A Revival Vessel – Evan Roberts

The Welsh revival started when a man named Evan Roberts knelt with his arms over the seat in front, bathed in perspiration, and prayed aloud "Bend me! Bend me! Bend us”.

About two years ago I heard Vesta Mangun preaching at a conference. Very briefly, Vesta Mangun talked about this man Evan Roberts, someone I had never heard of at the time. She quoted his passionate cry “Bend me”. I had to find out more! I began to research the Welsh revival, hoping to find the “spark” that started this revival that eventually spread to the four corners of the world.

1904 Revival historian Edwin Orr writes:

Touches of revival had stirred New Quay, Cardiganshire, on the west coast of Wales where Joseph Jenkins was minister of a church in which he led teams of revived young people in conducting testimony meetings throughout the area. Seth Joshua then held meetings there, then at Newcastle Emlyn and at Blaenannerch, at which students from the Methodist Academy attended including Evan Roberts.

At Blanannerch on Thursday 29 September, Seth Joshua closed the 7am meeting before breakfast crying out in Welsh, “Lord ... bend us”. Evan Roberts recalled that it was the Spirit that put the emphasis on “Bend us”.

Roberts said that the Spirit told him "That is what you need". He left the meeting praying “O Lord, bend me”.
During the 9 am meeting, Evan Roberts eventually prayed aloud after others had prayed. He knelt with his arms over the seat in front, bathed in perspiration as he agonised. “I cried out, Bend me! Bend me! Bend us! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!"

Evan Roberts spoke after the usual Monday night meeting to 17 people. The Holy Spirit moved on them all. He then spoke every night to increasing crowds. By the weekend the church was packed and invitations came for him to speak in other churches and chapels. He usually took a small team with him to pray, witness and sing. November 1904 saw the fires of revival spread throughout Wales. By January 1905 the papers had reported 70,000 converted in less than three months.

Evan Roberts in his twenties was one of God's agents in that national revival.

For the next few weeks, I want to share with you some aspects of a message I preached in 2005 titled “Bend the Church and Save the World”. Keep your eye out for further posts. That’s my five minutes!