Second Great Awakening Part One - Red River

It was June of 1800 and a sacramental meeting was scheduled at Red River Meeting House, one of the churches in Logan County Kentucky that was under Rev. James McGready’s pastoral care. The following is a quote from him regarded what took place there. This is considered to be the beginning of the Second Great Awakening in Kentucky.

History tells us that the first stirrings of what God was doing was taking place in the KY congregations of McGready since 1797. To tell the entire story would make this blog longer than it needs to be, but suffice it to say that there were opposers of both McGready and the curious things that God was doing among his people. More than once they sought to interrupt and abort what had begun and sew seeds of contention among McGready’s infant churches. Oddly enough a couple of them were preachers that had been preaching in that area before the arrival of McGready, so in all likelihood jealousy was at least in part their motivation.

The following is a quote directly from Rev. James McGready in 1801 when he was reflecting on what took place during the year of 1800.

In regards to him speaking about what God had done in his three little churches from 1797 through 1799, these are his words, “Although many souls in these congregations, during the three preceding years, have been savingly converted, and now give living evidences of their union to Christ; yet all that work is only like a few drops before a mighty rain, when compared with the wonders of Almighty Grace, that took place in the year 1800.”

"In June, the sacrament was administered at Red River. This was the greatest time we had ever seen before. On Monday multitudes were struck down under awful conviction; the cries of the distressed filled the whole house. There you might see profane swearers, and sabbath-breakers pricked to the heart, and crying out, "what shall we do to be saved?" There frolickers and dancers crying for mercy. There you might see little children of 10, 11 and 12 years of age, praying and crying for redemption, in the blood of Jesus, in agonies of distress. During this sacrament, and until the Tuesday following, ten persons, we believe, were savingly brought home to Christ.”

Next, would come the sacramental gathering at Gasper River to which he had already encouraged the people to come with provisions, prepared to camp out for the duration of the multiple day meeting, as the meeting house there could not contain the crowds that he knew would be coming…