On Wednesday 8 February, a college chapel at a university in Kentucky held a regular church service. Seven days later it’s still going on.
The service began like any other, but when it finished, a few dozen students hung around.
Eventually, the crowd grew, thanks to TikTok, and it is now being called a “revival” after thousands of people began travelling from far and wide.
On Tuesday night, 3,000 worshippers were seen at the college chapel with many trickling outside its doors, university President Dr Kevin Brown said, according to NBC.
The university faculty also said students and staff from 22 schools have visited (as of 15 February).
Travellers from Singapore, Canada and Hawaii are also said to have attended the revival service.
What’s happening?
Making popular waves on social media, #AsburyRevival now has over 31 million views on TikTok.
In Christianity, the term “revival” generally means reviving your interest in the church.
Read more
Revealed: The UK’s 10 most popular TikTok videos of 2022
Delete TikTok or risk your data being exposed to ‘hostile threats’, users warned
Many visitors have shared their videos from inside the chapel, which show rows of people on wooden chairs, with an open altar and prayers that seem to be non-stop.
Worshippers are heard singing along to hymns, while others are seen crying and raising their hands in prayer.
Another video shows visitors lining up outside the chapel waiting to get inside the busy church.
Social media is ‘the mechanism’
President Dr Kevin Brown said: “The first day we had a very ordinary service, I would call it unremarkable”.
The videos of the services attracted many to join the revival.
“It has absolutely been social media that is the mechanism that people found out about this,” said Mark Whitworth, Asbury University’s vice president of communications, NBC reports.
The Asbury Collegian newspaper has been providing coverage of the event, with personal experiences from an attendee.
“As the revival continues at Asbury University, 133 hours and counting, it is important to name. God is safe, and desires to keep us out of harm’s way,” an excerpt from an article read.
A ‘spiritual revival’
People attending the church are said to have been drawn by a spiritual presence they felt was at the event.
Some students and staff who joined the movement at Asbury have now returned to their schools, where separate gatherings have broken out.
Nick Hall, who was an attendee of the event, uploaded a video on Instagram calling for people to join in and worship.
“God is moving, revival is breaking out,” he said.
“We need this in the twin cities. We are going to cry out to God, so come to Minneapolis.
“We are going after Jesus.”
