A Response to the Article “Keep a Quarter in Your Pocket”

Having read the article “Keep a Quarter in Your Pocket” http://www.patheos.com/blogs/spiritchatter/2013/05/keep-a-quarter-in-your-pocket

 I feel I must comment. The author makes several assertions that are not true or at least ungrounded at best. I have an MA in history from Southwestern Assemblies of God University. During that program I studied the Cane Ridge Revival. Since I live about an hour from the location, I had the opportunity to visit the site while doing research for a paper.

1.       The author makes the assertion that somehow the Holy Spirit’s manifestations caused a breakdown in sexual ethics. This is simply not the case. Yes there were barking exercises…explained as a jolt of the Spirit that forced the air from you….not like a dog. These exercises may cause a person to also fallout under the power of God. The author suggest that these exercises, as they were called, caused ladies to become immodest leading to increased sexual response in participants. The evidence shows that Kentucky experienced a great moral resurgence following the revival. In many cases this affected all areas of life including our early government here in the Bluegrass. The Spirit will never evoke ungodly feelings or actions. He will always bring Christ glory.

2.       The second assertion makes the reader question the morality of women at this time. Stating that there was an increase in the birth rate. This may be so, but there is no indication that this behavior or the increase in child birth was a result of immoral activity. It was simply an expression of the blessings of God on his people. In many cultures, early American included, large families were a sign of God’s provision for the family. More hands to work the farm.

3.       The third assertion is that some unnamed leading evangelist keept a quarter in his pocket to call his wife following each service. Why? Because preaching evoked in him a thrill akin to sexuality. WOW! First off, if that is the case, this famous preacher was way off base spiritually to make that statement. Second, sharing it with others was off base, placing that in the minds of students/younger preachers was absurd and outside the realm of normalcy…meaning that all those hearing this profession will now look for preaching to be a sexual high. Lastly, the fact, as the author states, that the preacher acted upon his fear, further proves that he lost his spiritual foundation somewhere along the way.

4.       Lastly, while all of these immoral or at the least amoral comments are made about the early participants, no mention is made of the positive aspects of the revival. For those unfamiliar with Kentucky history, here is a brief lesson. In 1801 Kentucky was still a part of the frontier. Though it achieved statehood in the 1792 as the fourth and final Commonwealth. The Cane Ridge Revival took place near a small frontier town called Paris, located in Bourbon County. Kentucky is known for Bourbon the drink, the county is named for the royal house of France in honor of their support during the American Revolution. Kentucky entered the union as a slave state. It remained as a slave state until the end of the Civil War, but it was on the border. As a border state, Kentucky had some who were opposed to slavery, most were not. The iconic southern colonel originated here. Following the Cane Ridge Revival, Paris became the epicenter of the abolitionist movement in the state. Many saw the outpouring of the Spirit on both blacks and whites as an indication of the equality or at least mutual respect that should exist between the races. This positive shift following the revival is little known and little spoken of outside of Kentucky.

As a Pentecostal Kentucky Historian, I am proud of the heritage of this great revival. The Gospel was spread all over the frontier. Many denominations began: The Disciples of Christ, the Independent Christian Churches, and the Church of Christ. Transylvania University, Asbury University, the University of Louisville and many others were profoundly affected. The Presbyterian Church, still headquartered in Louisville, experienced a mighty revival. The lasting effects of the revival can be seen all over the Commonwealth. I would encourage anyone who has the chance to visit the site, stand in its pulpit, sing a verse or two of your favorite old hymn, and pray that God would grant us another Cane Ridge Revival as I have done.