p. 14 | The Revival at Mount Vernon College

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 19, 1914

The Revival at Mount Vernon College

By B. G. Wilkinson

Through some misunderstanding, the report of the splendid experiences of the week of prayer at Mount Vernon College failed to reach the REVIEW for publication. As many of the friends of the institution and parents or relatives of the students are looking for some word concerning that occasion, I shall give a short account of the deep spiritual experience which came to all, both faculty and students, at Mount Vernon College.

Some of the leading brethren at Mount Vernon say they have passed through twenty weeks of prayer, but never through such a one as in the closing days of 1913. The church held special meetings in the evening, apart from the college. Preparations had been made some time previous for this season, so the students held their meetings in the morning. All began earnestly to seek God, and were convinced that they must have a deep infilling of the Holy Spirit.

The members of the college faculty surrendered themselves entirely to the work. The leading students of the school also met together on the first Friday night, at which meeting the Spirit of God came in immediately with great power. In the social meeting of the evening quite a number raised their hands for prayer, among whom were many who had manifested little or no interest in the work of the Lord.

On my arrival the last Thursday evening in the week, I learned of the many things which God had done during the preceding days. That evening Professor Salisbury requested that the next morning might be given up entirely to revival work. Though we felt that revivals were things which could not be manufactured to order, yet when the services began the next morning, it was very evident that the Spirit was present in great power. The meeting began at 8:45 and lasted till 12:45.

At the beginning, Professor Salisbury had a list of some thirty-five students who were not members of the church, and for whose conversion teachers and students had been praying earnestly. At the close of the meeting while all the students were before the altar, completely broken and surrendered, Professor Salisbury drew a line through the last name on the list, saying that all the thirty-five were in. There was not one left in the whole student body who had not surrendered to Christ. The next Sunday the First Baptist church in the city was secured, and was filled to its utmost capacity. The pastor came to assist in the service, and thirty-five of the students were buried with their Lord in baptism. This is all the more encouraging when we note that the attendance at Mount Vernon this year is the largest in the history of the school.

The annual offering was taken up that Friday morning. When the envelopes were opened and the money counted, the contributions of the faculty amounted to $86, while the students had given an offering of $71.45. The offering of the church also was very large.

The Thursday night preceding had witnessed a great movement on the part of the church. The elders and officers had been laboring earnestly that all might be brought into the fold, and it was a blessed experience to see some present the following Sabbath morning who had once been prominent and active in the service of God but who for some time had been cold and in the background. Never had there been so complete and entire a sweep made to bring all, both church members and students, into the fold of Christ. Since then the work has gone on deepening and solidifying.

The brethren of the neighborhood, as well as the conference, deeply regret the necessity of changing the institution from a college to an academy, but all are endeavoring to take the change cheerfully. It will be of interest to all to know that whereas four years ago the indebtedness of the institution was about thirty-two thousand dollars, this year the indebtedness has been reduced to twenty-three thousand dollars. At the same time, the building has had expended upon it between six and seven thousand dollars for repairs, so that now everything in connection with the institution is clean, spick-and-span. The work in the classrooms is inferior to none done in the same subjects anywhere. All are determined to continue this good work and to keep on the forward march.

Last year the students of Mount Vernon College sold about ten thousand dollars' worth of our truth-filled literature throughout the union. A large number are preparing to rally again to the work this year, and we look for good results.

B. G. WILKINSON.