WILMORE, Ky. (NewsNation) — After almost 10 days of 24-hour worship, a revival at Asbury University ended with Sunday’s last public evening service.
Dr. Kevin J. Brown, the university’s president, said he is trying to balance the incredible moment happening at the school with the needs of the students and their academic experience.
While the final public event service was at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, public worship will continue in the afternoon until Wednesday.
“After much prayer and discussion with campus leadership, I am announcing our new schedule for the next week. This schedule is an attempt to recognize and steward this beautiful, historic moment of spiritual renewal while quickly moving toward a more sustainable campus experience for our students that fosters predictability, well-being, and continuity,” Brown said in a statement.
Thousands have traveled to the university’s chapel to take part in what was called the “Asbury Revival,” which began after morning service on Feb. 8.
Students said something changed in the atmosphere of the room and participants said they felt a “revival” of spiritual energy at the Christian school, which has fewer than 1,700 students.
Word quickly spread after worshipers shared videos on TikTok and Instagram showing people praying with their hands extended, holding hands with strangers and crying to worship music.
“Honestly when you walk in there, the atmosphere in the air is palpable; the Holy Spirit is here,” said Abby Laub, a spokesperson for Asbury University.
However, the crowds became too much, the university said. After community tensions over the influx of people in Wilmore, a town of about 6,000, safety, and security concerns the decision was made to halt the revival. Officials estimate the revival crowds swelled to over 10,000 at times — nearly twice the town’s population.
“Students have not only had to juggle various campus commitments … but also the throngs of people who have entered the dimensions of their space,” Brown said. “For some, this has created a sense of being unsettled and even alienation from their campus community.”
The school will no longer livestream or broadcast anything from indoors and will search bags before people enter Hughes Memorial Auditorium,
The emergence of the Asbury Revival sparked revivals at Samford University in Alabama, Cedarville University in Ohio, and Lee and Belmont universities in Tennessee.
Asbury University has had other revivals in 1905, 1950 and 1958.
It’s suspected that there are even more people who are now on their way to the heart of Kentucky, inspired by the massive outpouring that unfolded there over the past two weeks. School officials are now working on plans to accommodate new crowds, with possible services off campus.