A Lay Revival - The
Second Great Awakening
This divine visitation, providential in its
character, was emphatically a lay revival. . .(the
revival of 1858). The revival was carried on independently of
the ministry and almost without their aid. The ministry was not
ignored, nor was there in any sense an opposition to them. They
carried on their regular services, but to greatly increased
congregations, which were the immediate fruits of the revival,
and by their preaching and their "prayers they gave
encouragement to the work and cooperated with it.
The movement commenced with a layman, it enlisted the
sympathies of other laymen throughout the country, and it was
carried on chiefly through their instrumentality . . . The
revival, moreover served as a great training school for laymen
and brought to light the abilities of such men as D. L. Moody,
who, left a lasting impress upon the history of American
Christianity.
- Frank Grenville
Beardsley, History of American Revivals
