Spiritual Drought in the Hebrides
In the late 1940s, on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides, the church faced a spiritual drought. Young people were absent from worship, and the general atmosphere was one of indifference toward God. Amid this spiritual barrenness, two elderly sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith, were moved to prayer. Despite physical limitations—one was blind and the other crippled with arthritis—they prayed fervently in their cottage, clinging to God's promise in Isaiah 44:3 for His Spirit to refresh the dry land. They encouraged their minister to urge the church leaders to join them in prayer. A group of men committed to pray until God moved in their midst.
Duncan Campbell's Arrival
Duncan Campbell was invited to the island after the Smith sisters sensed God's leading. Initially hesitant, Campbell felt called to go and joined the community in their spiritual quest. His arrival was marked by a week of little outward change, but the groundwork of prayer had already laid a foundation for the supernatural.
The Hebrides Revival 1949 Begins
Campbell emphasized that the revival was God's doing. As he preached, speaking plainly and passionately about the need for holiness and the power of the Holy Spirit, the island began to stir. One pivotal moment occurred during a prayer meeting in a barn. A young man fell into a trance, overwhelmed by God's presence, signaling a turning point. Events cascaded from there, with more experiencing profound encounters with God.
On December 13, 1949, after a meeting, as Campbell lingered with a deacon, the latter prayed fervently and fell into a trance, declaring he could hear 'the rumbling of heaven's chariot wheels.' The community was gripped by God's Spirit, leading to widespread repentance and conversion. People were drawn to prayer meetings in droves, and social ills vanished as lives were transformed.
God Transforms Entire Community
'Revival is a community saturated with God,' Campbell later reflected. He joyfully acknowledged that the revival was not his doing, but God's. The Hebrides was transformed, with thousands turning to faith and many entering full-time ministry. The island was alive with a sense of God's presence, as prayer and worship became central to daily life.
