On February 8, 2023, following a routine chapel service at Asbury University, a handful of students remained in prayer and worship. What began as a small gathering soon ignited into a movement of the Holy Spirit that spread like wildfire, capturing global attention. This spontaneous revival, rooted in the experiences of college students at the Asbury campus in Wilmore, Kentucky, became a testament to God’s work reaching across the world.

Do you remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Asbury University? Though it may feel like a distant memory, it was just two years ago, in February 2023, as the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was remarkable not only for its resemblance to past revivals found in history books but also for how quickly it spread worldwide through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. People flocked to Asbury, and those who experienced it carried the fire of prayer and worship back to their own communities.

The book Generation Awakened: An Eyewitness Account of the Powerful Outpouring of God at Asbury captures this extraordinary movement through the personal testimony of Sarah Thomas Baldwin, Vice President of Student Life at Asbury University. As a key member of the leadership team overseeing the revival, Baldwin provides a firsthand account of the events that unfolded between February 8 and 24, when over 50,000 people from more than 300 universities, 30 states, and 13 countries gathered to witness and partake in God’s overflowing love.

Baldwin describes this revival as God shaking Generation Z out of the overwhelming influence of the world and flooding them with divine love. “Generation Z dwelled in the love God poured out, experiencing the overwhelming presence of Jesus, loving one another, and desiring to know Him more deeply,” she recalls. “The students led us to the table of God’s love… Their response to Jesus felt like a spiritual reset for a church that had become polarized between entertainment-driven and politically charged faith.”

She vividly remembers the moments following the chapel service on February 8. At precisely 12:08 p.m., students began to sing, and she joined in. Torn between attending a scheduled administrative meeting or staying in worship, she felt the gentle pull of the Holy Spirit. “Just a little longer…,” she thought, enveloped in a peace that felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket.

As someone responsible for student life, Baldwin initially left but soon returned, unable to walk away from what was happening at the altar. She noticed students immersed in worship, their faces glowing with peace and freedom. She recalls how the tension in her own face eased, and the headache she had been carrying melted away.

The revival's defining feature was its deep impact on young people. “College students may be the most ready to respond to God,” Baldwin notes. “They open their hearts to real relationships, are willing to embrace the leading of the Holy Spirit, and often become God’s instruments.”

By 3:30 p.m., Baldwin and Asbury University President Kevin Brown stood before the Hughes Auditorium, now filled with over 150 students, faculty, and staff. The gospel choir that had led worship earlier was still singing. “Words couldn’t describe it,” she recalls. More students gathered at the altar, weeping, praying, and surrendering to God’s love. Some lifted their hands, others stood silently, and some huddled together in prayer circles. The presence of God was undeniable, and everyone felt the divine invitation in their hearts.

What set this revival apart was how quickly word spread. Students posted videos on social media, and soon, students from the University of Kentucky, Indiana Wesleyan University, Eastern Kentucky University, and Ohio Christian University, among others, began arriving. Spontaneous testimonies erupted as students shared their encounters with God. Others formed prayer groups, laying hands on one another and interceding for their peers.

“You can feel something special happening here,” one participant noted. David Thomas, a theologian and historian of revival movements, encouraged attendees to open their hearts and minds to what might be unfolding among them. Baldwin was reminded of past testimonies from the 1970 Asbury Revival.

“I felt an irresistible pull.” “I had to grip the back of the pew to keep from stepping forward.” “For an entire year, we prayed every morning at 8 a.m. for revival.”

As an administrator, Baldwin wrestled with logistical concerns, but she decided to leave Hughes Auditorium open through the night. She and the leadership team refused to restrict or interrupt what God was doing. “The Holy Spirit’s work is gentle, inviting, and filled with love and kindness—almost impossible to resist,” she reflects.

The worship continued uninterrupted through the night, then into the following days, eventually lasting for 16 days. Students publicly confessed sins, shared burdens, and prayed for one another. More students from across the country arrived, drawn to the undeniable movement of God.

One year later, Baldwin wrote about the revival’s lasting impact: “People often ask, ‘So, did anything really change?’ Absolutely. We are experiencing ongoing revival. Students often remain in prayer and worship after chapel. This has become our new normal.”

Reflecting on her own transformation, she writes, “I am different. My spiritual temperature has risen. My sense of calling has deepened, and my urgency to share the gospel has intensified. The stories in the Gospels have come alive before my eyes, and I witnessed it firsthand. How could I not be changed?”

In his endorsement of the book, Asbury University President Kevin J. Brown notes, “Much of the commentary on the Asbury Revival came from voices that never experienced it firsthand. This book allows readers to relive those historic 16 days through an eyewitness account, capturing the beauty, complexity, longing, peace, and transformation of an unprecedented spiritual movement. It details the sacred imagination and radical hospitality that made this a spiritual event unlike anything seen in the 21st century.”

The fire of God’s love that burned at Asbury University in February 2023 was not confined to a single location. It spread beyond the campus, across the world, and into the hearts of those who encountered it. Today, the flames continue to burn as people carry the spark of revival wherever they go.

*This article is a translated and revised version of Christian Today