Revival Stories
The 1903 Wonsan Korean Revival
Korean Christians have long been admired for their prayer life and the intensity of their devotion. What’s not as well-known is that Korea was one of the last nations of the Far East to embrace the Gospel. While there were reports of some evangelistic attempts in the 1700’s and 1800’s, these efforts failed to take hold. One of the first Protestant missionaries, Robert Thomas, was brutally martyred in 1866 while trying to gain entry to this secluded nation. By 1887, there were still only 7 professing Christians among the Koreans, and even these mostly lived lives devoid of repentance and spiritual power.
In August 1903, two missionary women in Korea, Mary Culler White and Louise McCully, met together to begin to pray for a fresh move of God. Others soon joined them. Later that month, a local medical missionary, Dr. Robert Hardie, was invited to speak at a week-long conference in the northern city of Wonsan. During the meetings, Dr. Hardie painfully began to confess how, after a decade of arduous missions work, he had no spiritual fruit to show for it. And then he admitted that he was filled with racial prejudice and that he hated the Koreans among whom he worked. Humbled by the Holy Spirit, even while fighting back his tears, he asked for their forgiveness. The Korean leaders then admitted their mutual resentment and hatred for the doctor, and they too genuinely asked for forgiveness. The Spirit broke through hardened hearts in that meeting and quickly moved to bring waves of confession, forgiveness, and healing among those present.
For the next 3 years, God used Dr. Hardie to speak at many other conferences and churches in Korea. And each time, God used Dr. Hardie’s honesty, vulnerability, and willingness to seek forgiveness to share the Gospel and ignite revival. Many attenders experienced deep conviction of sin and acted by faith to restore broken relationships and make up for their sins. The Korean church was stirred up with fresh fire from the Spirit and boldly shared the Gospel with their neighbors. In 1904, it was reported that over 10,000 Koreans had giventheir hearts to Christ that year, and by 1906 another 30,000 had trusted in Christ and been baptized. From out of one heart humbled by the Spirit, this outpouring of revival would wash over Wonsan and touch this nation for years afterwards.
QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS:
1. What surprises you about the story of revival that was birthed in Wonsan, Korea?
2. What can we learn from the life of the missionary doctor Dr. Hardie and how God used him?
3. What elements were key in jumpstarting the revival there? How would you describe the eternal fruit of this revival? In light of how Korea is a divided nation today, why do you think God brought revival to the north part of Korea first?