Revival Stories

The 1801 Cane Ridge Camp Revival

In many ways, the revival that took place at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, was a follow-up burst of awakening fire that ignited from the Red River Revival the year before. However, it would result in being one of the largest and most well-known camp meetings of the 2nd Great Awakening in America. At this time in history, the state of Kentucky - along with Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee - were at the fringes of the western frontier that beckoned more than a million people to migrate west. Many of these pioneers were illiterate and had never read a Bible or heard a sermon preached.

When the Presbyterian minister Barton Stone experienced revival at the Red River Revival in 1800, he was so moved, he immediately started making plans to hold a similar camp meeting among the churches at Cane Ridge, Kentucky for August 1801. Yet even as Barton labored to prepare for this camp meeting, God kept pouring on fuel to spread the fire of revival. When Barton would simply read the accounts of the Red River Revival to the congregation, he observed that God would stir up strong emotion and manifestations among the listeners. As the date drew near for the Cane Ridge meeting, God continued to touch other camp meetings in the region. At one such gathering in Harrison County, Kentucky, a crowd of over 10,000 people made their way to the service.

The meeting at Cane Ridge followed the format of a Scottish communion event, gathering from Friday all the way until Monday. In August of 1801, droves of people began to assemble on a Friday afternoon, with estimates of 12,000 to 30,000 in attendance. What is even more amazing is that the largest towns of that time had a population of only 1800 people. They came by foot, by horse, or by wagon, often from other states, traveling well over 25 miles in some cases. As folks arrived, they would find different sections of the camp led by various denominations - Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists - all working together. Preaching teams would oversee the sharing of the Gospel to each section over the course of several days.

During this weekend, numerous men and women would be overwhelmed by the Spirit, some crying out for God’s mercy, some trembling, many falling on their faces or onto their knees. The power and presence of God was keenly felt, and as God supernaturally touched the crowd, even children would stand up to exhort listeners with the Word of God. The vast camp gathering was filled with the cries and shouts and songs of those desperate to encounter God. One minister described it like this: “The noise was like the roar of Niagra. The vast sea of human beings seemed to be agitated as if by a storm.”

Following the Cane Ridge camp meeting, revival fire continued to surge to more of the frontier states. When stories of this camp meeting reached North Carolina, revival broke out in various locations. Camp meetings held in Mecklenberg, North Carolina, in 1802, reached about 5000 people, while other gatherings later set up in South Carolina continued to fan the flames of revival. The frontiers of America saw God’s presence take these regions by storm, and God would build up His church and His Kingdom as people heard the Gospel clearly and encountered a powerful living God.


QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS:

  1. What do most Christians in our city today expect God to be like? What do they think a relationship with Him entails? How would you describe what an encounter with God was like at the Cane Ridge revival? What intrigues you? What scares you?
  2. What do you think drew people in Mecklenberg, North Carolina, to seek after revival in 1802? What do you think would draw people today to desire God’s presence more than ever before?
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