Lewis "Revivals"
From a booklet by Rev.K.A.Macrae, Stornoway.
"Under the name of revival the faith mission, an organisation thoroughly Arminian in doctrine and practice, unmistakenly of the school of Finney, appeared in Skye and Lewis, as the propogators of a great revival movement. This effort , according to the account given by the mission, has been most successful, and hundreds are said to have been converted.In Lewis especially, so it is said, religion had come to a very low pass, and the people were wholly given over to materialism. The House of God was largely forsaken, and in some districts the prayer meeting had faded out. So distressing was the state of religion in the Island, that according to the account of the revival given by the Rev. Duncan Campbell at the Keswick Convention in 1952, the Free Church Presbytery in October 1949, found it necessary to call a special meeting in Stornoway, "to discuss among other things, the appaling drift away from the Church, especially the younger people of the island. They were to consider the dearth of conversions in their congregations. A resolution was passed calling upon their faithful people to view with deep concern the inroads made by the spirit of the age."
In this address special mention was made of the villiage of A---L, in which religion was so dead that ,"not a single young person darkened the doors of the Church,"and ,"the Sabbath was given over to the drinking house and poaching."" I am talking about facts that cannot be gainsaid," added Mr. Campbell. Now, however, everything is changed. Of that same village he says; "There is not a single young man between the age of 18 and 35 who is not praying today in the prayer meeting."
According to reports emanating from the Faith Mission, this changed condition is to be found throughout the whole island, with the exception of the town of Stornoway, which appears to be regarded as the black spot. More attend the week-day services now, it is said, than formerly attended on the Lord's Day, and religion generally is a most flourishing condition. Such, in brief , is the account of the Lewis Revival, which has been broadcast throughout the world.
It is more than time that the real facts of the Lewis Revival were made known, obnoxious though this may be to those who have viewed matters in a different light. I am unable to say from whom Mr Campbell got his information, but it does not agree with the facts as I know them.
Instead of being notorious for its irreligion and ungodliness, the island of Lewis, despite all its shortcomings - and these were neither few nor small - in 1949, and for many a day before, was one of the brightest spots in Scotland, so far as vital godliness was concerned. The services of the sanctuary, both on Sabbath and week-day, were relatively well attended, and the duties of religion occupied then quite as much as now an honoured place in the esteem of the people, while, as for the disappearance of the Prayer Meeting in certain districts because of lack of interest, this is a statement which is wholly devoid of foundation. The Faith Mission story of the former godlessness of Lewis can only be characterised as a cruel and wicked slander, in which there is not even a semblance of truth.
Let me give a few facts. In the Free Church of Sornoway in 1949 - and circumstances continue unchanged until the present - one could always count upon an attendance of 200-250 at the central weekly prayer meeting, and in the summer often more, while, per week, there were 11 prayer meetings - and on the first week of every month, 13 - held in connection with the congregation. In the congregation there were, and are, over 60 men who can be called upon to engage in the exercise of public prayer, and on the Saturday evening prayer meeting of the communion one could, and can, always look for an attendance of 800-1000. Do these figures indicate a low state of religion? Where else in Scotland outside Lewis can they be obtained? I do not give them in any boastful spirit, but if these figures reflect the religious life of the "black spot" of the island, surely they show more vividly than anything else can how utterly untrue is the Faith Mission story as to the materilistic condition of the island prior to 1949. And Stornoway only reflects the state of the island as a whole. In my opinion, religion in Lewis is in a much worse condition than it was prior to the advent of the Faith Mission, for Arminian teachings have been propagated and ill-feeling and unkindly heat generated among congregations and churches, which hitherto had enjoyed peace and were able to live together in harmony.
Again, it is quite foreign to the facts of the case to say that the Free Church Presbytery of Lewis called a meeting at Stornoway in October, 1949, to discuss "the appalling drift away from the Church" and to consider "the dearth of conversions in their congregations". In this there is not a word of truth. The Presbytery met in their ordinary routine, and among the items of business before them was a resolution from the preceding General Assembly, which drew the attention of all the Presbyteries of the Church to the deplorable spiritual state of the country and requested each Presbytery to give special attention to the matter within its own bounds. In line with the request of the Assembly, the Presbytery drew out a resolution bearing upon the low state of religion in the land which was to be read from all the pulpits within the Presbytery, and also requested all their Kirk Sessions to take the matter into their considreation and to do what they could to advance the interests of true religion among their people.
When this resolution reached the Kirk Session of the Free Church Congregation of Stornoway, it was resolved that a special appeal, addressed especially to the young, be printed and distributed by the office-bearers among the households of the congregation. This was accordingly done, and a copy of this appeal can still be had by any reader of this booklet who cares to write me for it. In any case, this episode, which really reflected the spiritual liveliness of the island, has been made the ocassion for this gross and untrue charge made against the people of Lewis by the Faith Mission. I think that, at the very least, an apology ought to be forthcoming in the interests of truth.
So far as Arnol is concerned, it is outwith my area, but during the last 20 years I have preached there occasionally, mostly on week-nights, and I think that I am justified in saying that I saw scores of young people at all these services. I am sorry to have to say that I cannot accept Mr Campbell's description of the village, either as it was in 1949 or as it is now at the present time.
Now, let me give a very condensed account of what actually took place.
Shortly after the November Communion of the Free Church Congregtion of Knock in 1949, a movement broke out in the congregation, which the minister, the Rev Wm. Campbell, M.A . in his report to the Presbytery described as having all the evidences characteristic of a real revival of religion.
In the following Spring the minister of the Church of Scotland Congregation at Barvas sent an invitation to the Faith Mission, which was responded to by the Rev. Duncan Campbell, and from that point began what has been proclaimed to the ends of the earth as the Lewis Revival. Further than to say that the teachings given were thoroughly Arminian and the methods followed those of the typical American revivalist, with great insistence upon immediate and unqualified profession of conversion, this short account does not seek to concern itself with any criticism of this preacher. What it does concern itself with, however, is the extraordinary extent to which gross exaggeration, unscrupulous distortion and absolute falsehood disfigured the propaganda which accompanied and followed this movement. it is impossible to trace out the source or sources from which these things came, but, in any case, these are not the fruits of the Spirit, and one may well stand in doubt of any revival which is propagated by such methods.
Souls may have been saved - it is not wise to pass hasty judgment - but undoubtedly many souls have been deluded, many, it may be, to their eternal loss. Much harm has been done, and although there are now some evidences of the beginning of a swing back to the old order of things, it will be long indeed before Lewis fully recovers from this fresh and copious injection of Arminianism into her religious life.
"Under the name of revival the faith mission, an organisation thoroughly Arminian in doctrine and practice, unmistakenly of the school of Finney, appeared in Skye and Lewis, as the propogators of a great revival movement. This effort , according to the account given by the mission, has been most successful, and hundreds are said to have been converted.In Lewis especially, so it is said, religion had come to a very low pass, and the people were wholly given over to materialism. The House of God was largely forsaken, and in some districts the prayer meeting had faded out. So distressing was the state of religion in the Island, that according to the account of the revival given by the Rev. Duncan Campbell at the Keswick Convention in 1952, the Free Church Presbytery in October 1949, found it necessary to call a special meeting in Stornoway, "to discuss among other things, the appaling drift away from the Church, especially the younger people of the island. They were to consider the dearth of conversions in their congregations. A resolution was passed calling upon their faithful people to view with deep concern the inroads made by the spirit of the age."
In this address special mention was made of the villiage of A---L, in which religion was so dead that ,"not a single young person darkened the doors of the Church,"and ,"the Sabbath was given over to the drinking house and poaching."" I am talking about facts that cannot be gainsaid," added Mr. Campbell. Now, however, everything is changed. Of that same village he says; "There is not a single young man between the age of 18 and 35 who is not praying today in the prayer meeting."
According to reports emanating from the Faith Mission, this changed condition is to be found throughout the whole island, with the exception of the town of Stornoway, which appears to be regarded as the black spot. More attend the week-day services now, it is said, than formerly attended on the Lord's Day, and religion generally is a most flourishing condition. Such, in brief , is the account of the Lewis Revival, which has been broadcast throughout the world.
It is more than time that the real facts of the Lewis Revival were made known, obnoxious though this may be to those who have viewed matters in a different light. I am unable to say from whom Mr Campbell got his information, but it does not agree with the facts as I know them.
Instead of being notorious for its irreligion and ungodliness, the island of Lewis, despite all its shortcomings - and these were neither few nor small - in 1949, and for many a day before, was one of the brightest spots in Scotland, so far as vital godliness was concerned. The services of the sanctuary, both on Sabbath and week-day, were relatively well attended, and the duties of religion occupied then quite as much as now an honoured place in the esteem of the people, while, as for the disappearance of the Prayer Meeting in certain districts because of lack of interest, this is a statement which is wholly devoid of foundation. The Faith Mission story of the former godlessness of Lewis can only be characterised as a cruel and wicked slander, in which there is not even a semblance of truth.
Let me give a few facts. In the Free Church of Sornoway in 1949 - and circumstances continue unchanged until the present - one could always count upon an attendance of 200-250 at the central weekly prayer meeting, and in the summer often more, while, per week, there were 11 prayer meetings - and on the first week of every month, 13 - held in connection with the congregation. In the congregation there were, and are, over 60 men who can be called upon to engage in the exercise of public prayer, and on the Saturday evening prayer meeting of the communion one could, and can, always look for an attendance of 800-1000. Do these figures indicate a low state of religion? Where else in Scotland outside Lewis can they be obtained? I do not give them in any boastful spirit, but if these figures reflect the religious life of the "black spot" of the island, surely they show more vividly than anything else can how utterly untrue is the Faith Mission story as to the materilistic condition of the island prior to 1949. And Stornoway only reflects the state of the island as a whole. In my opinion, religion in Lewis is in a much worse condition than it was prior to the advent of the Faith Mission, for Arminian teachings have been propagated and ill-feeling and unkindly heat generated among congregations and churches, which hitherto had enjoyed peace and were able to live together in harmony.
Again, it is quite foreign to the facts of the case to say that the Free Church Presbytery of Lewis called a meeting at Stornoway in October, 1949, to discuss "the appalling drift away from the Church" and to consider "the dearth of conversions in their congregations". In this there is not a word of truth. The Presbytery met in their ordinary routine, and among the items of business before them was a resolution from the preceding General Assembly, which drew the attention of all the Presbyteries of the Church to the deplorable spiritual state of the country and requested each Presbytery to give special attention to the matter within its own bounds. In line with the request of the Assembly, the Presbytery drew out a resolution bearing upon the low state of religion in the land which was to be read from all the pulpits within the Presbytery, and also requested all their Kirk Sessions to take the matter into their considreation and to do what they could to advance the interests of true religion among their people.
When this resolution reached the Kirk Session of the Free Church Congregation of Stornoway, it was resolved that a special appeal, addressed especially to the young, be printed and distributed by the office-bearers among the households of the congregation. This was accordingly done, and a copy of this appeal can still be had by any reader of this booklet who cares to write me for it. In any case, this episode, which really reflected the spiritual liveliness of the island, has been made the ocassion for this gross and untrue charge made against the people of Lewis by the Faith Mission. I think that, at the very least, an apology ought to be forthcoming in the interests of truth.
So far as Arnol is concerned, it is outwith my area, but during the last 20 years I have preached there occasionally, mostly on week-nights, and I think that I am justified in saying that I saw scores of young people at all these services. I am sorry to have to say that I cannot accept Mr Campbell's description of the village, either as it was in 1949 or as it is now at the present time.
Now, let me give a very condensed account of what actually took place.
Shortly after the November Communion of the Free Church Congregtion of Knock in 1949, a movement broke out in the congregation, which the minister, the Rev Wm. Campbell, M.A . in his report to the Presbytery described as having all the evidences characteristic of a real revival of religion.
In the following Spring the minister of the Church of Scotland Congregation at Barvas sent an invitation to the Faith Mission, which was responded to by the Rev. Duncan Campbell, and from that point began what has been proclaimed to the ends of the earth as the Lewis Revival. Further than to say that the teachings given were thoroughly Arminian and the methods followed those of the typical American revivalist, with great insistence upon immediate and unqualified profession of conversion, this short account does not seek to concern itself with any criticism of this preacher. What it does concern itself with, however, is the extraordinary extent to which gross exaggeration, unscrupulous distortion and absolute falsehood disfigured the propaganda which accompanied and followed this movement. it is impossible to trace out the source or sources from which these things came, but, in any case, these are not the fruits of the Spirit, and one may well stand in doubt of any revival which is propagated by such methods.
Souls may have been saved - it is not wise to pass hasty judgment - but undoubtedly many souls have been deluded, many, it may be, to their eternal loss. Much harm has been done, and although there are now some evidences of the beginning of a swing back to the old order of things, it will be long indeed before Lewis fully recovers from this fresh and copious injection of Arminianism into her religious life.
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