pointing out that we cannot stop something we did not start…. The effort by committed men and women on our campus to redirect energy, forsake other obligations, work tirelessly around the clock, and provide single-minded labor to accommodate our students and incoming visitors has been the high point in my career.”

With no new location announced, and being unable to touch the hem of the university, the well dried up. All the visitors have left, and the city has shrunk to its regular size.

One Christian group, The Pulse, wanting to capitalize on the spirit of Asbury, rented out Rupp Arena on Sunday, advertising a revival from 2p-11 pm to have a time of “repentance, testimonies, scripture, and worship” that was not in any way officially associated with the university.

It was sparsely attended.

Though Asbury University’s president said, “we cannot stop something we did not start,” the fact that the Asbury Revival died the minute they chose to discontinue it says a lot about whether or not it was a true revival, or merely just a marathon praise and prayer worship service.








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News

Podcast: Judging Asbury, SBC Elites Destroying The Convention, Small Group Sermon Eval, and Do ‘Self-Deleted’ People Go to Hell?

On this episode of Protestia Tonight for February 21st, 2023, we talk about the SBC elites destroying the convention and how to judge a revival. We then spend a considerable amount of time dissecting the small group teaching from a local church that proves that the sermon reviewed a few months ago was not a “whoopsie,” but the intentional teaching that may very well infect the school the church is buying.


On Bible Bashed, Tim and Harrison talk about ‘self-murder’ . God’s law commands us not to murder. however most typically don’t view self murder as something that violates that command. Instead we typically view someone who commits self murder as a victim. The truth is, as the one who loses their life, they are the victim. However they are also the guilty perpetrator in the act as well. So what do we do with that? Can someone who commits self murder still be a Christian? How does committing self murder affect where a person will spend eternity? What brings a person to want to commit such a heinous act? How should we counsel these people?

As always, you cna search for Bible Bashed and Protestia Tonight on all your podcast apps.

Categories
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Can Asbury Be A Revival When Its Theology is So Revoicey?

The most recent iteration of the Asbury “Revival” Movement has been used to attack Christian polemics and discernment ministries that call into question the doctrine that undergirds the revivalist movement at Asbury University. Scripture provides believers with a firm foundation for examining both the spirit of a movement and the doctrine from which it ascends to gain a foothold in the church. 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

Pulpit and Pen’s Seth Dunn and many others have noted the egalitarian and emotion-driven theology of the Pentecostal Wesley Egalitarians of Asbury. The college labels itself as a “multi-denominational institution”, a label that should in no way be confused with a “non-denominational institution”, as the university is dedicated to advancing the theology of Wesleyan denominations. 

Perhaps the most controversial point of contention between those who have practiced discernment and care in not hastily declaring the movement to be a “revival”, and those who have declared no quarter for those who have genuine questions or concerns about what is going on, is the question of whether Asbury maintains a standard of Biblical sexuality. Proponents of the university and the movement have been quick to point to the university’s statement on sexuality.

While the statement contains what seems to be an orthodox position on sexuality, Asbury students who claim gay Christian identities have begun to declare the revival a victory for the advancement of queer identity in the church.

Many have claimed that the statements of LGBTQ-identifying students at Asbury do not reflect the views of the university, but a closer look reveals that the university is well-aware that it hosts a community of LGBTQ students. Many of these men and women who have chosen to cling to an identity that is rooted in their deviant sexual proclivities are planning on becoming ordained pastors and pastrixes, and the university has even brought in outside speakers to support the advancement of LGBTQ sexual minorities in the school.

On March 10, 2022, the university invited Preston Sprinkle, a staunch advocate of Side-B homosexuality and co-founder of the Revoice conference, to speak in the Asbury University chapel service. Sprinkle, who has previously stated that “The Church Needs LGBTQ People” was flanked onstage by university faculty and Elijah Drake, an Asbury student who identifies as a “celibate gay Christian”. Drake, who has defended his Romans 1-defying sexuality in his undergrad thesis, was chosen from among the student to read scripture before Preston Sprinkle was introduced to speak.

Preston sprinkled the students at Asbury with a Ted talk on his side B Homosexuality-promoting theology, claiming that he is passionate about “creating a church culture that can embody the kindness of God toward sexual and gender minorities.” According to Sprinkle, 30% of Generation Z Christians identify as LGBTQ. The ultimate goal of the talk was contained in the title “discipling the church in the LGBTQ Conversation.” According to Sprinkle, the church needs to listen to those who root their identity in sexual deviance and allow them to influence the way that ministry is done.

Side-B homosexuality advocates like Preston Sprinkle, LGBTQ-identifying Asbury students, and the administrators at Asbury promote a form of antinomian evangelicalism that is heavy on emotion and light on Biblical obedience. Asbury, in its statement on sexuality, argues that the issue of Biblical sexuality “is about the behavior” while ignoring the fact that scripture clearly shows that sexual sin is a heart matter. Because Jesus speaks of lust as adultery of the heart, the treasuring of identities that are rooted in sexual deviancy must be viewed as sexual sin of the heart. 

If Asbury University or any other school would see God send true revival, that revival must begin with the repentance of sin, the shedding of false doctrines, the rejection of compromises with the world, and a return to the standard of scripture. 

Editor’s Note. Our Op-Ed page does not always reflect the editorial opinion of Protestia.