Revival in the 1970s
When we arrived the whole village was busily working in the fields, as it was harvest time. But when Brother Yang told them, "This is the man you've been praying for," they all put down their tools and ran to us...I was quite nervous because I had never spoken to a group of people before. Thirty or forty people were all staring at me, searching me with their eyes, and longing to hear God's Word. They were so hungry for the truth...The way God had provided my Bible caused great wonder among them. They wanted me to teach them. At that time I didn't know what it meant to preach. I could only recite the Bible from the chapters I had memorized, so I recited the entire Gospel of Matthew out loud, from chapter 1 to 28...when I opened my eyes I saw how God's Word had captivated everybody. The Holy Spirit was convicting them of their sins. They all knelt down and repented with tears flowing down their cheeks. That night, even though I was just 16 years old, I learned that God's Word is powerful (Yun 37).
In the past, there have been several waves of Christian revivals in China. However, the most recent wave took place in the 1960s and 70s during the Cultural Revolution. It may be interesting to the reader that this revival took place at a time when all religions were severely suppressed in China. Churches, mosques, and other religious buildings were destroyed while people were killed and tortured in order to drive religion out of the land. Yet the harsh oppression on Christianity did not hinder it from spreading and growing. It was re-sparked in the countryside, but it was mainly known as the "religion of the peasants". However, by 1989, Christianity spread to even those with much power and education. It continues to spread abundantly, saving many, to this day (Wu).