In this article we shall reflect on the mighty work of God’s Spirit in Ballymena and, in so doing, we shall note four significant features of the 1859 revival.

Godly Ministries⤒🔗

Whilst God was pleased to work mightily in salvation in the year 1859 there is no doubt that the ground was well prepared spiritually by the prayerful and faithful ministries of many godly men throughout the province. This point has been well illustrated by Dr John Lockington in his recent pamphlet on Rev John Johnston of Tullylish.¹ Another example of this kind of godly ministry is Rev S J Moore of Third Presbyterian Church, Ballymena. He was a diligent pastor who longed for the salvation of his people and he was also, like John Johnston, very active in open air preaching. These men, along with others, like Rev John Moore of Connor and Rev Frederick Buick of Ahoghill, were used by God in encouraging the Lord’s people to pray for revival and to be active in spreading the Gospel. There is a view among certain historians of the revival that God was at work in a time of great deadness.

I R K Paisley represents this viewpoint when he states that,

spiritual life in Ulster prior to the Revival was at a low ebb. The Presbyterian Church re­established and consolidated on the broad basis of orthodox Christianity had a name to live but was dead.²

However the present writer subscribes to the view of A R Scott, who argues that,

the revival of 1859 was not a sudden outburst but rather the result of a gradual crescendo of Christian effort over half a century, blessed by the sovereign grace of God.³

Prayer←⤒🔗

The relationship between revival and prayer is one which we need to treat carefully. There is no doubt that a relationship exists, but we must never give the impression that something ‘automatic’ is happening – we pray and automatically revival will follow. Revival is a “sovereign work of God’s Holy Spirit”. Yet, 1859 reminds us that the Lord is pleased to work in response to the prayers of His people. In Ballymena, from March 1859 onwards, a mid-day prayer meeting was held in the Town Hall and many prayer meetings were held throughout the district. As such, the town was ripe for revival.

Meetings←⤒🔗

The meetings which were held during the revival were notable in many ways not just because they lasted for hours, but because, when God began to work, people gathered night after night for weeks on end. On 15 May 1859 a meeting was held in Jackson’s schoolroom in Springwell Street, Ballymena, at which Rev S J Moore presided. In the words of J T Carson:

The power of the Almighty God descended upon those present, bringing a great concern about eternal things. Throughout the town a feeling of solemn awe came over the wicked and for one night or more sleep was withheld from the eyes of hundreds of people. Strong crying, with tears and prayers was heard in the streets and in almost every house there was the manifestation of a Divine agent working mightily.⁴

For the next few weeks three services were held every night in the Third Presbyterian Church (Wellington Street) in First Ballymena Presbyterian Church and in the Church of Ireland Parochial Hall. Thousands met nightly for prayer and praise in homes and in other places. In many different homes stricken people could be found lying prostrate on the floor crying to God. It is difficult for us to imagine exactly what these meetings were like but here is a contemporary account of one of the services in Wellington Street that gives us something of the ‘spiritual flavour’ of these amazing gatherings:

I could not get into the building; every open window was more than occupied. In the vestry room there were those under conviction of sin; it was a scene impossible to forget and equally impossible to describe. An old man, a boy, and a young man were in varying stages of deep concern. They all wanted to be free from sin’s awful guilt and to escape its just reward. 'I know that my redeemer liveth', the young man said. 'I know that He can save my soul. I know that He can wash me from all uncleanness in the fountain of His atoning blood. But, Oh I have crucified Him, I have crucified Him. I have despised His holy name and how shall I approach Him. Oh my sins. Oh God be merciful to me.'

Every Sunday evening a large open air meeting was held in a field on the Galgorm Road where again many were converted. These meetings often broke up, only to leave groups of praying people around as many as nine to ten convicted souls. It was often near to midnight before people finally returned home and indeed for two or three nights some families did not go to bed at all and business in the town seemed at a standstill. Indeed one of the features of the 1859 revival was what could be called ‘community impact’.

Community Impact←⤒🔗

This work of God’s Spirit was something which impacted communities in a very significant way. When God began to work in a district it was something which everyone knew about. The editor of the Ballymena Observer made the following comment:

Common street prostitutes and public nuisances who had frequently been convicted for drunkenness and loitering are now clothed with attention to decency and struggling to earn their livelihood by honest labour, and by learning to read. They are all daily and humbly beseeching pardon for their past sin and in regular attendance at some place of worship every Sabbath Day.

In Broughshane on Saturday 21 May 1859 after the morning break for breakfast at the Raceview Woollen mills six or seven of the mill workers were found to be so smitten down so as to be incapable of work. God’s Spirit was at work convicting the workers of sin, and by twelve noon the factory had to close down as so many of the employees were crying unto God for mercy. Throughout the weekend the gracious work continued and on Monday morning nearly half the workers were absent on account of their distress of soul.

We speak today of church extension and of the importance of engagement with the communities around our churches. But here was church extension and community involvement on a scale way beyond our greatest expectations. Notice the strategy. No mission statements, five year plans or strategic development programmes. Just prayer, God’s Word and God’s Spirit.