Rochester Revival of 1830 — E.A. Johnston

Correcting Exaggerated Claims About the Rochester Revival

My PhD is in revivals of religion, and as revival scholar, I'm always shocked by the great amount of ignorance as to historical revivals and how much inaccurate information exists out there and is promoted as fact.

There's an evangelist on the internet who claims to be an expert on the revival in Rochester, New York under Charles Finney, and this man has videos and a book full of the wildest exaggerations and none of it's based on the facts of history.

This man is going around saying that 100 ,000 souls were saved in that revival in Rochester in 1830. If this young evangelist would study his history books, he would learn that the entire population of Rochester, New York in 1830 was 9 ,200.

How do you get 100 ,000 converts out of 9 ,200 people is beyond one's wildest imagination. The fact is there were 800 converts recorded in the revival of 1830 in Rochester, New York under Finney. 1 ,800 people is a far cry from 100 ,000.

The Actual Scale and Significance of the Revival

The ignorance in historical revival is mind-boggling to me. I want to put the record straight, friends, on this revival under Charles Finney, which was indeed a poor revival for that time period, but let reality speak for itself and not outlandish fiction for sensationalism.

Rochester, New York was a growing community in 1830. In 1821, it had 2 ,500 residents. By 1823, the Erie Canal aqueduct over the river was completed and ferry boats made the more accessible to travel so that by 1830, Rochester had grown to a population of a little over 9 ,000 residents.

To have 800 converts out of that population is a great number, and it demonstrates the power of that revival under Finney. The revival had already commenced prior to Finney's arrival in that city in the autumn of 1830 during the spring and summer months before Finney came.

Rochester Within the Second Great Awakening

There was reported in the community a solemnity in the churches and a visible change had come over the public mind in regard to religion. You must bear in mind, friends, that America itself was in the grip of the Second Great Awakening.

Ministers like Charles Finney and Azahel Nettleton were prominent in promoting revivals of religion, but there were many pastors, unforgotten by history, who had powerful moves of grace in their churches under their own preaching.

By the time Finney arrived in Rochester to begin preaching in the Third Presbyterian Church, the city was already experiencing reformation. Finney threw gas on the fire, and for the next six months, many of the prominent residents of Rochester were converted.

Conversion Among Rochester's Professionals

The revival had a profound effect on the young professionals in the city, men who were lawyers, bankers, and merchants. More lawyers were converted in this revival in Rochester than anywhere else Finney labored.

Several facts of this revival are noteworthy. The district attorney of Rochester was converted in the revival, and this man was well acquainted with the crime data of the city, and it was his estimate that because of the revival, crime decreased by two-thirds.

Revival, Entertainment, and Cultural Change

Another interesting fact was that in America during this time period, theaters were considered to be places of great corruption and vice, and yet in godless America today, we let the theater into our homes every day and give it prominence in our living rooms through television, and we wonder why we've become so desensitized to sin.

But one of the facts of the revival of 1830 in Rochester was that the theater was closed down for lack of business and did not reopen again for another seven years. The residents were more engrossed in spiritual concerns than in entertainment.

Studying Revival History and Praying for Renewal

I think it's important, friends, that we study historical revivals ourselves and do our own research without being lazy and relying on other uninformed individuals to make outlandish statements that don't line up with the facts of the time.

It's hurtful to our understanding of revival to say 100 ,000 souls were saved when in reality it was 800. I know 100 ,000 sounds better, but let's quit rewriting history. I've written two historical accounts of spiritual awakening in America.

My larger work is two volumes and 1 ,200 pages covering the Great Awakening under my definitive biography on George Whitefield, and my work on the Second Great Awakening can be found in my 700-page book on the biography of Azahel Nettleton entitled Azahel Nettleton, Revival Preacher.

I've spent decades studying revival, praying for revival, writing about revival, and preaching for revival. Take the time, friends, to learn as much as you can about real revivals of religion. It will be helpful to you when you pray for revival to come in our day.

Let us pray.