A college chapel at a Kentucky university held a regular church service on Wednesday, February 8. Seven days later it’s still going on.
The service started out like any other, but when it ended, a few dozen students stuck around.
Eventually, the crowd grew, thanks to TikTok, and it’s now being referred to as a “revival” after thousands of people started traveling from far and wide.
3,000 worshipers were seen in the college chapel Tuesday night with many dripping outside its doors, college president Dr. Kevin Brown said, according to NBC.
The university faculty also said students and staff from 22 schools had visited (as of Feb. 15).
Travelers from Singapore, Canada and Hawaii are also said to have attended the revival service.
What is going on?
Causing social media buzz, #AsburyRevival now has over 31 million views on TikTok.
In Christianity, the term “revival” generally means rekindling your interest in the church.
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Many visitors have shared their videos from inside the chapel, which show rows of people in wooden chairs, with an open altar, and prayers that appear to be non-stop.
Worshipers are heard singing along to hymns, while others are seen weeping and raising their hands in prayer.
Another video shows visitors lining up outside the chapel waiting to enter the crowded church.
Social media is “the mechanism”
The chairman, Dr Kevin Brown, said: “We had a very ordinary service on the first day, I would call it unimpressive.”
The videos of the services have attracted many to join the revival.
“Social media was absolutely the mechanism by which people discovered this,” said Mark Whitworth, vice president of communications at Asbury University, reports NBC.
The Asbury Collegian newspaper provided coverage of the event, featuring one attendee’s personal experiences.
“As the revival continues at the University of Asbury, 133 hours and counting, it is important to name. God is safe and wishes to keep us out of trouble,” read an excerpt from an article.
A “spiritual awakening”
People who attended church were said to be drawn to a spiritual presence they felt was present at the event.
Some students and staff who joined the movement in Asbury have now returned to their schools, where separate rallies have erupted.
Nick Hall, who was an attendee of the event, uploaded a video to Instagram asking people to join and worship.
“God is moving, revival is breaking out,” he said.
“We need it in the Twin Cities. We’re about to cry out to God, so come to Minneapolis.
“Let’s go after Jesus”.
