Participants from across the country have flocked to Kentucky to experience what some are hailing as a spiritual revival, including all-day prayer services at a Christian University.
These events have received widespread media coverage.
Since February 8, Asbury University students have been leading worship services in their school chapel at Wilmore, Kentucky. These services featured prayers, worship music, testimonies, altar calls, and religious conversions.
Christianity Today reports that the movement began when students refused to leave a chapel service last Wednesday. It has since spread across America, filling its chapel with worshipers from all backgrounds.
Jim Shores, an associate professor, told Fox News Digital, "It's praise and worship, honestly. Nobody's snake-handling. It's just praise and worship that's going around 24/7."
Shores reported that local residents have come out in droves to partake in the "very sweet-spirited" services, with some people even driving hours from out of state for them.
"It's really been student-led, but now the world's coming in to be like, I want to experience this. People are just hungry to have an experience." Shores noted that a few people are simply curious, but many come looking for aspiration and connection.
Kentucky Today reports that groups from 22 other higher education institutions made their way to the University to partake.
According to Asbury President Kevin Brown's words to local WKYT, "We would say there is just a spirit of the Lord in this place, really [burrowed] its way into the hearts and minds of our students, staff, faculty and our community."
Established in 1890, Asbury University is not officially affiliated with any Christian denomination but draws its inspiration from the Wesleyan-Holiness movement that emerged from Methodism.
In February 1970, a revival took hold on campus for weeks; classes were canceled, and services continued late into the night.
Shores' words were echoed by Abby Laub, director of communications at Asbury University.
"If you look at the world, and you look at what is going on and what Gen Z is facing, I just think they are absolutely desperate for something other than what the world is giving them right now," she told Fox News Digital.
Laub reports that some students who attended the services were moved by sharing stories about spiritual darkness in their lives, which they had never shared before.
Mia Lush, a student, told local NBC affiliate LEX 18, "People are coming from all over, and they don't want to be anywhere else but here. Like, I'm a big Eagles fan, and I didn't even watch the Super Bowl. I've been able to surrender things that I didn't even know I would be able to surrender."
Shores noted that one speaker who spoke during the service was also present during the 1970 Asbury Revival.
"She said, 'I never thought I'd live to see this happen again in my lifetime, but here it is. And it just gives me so much hope that this next generation, this Gen Z generation, does not have to be defined by anxiety, but they can be defined by hope.'"
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Asbury University student life Vice President Sarah Baldwin described the revival as "an outpouring of the love of God, starting with Generation Z and overflowing on the rest of us to bring healing, joy and unity."
"At the center of it all, its been a return to a whole-hearted commitment to Jesus and turning away from anything that distracts us from Christ. We are deeply grateful for what God is doing," she added.
Kentucky Today reports that Tim Beougher, pastor of West Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville and professor of evangelism at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written a lot about the 1970 Asbury Revival events.
Recently, Beougher posted on social media "What every believer should be doing right now, regardless of what you think about the early reports out of Asbury, is praying," quoting Jonathan Edwards - a major figure during the First Great Awakening in American colonies during the 18th century.
"Who would deny that we need revival in our churches and spiritual awakening in our land?" "God has visited this nation with powerful awakenings before we study those great movements of revival in church history classes. Is Asbury the spark of another awakening? I dont know, but Im praying, and you should be, too."
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