Billy Graham Center
Archives
Wheaton Revival Oral History Excerpts
Here are brief excerpts from some of the oral history interviews in the Billy Graham Center
Archives about the 1995 Wheaton Revival
Click here to read a brief history of the revival, which will be helpful in understanding some of the excerpts.l
****************
Interview with a junior class man
INTERVIEWEE: Something they did last night, at the very beginning they had a guy come up
and give a testimony about his...struggle with secular music. And then he had to just get rid of it
all, and he couldn't hold on to the signs of his sins or the temptations. So then he brought down
his CDs and dumped them on the stage and said, "Let's just start a pile here. No questions
asked. The administration won't ask questions about the pledge or anything tonight. If you have
something in your room or wherever that is holding you down, that is going to tempt you
when you get back, bring it here and we'll destroy it. We'll set all this stuff free.... So all through
the night [people brought material].... A guy brought his credit card and tore it and I
thought that was really interesting.... A lot of stuff in brown paper bags [chuckles]. Things I
guess people put there but didn't really feel like advertising.... I expect there was a lot
of alcohol. I won't be surprised if there were a lot of magazines.
****************
Interview with a Wheaton College staff person who acted a counselor during the
revival.
INTERVIEWER: Was there any kind of sense of "This might be the night" among WCF [World
Christian Fellowship] people...?
INTERVIEWEE: Well, I mean, I know...I know the kids wanted revival, but since around '87 or '88,
it seems to me, classes have...almost consistently there's been a core
group in each class praying for revival. And in...I'm almost sure it's school year '88/'89, a group
of like forty to sixty of us spent every Tuesday fasting at lunchtime and praying for revival. And
while little things happened here and there, nothing this happened. So I think in a sense, yes,
students were hoping for revival, but I don't think anybody had any idea of what was going to
happen. I mean, hope in that abstract sense, but I don't think it was real concrete.
******
I don't truthfully know who the next one up was, but soon after there was a
coed, and she had to wait quite a while to speak, even though she was far up in the line, because things keep
interrupting, that was obviously in a lot of pain.... And with tears streaming down her face she was...she
was confessing because she said she needed the freedom from the sin but she also wanted the
assurance that God could still use her life [pauses], you know, and was there really forgiveness.
And I really think that that just like unleashed the floodgates, because it was such a brave thing
for her to do. And I went...I was in the second row, so I popped up and went over and some of
the other students were there. By this point it was beginning...the habit of students praying for
each one individual was beginning to happen. And all of a sudden then there were a number of
girls with similar, maybe not exactly matching, stories on the floor and there was a lot of crying
and repenting and prayer. And I...I think probably...I lost track of time, but I would guess we
were on the floor for a good two hours with people wandering around us. But it went very deep
then. It wasn't...it was something that was very...it just made her so vulnerable, but I think she
enabled everybody else to be vulnerable too. ....But just the agony on her face and just that desire
to get right with God was so strong, that I think it just...it just gave everybody permission to be
honest.
****************
Interview with a junior class man who was in charge of music during the revival
meetings.
INTERVIEWER: Do you recall the conversations of the planning to bring them[two students
from Howard Payne College who spoke about the revival on their campus.]?
INTERVIEWEE: I do. I remember the first time that this even surfaced as a possibility was on
the Thursday preceding our spring break. I don't remember the exact date of that. ....March 2,
that's right. So on the second, that was our normal time for our WCF cabinet meeting. Many of
us were preoccupied, I can remember, with spring break plans, getting ready to leave campus the
next day or Saturday, when [the WCF president] and Doug O'Donnell, both of whom were in Dr.
Beougher's History of Revival class, began sharing with us what Dr. Beougher had shared with
them, specifically about the...the revival and the great awakening taking place in Texas,
specifically with regard to Howard Payne University. And during that time they also mentioned
that Dr. Beougher had made the offer to personally pay for the two round trip tickets for two
students to come up and share at WCF, not necessarily on the nineteenth, which is when they
came, but possibly maybe a week or two later. And I can remember as Matt and Doug suggested
this, the reaction of most of the cabinet was...was really, I'd probably say one of contained
excitement mixed with considerable amounts of skepticism, simply because of the red tape that
would be involved, the fact that there was already a tentative program planned for that evening,
several panel...possible panel speakers had already been contacted and requested to share that
night on the barriers to mission, which was the proposed topic. And we just...we were really
skeptical that that would...that this could ever come to be a reality. And as we discussed this
somewhat, Dr. Beougher walked in, [laughs] and we were...most of us on the cabinet were not
even aware that he had been asked to come or was even aware that we were meeting. And he had
a very calming influence, I think, on us, because we realized from his perspective that he had
thought...this was not a spur-of-the-moment shot-in-the-dark idea he had had. It had been
something he had thought through, and he presented the historical significance of it, simply that
in the past God had chosen to bring revival to pl...to new places by working through people who
had experienced personal renewal and revival in their own lives. And at that point, suddenly for
me personally, this all began to take on the aspect of something that could conceivably happen.
And it was exciting to me. I remember that we, after discussing it a little bit more, the pros and
cons, why would we have them come through WCF as opposed to going through the Chaplain's
office and possibly sharing in chapel, and Dr. Beougher was very good in explaining that it was
not an attempt to...to get around the Chaplain's office, but rather just the...simply the logistics of
the fact that chapel is being planned at times years in advance. The practicality of having
students and there's just very little flexibility in changing chapel schedules, whereas WCF, we
experience a lot more flexibility, not only of programming but also simply of timewise. We
can...we have the freedom to go over if...if that's the way the Spirit seems to be leading. So we
just sat down and just prayed it out. And we said, "Lord, if this is something that you want to
happen, you are going to have to overcome all the barriers, of people who could conceivably
stand in the way," and basically left it at that, because we were all going off on spring break, so
we weren't even going to be around for a week to see if any of this would...to try to help push this
through or whatnot. So at that point, I think that was a key moment, because that really became a
point of faith, where it was thrown over onto God's shoulders completely, because we had...there
was no way that any of us would be able to see that through. And I remember coming back from
spring break. And I went...I went on spring break with three of my housemates, and right at the
beginning I shared with them this possibility and asked them to be in prayer with me about it,
that if it was definitely something that God wanted to do, he would do. And at this point, I
suppose I...I have to confess a real lack of faith, because when I came back from spring break I
was hoping that these students would be able to come, and yet at the same time thinking they
wouldn't. I remember that Monday morning walking into the Office of Christian Outreach and
going over to check my box. And I remember the thing that was on top in my box was just a
very simple photocopied piece of paper written originally probably in magic marker, some thick
black pen that said, "The students from Texas are coming. Praise the Lord." Or something to
that extent. Very concise, very to the point. And I remember just being incredibly excited, and I
was literally jumping up and down and I ran into Kevin Engel's office, and I said, "Is this really
true? Has this really happened?" And he said, "Well, yes it is."
INTERVIEWER: Do you recall when sort of your perception of the meeting changed from
"This is what I hope happens" to "This is what's happening."
INTERVIEWEE: I remember the specific time that I knew that it was going to be different. I'd
already kind of had this feeling all evening. But when we came, the worship time was amazing, I
mean, partly because the acoustics in Pierce [Chapel] are wonderful for congregational singing, I
mean, and...but it was so loud and so vibrant.
INTERVIEWER: Now this was at the beginning?
INTERVIEWEE: This was at the beginning, this was at the beginning. And it this time it was
still "I hope this happens, but I'm not sure." And then...and also because I didn't know, no one
really knew James [Hahn] and Brandy [McGuire]. And no one had ever seen them share in front
of people before, and we didn't have the slightest idea what their communica...I mean, one on one
communication was great, but we didn't know what they would be like in front of people. And I
tell you, they stood up and they were anointed by the Holy Spirit. They spoke clearly and
articulately and expressed very well what God had done in them and in their school, but at the
same time challenged us and saying, "Hey, God can do the same thing here, but it involves
confession." And I remember the point when I knew that things were going to be drastically
different was as soon as they open...as they said, "Okay, the mikes are open," even before Matt
finished introducing that time, there were already six or seven students standing up and making
their way forward. And at that point I knew this was going to be different. I mean, this
isn't...because normally we haven't...we have two or three open mikes times a year at WCF, and
usually they'll introduce the time and then we'll sit there for about twenty or thirty seconds, and
one person will stand up and go to a mike and share, go back and sit down. And, you know,
you'll wait another twenty or thirty seconds, someone else will stand up. But, I mean, this time it
was as though those people were propelled forward. Before the time was even done being
introduced they were up, out of their seats, and standing in line to share.
*****
INTERVIEWER: That makes me wonder how...you know, for somebody who was in line
[waiting to make their confession], and then had to wait for twenty-four hours, or I suppose in the
case of Sunday night to Monday night, it was more like twelve, fifteen.
INTERVIEWEE: Fifteen.
INTERVIEWER: Was that hard on people?
INTERVIEWEE: I'm sure it was. I'm sure that that was...that was definitely difficult. But at that
point the people hearing the confessions were so exhausted, those who were left, which by that
point, probably a hundred fifty, two hundred maybe, that it became more detrimental than
beneficial. And I think Kevin and Matt both made the decision, together with Dr. Beougher, Dr.
Dorsett, to...Ruth Bamford, Dr. Kellough as well, to...to cut it off at 6:00 [a.m.] and reconvene
was a very wise decision. It...it gave people time to maybe catch a few hours of sleep, and also
to...to prepare, because as people were confessing, others would gather around them and pray for
them, which was also one of the most moving things to me, was that...and a lot of that was
without being asked. It just happened. And ministering...people ministering to each other at
times out of their own brokenness and..and supporting each other. Real demonstration of the
way the body of Christ should work. And those people...people...prayer is hard work, and
it...when it's been going on all night, you become exhausted. I mean, I speak for myself. I would
put my head down on the pew in front of me to pray and I'd wake up five minutes later. And it
was just exhausting. And not only was it physically exhausting, but you're dealing with deep
emotions and you're dealing with...with every aspect of your being, I mean, physically,
emotionally, spiritually, and it's draining. It's as draining for those confessing as it is for those
who are being confessed to. And I think it was wiser all the way around, while I'm sure it caused
some anxiety on the part of people who felt they had to wait that much longer. But the point
being, I think the breaking point is once you get in line and once you make the move and the step
to get into line, that was people saying, "I realize I need to confess." And once that's...that in
itself in some ways is already an act of repentance. And I think that then it was just a matter of
"Yes, I need to wait, but it's coming."
******
...There was a place on stage designated for people to bring things that God
had convicted them of that was keeping them from God, things ranging from CDs to drugs to
alcohol, pornography, everything you can imagine. We had garbage bags full every night to get
rid of. But...so I ripped up my credit card and put that on that pile. And God really spoke to me
about how that was an area of discipline that needed to be instilled in my life.
******
It was still "I hope this happens, but I'm not sure." And...no one really knew
James and Brandy. And no one had ever seen them share in front of people before.... We didn't
know what they would be like in front of people. And I tell you, they stood up and they were
anointed by the Holy Spirit. They spoke clearly and articulately and expressed very well what
God had done in them and in their school, but at the same time challenged us and saying, "Hey,
God can do the same thing here, but it involves confession." And I remember the point when I
knew that things were going to be drastically different...as they said, "Okay, the mikes are open."
Even before [the WCF president] finished introducing that time, there were already six or seven
students standing up and making their way forward.... We have two or three open mike times a
year at WCF, and usually they'll introduce the time and then we'll sit there for about twenty or
thirty seconds, and one person will stand up and go to a mike and share, go back and sit down.
And, you know, you'll wait another twenty or thirty seconds, someone else will stand up. But, I
mean, this time it was as though those people were propelled forward.
****************
Interview with a local pastor who works with college students.
INTERVIEWEE: Every Sunday night my wife and I...have an open house and it runs from 9 to
11pm. And we normally get between fifteen and thirty students come in on a Sunday evening.
But we had only had two people show up and they were both graduates. So I said to the male
graduate student..., "Let's head over to Pierce [Chapel, where WCF held their meetings], see
what's going on." So we walked in there at nine...and found out that thirty-five minutes before,
microphones had been opened for people to come forward [to] offer confession of sin.... So I just
stood in the back and I watched this thing going on.... After midnight and a thinning of the
crowd, it was all business and it remained as such until six am [when the WCF leadership ended
the meeting, to reconvene the next night]. There was a profound sense of sobriety... that
descended over the chapel. The confessions...I...I have to admit, I don't know how...Biblical it all
was. The confessions were lurid and I know the Bible talks about how it is shameful to disclose
the things that are done in secret.... But I like what [another minister told him] on the
telephone,..."Well, anything of this nature is messy." ....You'd have a person at one mike on the
south side of Pierce, the south side of the stage, making confession. And you might have a group
of people huddled, kneeling...directly in front of him in prayer for a person. You might have
another group just outside the double doors behind the person making confession huddled in
prayer. You might have another group on the other side of the auditorium doing the same thing
but singing and providing, as it were, background music for the confessor. And then there were
people along the back wall that were in pairs and triples and groups of larger numbers
praying.
****************
Interview with a freshman class man.
INTERVIEWER: Some of the confessions were pretty long and some of them were pretty quick.
One guy...started talking about how...he was a senior and he had known these people for four
years and he had been around these people every day of those four years and they talked and they
joked around, but he never really got to know them and he was basically confessing that, asking
for forgiveness for not getting deeper in the relationship with them..., for being superficial. A lot
of things confessed had to do with pride and a lot had to do with lust.
****************
Interview with a freshman class woman
INTERVIEWER: Did the WCF leaders envision what happened at the meeting?
INTERVIEWEE: I think that they kind of thought that it might. So they just felt that what these
students [from Howard Payne University] would have to say would move other people.... They
weren't sure what was going to happen, but they felt that they needed to make it available if it
was going to happen....
INTERVIEWER: Do you remember your feelings as it started to unfold?
INTERVIEWEE: Kind of...not really. I guess it has been a long three days! [laughs] I think that
it was a little scary at first.... I didn't know how to feel, just because that these people, people
that I know, people that I look at and think, "They have things really together," or that they would
never come up and say anything, were getting up and making confessions of sin that I
couldn't believe they were saying. Some people just confessing the most intimate of sins and just
being very real.... So that was pretty amazing to me that these people would get up and admit
that they were not as perfect as they would like other people to believe. And it was really moving
to see.
****************
Interview with a graduate student.
INTERVIEWEE: I serve on the Grad Council and at the very beginning of this school year that
is one of the things that we really discussed, "How can we get interaction between undergrads
and grads? What can we do?" God has done that. We tried different activities. Nothing seemed
to be working.... But since [the revival], I know undergraduates and they know me. I see other
undergrads and when we go to WCF, there's not this little pocket of grad students as opposed to
undergrads. And there is really this community. That wall has been broken.
****************
Interview with a senior class man.
INTERVIEWEE: It [the Thursday evening celebration] was an amazing experience. I'll take that
with me. That's what I'll take with me, is that experience of worship that night. Not that it was
an experience that I was seeking, but it was just the ability to praise God with a cleansed heart
with the rest of the community, and the deep-seated desire to thank him for just such an
incredible blessing that he poured out on our campus in healing of the students here, and the
faculty, I'm sure. And a result of that is just a renewed desire to share God with people. You
know, you're supposed to be motivated by your love of God to evangelize, and sometimes I just
don't feel like I am. I feel like I have to convince people that they need God. But it's when you
experience his presence like that, and you realize just...you get a glimpse of how wonderful he
really is, I feel like we were all motivated by a desire to share him with others.
******
INTERVIEWER: What did you think when he [Lyle Dorsett] called you?
INTERVIEWEE: Oh, it was crazy. I was...I'd...he'd called me on a...I think he called me on a
Friday, but I'd run into him on Wednesday right before class, and he said something about having
received a call from Asbury. And that's all he said. He was running out of [the] BGC [Billy Graham Center building]
. And he said
something like "Asbury wants some students to come" or something like that. ....But as he said
that...I was with a couple other students and he didn't direct it to any one of us; he just sort of said
it. But I felt, you know, that sense of like, uhhh, in my...inside. I thought, "You're gonna go to
Asbury." I just felt a burden for the students at Asbury. And it was...it was real enough that in
the class that I went to after he said that, I kept asking [the student] who was sitting next to
me, you, "Can you show me your notes," because I kept thinking about what kinds of things I
would say if I were to go to Asbury. And then I even told her and we, you know, kind of
wondered about it afterwards. You know, I said, "Do you remember when I told you, 'I just feel
like a burden for Asbury.'" I had told her that right in class. And then (that was on a Wednesday)
and either the next day or the Friday after that Wednesday he called and asked me. And so when
he asked me I just said, "Yes, of course." Because I...I just sort of felt like I knew I was gonna
go. And there was a real sense of fear in going because...not because of the public speaking
thing. I really don't get nervous about that very much. But just the responsibility of trying to
articulate what had happened just really weighed heavily on my mind. And the thought of a
college community that was needing revival, and just the weight that could be released if God
were to bring revival. I didn't feel like it was my responsibility to bring it, but I just realized that
we were talking about a serious thing, that serious lives could be changed if revival were to come
to Asbury in the same way that it came to Wheaton. And so I was burdened by it.... I'd run into
him [Dr. Lyle Dorsett, professor and a leader in the awakening] on Wednesday right before
class.... And he said something like, "Asbury wants some students to come," or something like
that. ....He didn't direct it to any one of us; he just sort of said it.... I thought, "You're gonna go to
Asbury. I just felt a burden for the students at Asbury.... And there was a real sense of fear in
going...not because of the public speaking thing.... But just the responsibility of trying to
articulate what had happened just really weighed heavily on my mind. And the thought of a
college community that was needing revival, and just the weight that could be released if God
were to bring revival. I didn't feel like it was my responsibility to bring it, but I just realized
that we were talking about a serious thing, that...lives could be changed if revival were to come
to Asbury in the same way that it came to Wheaton. And so I was burdened by
it.
****************
Interview with a Wheaton College staff member who led a team of student to
Florida to minister to inmates in Florida prisons the week before the Wheaton
revival. He described a session of confession that broke out among these
students.
INTERVIEWEE: I'll tell you the thing that I think I'm gonna remember the most,
and I don't know what it means to me yet because it's too close. I think I...I will
always remember that my first emotional reaction was one of fear, not joy.
That...that somehow....
INTERVIEWER: That's Biblical isn't it? The first...the first thing an angel says
when he...every angel in the Bible says when he appears to a human is, "Fear not."
INTERVIEWEE: I...I appreciate your saying that because...and you're right. I felt
guilty about it. I felt guilty about it the next morning because I thought when these, you know, experiences happen,
we're supposed to be joyful and thankful, and I just remember all these human
thoughts of going, "Oh, my my gosh, everything's collapsed. Things are going
wrong. A woman over here is having a nervous breakdown. Gotta get...I have to get...." You
know one of the words in my mind was "control." "I gotta get control back. And
this meeting's suppose to end by 11. Now how am I going to finish this by eleven." And so that, you know, there was some guilt there, but I guess there's some
irony there too. It's kind of like now that over a month has gone by I have a sense
of humor about it. It's like, you know, you are still very, very weak and very, very
human because even when the Lord does...does come along and does these out of
the ordinary things, your first response is extremely human. You know, you're not
overjoyed, you're not excited, you're just frightened, mad. Something's
going to hurt your program, you know, something very, very...very human. And I
think that's a good lesson for me too. I...I think it's good to remember that...I think
a part of all roles.... I don't mean this in a bad way, but I think a part of all our roles is a bit of playacting.
I meet with people like you do. I made a lot of
appointments the other day. Well, you know, getting into that, I'm tired
sometimes. I look at my appointment calendar and have an appointment I forgot I
had. I'm not overjoyed to have this person come in, but I...I'm nice, I'm gracious.
But part of that, I guess, to use the right word, is a bit of pretending. I mean I
smile, I say, "I'm happy to meet you." Inwardly I wish I were going home early.
And...and I don't mean that in a bad way. I don't mean it in a hypocritical way,
except that over the years like anything, working here at the Billy Graham Center,
a lot becomes rote. I mean a lot becomes, you go through the motions. I attend a
lot of meetings. Sometimes I'm tuned in, sometimes I'm tuned out.... But...but it...it's nice when you have those
moments where you kind of get a kick and you wake up and you say, well who're
really in charge of this whole thing anyway, you know. It's helped me, you know, during my recent trips like, you know. Coming back from
California's kind of long, you know, four hour plane trip. And I used to have
these thoughts 'cause we...we had a...we had a bad plane landing when I came
back from L.A. I won't go into the story, but I think we nearly had a crash.
And...and it...and those are the kinds of things where you don't think about until
after it happened. When it happens you just kind of go along with it. But then
walking through the terminal ten minutes later I realized, "That was almost a crash
and I...I mean I could be dead right now." And I think what was different about
thinking that thought about a week ago was that when I used to think that years
ago (not that I had many near crashes) I would go, "Are my files in shape.
Will somebody be able to assume the institute and know where I was and...and
will they carry it on and do the right things, "you know. Now it's kind of like, God's in control
anyway, and you know, the world will go on with or without me.
If the institute is supposed to go on for the future, then the will of God wants it to.
If it's supposed to end at some point, then it will. And again, it's...it's kind of a
relaxed thing. I just feel , hey, God's in control, and I worry about a lot of things I shoudln't worry about. It's been a...I
spend too much time worrying about things that just in the bigger picture seem
inconsequential.
****************
Interview with a senior class man, a leader in the World Christian
Fellowship.<
br>
INTERVIEWER: Could you briefly describe what went into getting the fellows
[one female and one male student] up from Howard Payne?
INTERVIEWEE: Sure. Let me talk to you about what Charles Finney calls a
converging of Providences, Charles Finney being that great revivalist preacher of
the last century. I had just finished a course with Dr. Beougher in...in the MA
department in evangelism, a course entitled History and Theology of Revival.
And on the last day of that course, which was the Thursday before the...the first
quad, A quad, ended this spring, so that would have been just a few weeks ago,
right before spring break, there was kind of an excitement in class, because we
had heard about the revival that had happened at Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary as a result of some Howard Payne students coming by and
giving their testimony of how God had worked on their campus. Students had
faxes in their hands from friends. Dr. Beougher was excited because it was his
alma mater, and he had already got a call from a friend. So that brought kind of
an exciting conclusion to our class, a practical and real life experience that we
could look at after studying the history and theology of revivals. During that class
period, Dr. Beougher turned to me and he said, "Matt, not to put any pressure on
you, but you're the chair of WCF this year, and," he said, "I feel like WCF is one
of the most spiritually sensitive places on campus. And I feel like there are
students there who would be very receptive to hearing a testimony of something
like this." He said, "If you are willing or would like to, I just want you to know,
I'd be willing to back...of flying a couple of students up here." So that was our
one providence that I felt converging....
A second converging of
providences that I saw just from my own perspective was that over spring break I
had the responsibility of reading a five-hundred page book by Charles Finney
called Revivals of Lec...or Lectures on Revival. I didn't realize, have any idea at
that point what was coming down the pike, but I was sure int.... So during spring
break you can imagine the thoughts that were going through my mind and all the
things I was thinking about. It certainly was...seemed like another converging of
providence that I had to go through all that training at that point, as far as what to
do during a revival, stuff like that.
When we came back...during spring break, let me say, Kevin Engel, who is
the...currently the Assistant Director in the Office of Christian Outreach, had...he
is my advisor for the ministry. And it's important that everything that I do and
that the cabinet decides that has an effect on campus, that he be involved in. And
so we have a close working relationship as well as a good friendship. He
has...was very very open. He talked to Tim Beougher about...about what this stuff
was really all about, since he didn't know a lot about the history and theology of
revival, but he was open to our cabinet's decision, and he helped to facilitate us. If
that hadn't happened, we would have not been able to invite the students. That
there is another converging of providence, because that's somewhat of a risky
business, for an administrator to do what he did. That was something, I think, is
very praiseworthy of Kevin Engel to take a step of faith like he did.
When...during spring break, Kevin Engel and I then, after the final decision had
been made to at least try to invite the Howard Payne students, we had to do some
long distance phone calling. I was on the East Coast visiting my grandparents.
He was on the West Coast visiting his family and his grandparents. And the
students themselves were in Texas on spring break. So we had to coordinate a lot
of stuff over the phone during our own spring breaks, but...including air fare and
that kind of thing. Ended up that it was a go, so the students were coming. So
when we came back we knew that they were coming and we had one week to
prepare for the evening of WCF on that Sunday night. So that's...that's more my
perspective of the converging of providences.
*****
INTERVIEWER: Of those students who still were sitting in the pews,
were...were they listening to person making confession? Were they
praying?
INTERVIEWEE: That's a good point, a good question. Throughout all the
evenings we repeated certain directives to those who were listening.
INTERVIEWER: Okay.
INTERVIEWEE: Just general things that needed to be repeated, but that were
good.
INTERVIEWER: Like?
INTERVIEWEE: One was that you can be praying for these people. But it was
interesting to me, especially on Sunday evening as it got so late (or early) toward
six o'clock a.m., many students who...several of the students who got up to
confess sins said, "I just want to thank you people who are staying here to hear
me." You know, so I think that the students who sat in the pews listening, you
know, and even Chaplain Steve being there all night, you know, just the...sitting
there listening was a ministry. It was necessary that...that the confessors have a
body to confess to. And so quite a few of them when it was really late thanked
those who were there. And I thought that was special.... Have you already heard
the story about the confiscation of goods, you know the students bringing
goods?
INTERVIEWER: Yeah, some have mentioned that. Who...how did that start?
That's....
INTERVIEWEE: Basically, it was either my idea, [pauses] but I don't think it
was. I think it was a student's idea, who said, "Why don't we do this, you know.
Why don't...I think there's a lot of students with stuff back in their rooms that's
going to cause them to stumble the second they get back there on the
commitments they just made. Why don't we give them the opportunity to bring it
up here and put it right here on the stage." Yeah, now that I think about it, I...I'm
positive and I remember that it was a student who suggested that. So I got up and
I read Scripture from the Old Testament where God told the children of Israel to
uttterly destroy the cities they were conquering. And the reason he wanted them
to utterly destroy those cities was because he knew that the things that they would
find there would cause them to stumble. And I also quoted the New Testament
example of...the Acts example of people burning the stuff that...the sorcery
materials, etc. And then I just said, "Why don't you...if you have things in your
room right now that you know or that you feel the Spirit is leading you to get rid
of or that you know are going to cause you to stumble, why don't you just go get
those right now and bring up here and put them on the stage, and we'll take care of
them for you." So that...Monday night, the young men carried five garbage bags
full of hundreds of CDs, I think, and tons more of other stuff, which you...you'll
be able to find in other records of this event. But it was a...an amazing testimony
to what seems to be a permanent work of God in these students' lives. And
it...that happened every night after that. Not as much stuff came in, but stuff kept
coming.
Last Revised: 9/8/01
Expiration: indefinite
© Wheaton College 2005