Red River Meeting House: Birthplace of the 2nd Great Awakening
by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D., Revival Historian written on location in Kentucky near the Red River Meeting House
God is doing a new thing for such a time as this. This week on the 222 anniversary of the spark of what would later catalyze the 2nd Great Awakening, God is bringing people from around the nation to re-dig this well at the Red River Meeting House in Kentucky where it all began as Parker & Jessi Green with Saturate Global host revival meetings onsite. I have been so blessed to partner for such a time as this.
Dutch Sheets recognizes the significance of these well of revival and says that, “The Red River Meeting House was the place of a great revival in 1800. It led to the great Cane Ridge revival, which led to the Second Great Awakening, which literally saved America. Not just spiritually, but as a nation. Some historians believe every significant revival in the world since then has a connection to the Red River Meeting House.”
In Proverbs 10:5 (TPT), it says, “Know the importance of the season you’re in and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!”
The Red River Meeting House has been highlighted prophetically for such a time as this. Let me now take you on a little journey through its history as we dive into the well of this revival to see the prophetic significance it has for us today.
Small Beginnings
It was in July of 1799 when God really began to move in a special way in Kentucky when a Presbyterian minister named James McGready responded to the burden on his heart to see revival sweep across his region and the nation. After a short preaching stint in North Carolina where there was heavy opposition to the point where someone burned down his pulpit, and another sent him a threatening letter written in blood, McGready didn’t let this take him out. Instead, he shook off the dust and then headed for Kentucky.
He arrived in Logan County, Kentucky in around 1797 where he settled in the Red River Community and was given three small churches to lead: Red River, Gasper River, and Muddy River. The region at the time was not the most prominent place to be. It was known as “Rogue's Harbor” or “Satan’s Stronghold” where many felt unsafe to walk the streets.
A Call to Corporate Prayer and Fasting
In light of wanting to see people awakened to the love and fire of God, McGready called all three of his congregations to corporate prayer and fasting. Every Saturday evening and Sunday morning, along with one whole Sabbath each month for a whole year, his community committed to special prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and for revival to break out. He even got this remnant to sign a covenant commitment to this call of prayer for revival. When they signed this covenant, they were agreeing to pray for revival until they see it or until they die. As early as 1797, men from James McGready's three churches would spend all day in the woods, heavy under conviction, weeping, and calling out to God to be saved. He continued in this rhythm of corporate prayer and fasting for over two years.
The Embers (July 1799)
Then in July of 1799, revival began to break out at his church in Red River. Sinners began to be overcome with conviction and repent, the Holy Spirit broke out and moved slaying people under the power of God. In a letter written to a friend, James McGready described the meeting these embers emerged that would later lend to the spark that would ignite the flame of the 2nd Great Awakening:
“…our infant congregation remained in a state of deadness and darkness from the fall, through the winter, and until the month of July, 1799, at the administration of the sacrament at Red River. This was a very solemn time throughout. On Monday the power of God seemed to fill the congregation; the boldest, daring sinners in the country covered their faces and wept bitterly. After the congregation was dismissed, a large number of people stayed about the doors, unwilling to go away. Some of the ministers proposed to me to collect the people in the meeting-house again, and perform prayer with them; accordingly we went in, and joined in prayer and exhortation. The mighty power of God came amongst us like a shower from the everlasting hills--God's people were quickened and comforted; yea, some of them were filled with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. Sinners were powerfully alarmed, and some precious souls were brought to feel the pardoning love of Jesus.
At Gasper river the sacrament was administered in August (1799). This was one of the days of the Son of Man, indeed, especially on Monday. I preached a plain gospel sermon on Heb. 11:16, the better country. A great solemnity continued during the sermon. After sermon Mr. Rankin gave a solemn exhortation--the congregation was then dismissed; but the people all kept their seats for a considerable space, whilst awful solemnity appeared in the countenances of a large majority. Presently several persons under deep convictions broke forth into a loud outcry--many fell to the ground, lay powerless, groaning, praying and crying for mercy…”[1]
After these occurrences in 1799, the winter months came and caused things to close down some. But then in the summer of 1800, the embers created a catalytic spark so much so that McGready looked upon the events of 1799 as prelude as to what was to happen in 1800 and said, “the year of 1800 exceeds all that my eyes ever beheld upon earth.” The following year they planned for another four day sacrament camp meeting in Red River, and the results were astounding.
The Catalytic Spark
Red River Meeting House: 1st ever Camp Meeting (June 13-17, 1800)
In a letter to a friend, dated Logan County, Kentucky, October 23, 1801, McGready tells of the
"Commencement and Progress of the Revival of 1800: In June (1800) the sacrament was administered at Red River. This was the greatest time we had ever seen before. As 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, 10 persons we believe, were savingly brought home to Christ."
People came from over 100 miles away for the four day communion service, camping in covered wagons. In the final session John McGee stood up to give closing exhortation: “I...exhorted them to let the Lord omnipotent reign in their hearts, and submit to Him, and their souls should live... I turned again and losing sight of fear of man, I went through the house shouting and exhorting with all possible ecstasy and energy, and the floor was soon covered by the slain.” McGready said,
“At a huge evening meeting lighted by flaming torches . . . a Presbyterian pastor gave a throbbing message . . . The power of God seemed to shake the whole assembly. Toward the close of the sermon, the cries of the distressed arose almost as loud as the speaker's voice. After the congregation was dismissed the solemnity increased, till the greater part of the multitude seemed engaged in the most solemn manner. No person seemed to wish to go home- hunger and sleep seems to affect nobody- eternal things were the vast concern. Here awakenings and converting work was to be found in every part of the multitude. Sober professors, who had been communicants for many years, now lying prostrate on the ground, crying out in such language as this: ‘O! How I would have despised any person a few days ago, who would have acted as I am doing now! But I cannot help it!’ Persons of every description, white and black, we’re to be found in every part of the multitude... crying out for mercy in the most extreme distress.”[2]
Bernard A. Weisberger said, “the revival was no passively received blessing. It was a weapon aimed at sin, and it was meant to be used to hit hard.” See another account mentioned below:
“When the revival began, it began without warning. At a meeting at Red River Meeting House in June of 1800, though some attendees cried and wept, and others fell to the floor under conviction of their sinfulness, and though there were conversions, it seemed, as the last day of the meetings closed, that there would be no great move of God at that time. Disappointed, James McGready and two ministers who had been assisting him left the building.
A visiting minister from nearby Sumner County, Tennessee, William McGee, looking sorrowfully around, suddenly felt impressed to shout to the people, “Let the Lord God Omnipotent reign in your hearts!” At this, pandemonium broke forth among the congregation. Some of the lost began to scream, others fell to the floor, sometimes writhing, sometimes perfectly still, having swooned, as fainting was called in that day. In modern religious terminology, they had been “slain in the spirit.” Several members went to McGee and urged him to try to stop what was happening, saying that Presbyterians could not allow such goings on. Instead, William McGee went throughout the building, shouting praises to God and encouraging the people to yield themselves wholly to God. Many were changed forever that night. In the words of James McGready, "a mighty effusion of [God's] Spirit" came upon the people, "and the floor was soon covered with the slain; their screams for mercy pierced the heavens."
Heartened by the results of this meeting, another was planned at McGready's Gasper River Church. This was the first planned camp meeting. Volunteers arrived days early to cut away trees and undergrowth around the "meeting house." This was to make room for the people and the wagons that were expected. They did not anticipate what occurred. An enormous crowd, as many as several thousand, arrived at the appointed date. Thirteen wagon loads of people and provisions showed up ready to camp out at this meeting. Whole families had come prepared to camp out for days. Some of these people had traveled over 100 miles, on wilderness roads or trails, to be there. The estimates of the number present ran as high as 8,000 men, women, and children.”[3]
Rev. George Baxter says:
“I think the revival in Kentucky among the most extraordinary that have ever visited the church of Christ, and, all things considered, peculiarly adapted to the circumstances of that country. Infidelity was triumphant and religion on the point of expiring. Something of an extraordinary nature seemed necessary to arrest the attention of giddy people, who were ready to conclude that Christianity was a fable and futurity a dread. The revival has done it. It has confounded infidelity and vice into silence, and brought numbers beyond calculation under serious impressions.”
The Revival Fires spread (Cane Ridge August 1801)
Barton Stone who got saved under McGready’s ministry in North Carolina, would later take what he experienced from McGready’s Red River Revival camp meetings to lead one of the largest Camp meetings happened August 6-13, 1801 in Cane Ridge Meeting House. This historic camp meeting drew in between 10,000 and 20,000 people, 140 wagons, having some people travel over 200 miles. This would have been “nearly 10 percent of the recorded population of Kentucky in 1800.” This spread the 2nd Great Awakening more expansively around the nation. More on Cane Ridge Revival in another revival history sketch to come.
After people attended the camp meetings, they would then spread the revival back to their own regions. William Booth and the early Salvationists studied the camp meeting. Peter Cartwright got saved at Red River and became a Methodist circuit rider, taking the gospel to people by horseback. Another circuit rider who saw the Holy Spirit moving at this time was the Methodist bishop Francis Asbury, who Asbury College was named after. When he experienced what God was pouring out in these these camp meetings, he saw this could be a prototype to be replicated across the American frontier to host and steward revival.
Recent Prophetic Dreams about Red River Meeting House
It is interesting how a revival that was birthed over two centuries ago is being highlighted in the Spirit for such a time as this. Prophetic voice, Gina Gholston, had several dreams about Red River Meeting House recently where I share excerpts below. The first was in the Summer of 2020 where she recalled:
“I dreamed I was at the Red River Meeting House in Russellville, Kentucky. I had gone through the gate and started walking up the drive toward the Meeting House, when I noticed 100 bald eagles on the grounds… “Hearing a noise behind me, I turned and saw an older well-drilling rig coming through the gate toward the Meeting House. It stopped about halfway up the driveway and parked under the walnut trees where it began drilling. No sooner had the bit been set when, whoosh, the water gushed out in very high, massive amounts!
“I thought, ‘This looks like Old Faithful.’…Then I heard an audible voice speaking about this geyser in front of me: “‘It is set on the rhythm of Heaven’s time clock. And it’s time!’
“As soon as I heard those words, “‘Rapid eye movement: My seers are on the move’ the eagles flew off in every direction, each heading purposefully toward their assignment. As they left, each one flew through the supernatural water, becoming drenched. Incredibly, their feathers never dried as they flew. Wherever they traveled, water would fall off of them-like a rain shower-onto the dry ground over which they flew.
“Back at the Red River Meeting House, the water continued gushing and I, too, became soaked with it. I went into the Meeting House, which had been set up like a command center…
“Suddenly, the dream shifted, and I knew by the Spirit that what was happening at the Red River Meeting House was also taking place at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, and Azusa Street in California! I was then lifted up, and could see a line connecting Cane Ridge and the Red River Meeting House. Another line from each of them went to Azusa. I could see that these lines formed the shape of a spearhead. From the line drawn between Cane Ridge and the Red River Meeting House was yet another, coming from the nation of Wales. It was forming the shaft of the spear.
“This picture was depicting that all four of those places—Wales, Cane Ridge, Red River Meeting House, and Azusa—were connected; and also that what I saw happening at Red River was simultaneously happening at all of them. I was being shown that all of those past moves of God were now being brought together to ‘spearhead’ another greater and more powerful move of God in our time. End of the dream.”[4]
Her second dream about this was on February 2, 2021 where she says:
“I dreamed I was standing with someone on a deck-like structure in a very lofty place in the heavens…
“As we were looking down, we saw what first appeared to be war planes flying over the U.S.
“I said, ‘Those are not war planes, they are eagles! I have seen them before in a dream. There are 100 of them. They’re saturated with water from the reopened well of revival at the Red River Meeting House. It has been unlocked and is now gushing forth into the nation.’
“Then I could clearly see that the eagles, just as in the previous dream, were carrying arrows in one of their talons and a rolled up piece of paper in the other. Also, they were still drenched and releasing water from the erupting geyser on the grounds of the Red River Meeting House.
“As the eagles were flying in all directions across America, they all suddenly began diving toward the ground. When near the ground they leveled off, and began dropping their arrows into the land. I knew there were 100 eagles, and each carried three arrows; so 300 arrows were released throughout the land. When each arrow hit the ground, it ignited as though it had hit a gas pocket and a spiraling plume of fire shot up. Then we watched as the water being released by the eagles was also ignited by the fire. The water from the Red River Meeting House was extremely flammable and instantly caught fire! It seemed that all of America was on fire.
The gentleman with me then began speaking under an incredibly heavy anointing. (It was then that I noticed he had a very strong accent.) He said: There is coming a sweeping move of the Spirit of God that will ignite America with the fire of His presence….“‘The eagles are on assignment. They carry “Fire Power”; they carry glory. And at the precise moment, their arrows will be released, hit their targets, and the move of God will ignite and spread very quickly!’ Then he said again, ‘Do NOT doubt it!’
“Still on my knees, I looked up at the man, and I somehow knew he was Duncan Campbell, one of the ministers from the great Hebrides revival.” [5]
Prophetic Significance for Today + 222
In light of these dreams and the stirrings of the Holy Spirit leading many to tap into this well of revival for such a time as this, Parker & Jessi Green with their ministry called Saturate Global are currently hosting revival meetings at the Red River Meeting House on the 222 year anniversary of when the first sparks were released here in July of 1799. We are seeing demons cast out, people of all ages delivered and filled with the Holy Spirit and fire, radical worship released, healings, people baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire, generosity, people activated into their calling, and more. We even had witches show up to try and curse what God is doing, a sign that the enemy is threatened because God is on the move in a very big way (and a portal is about to be unlocked).
222 can represent an unlocking taking place.
Mark 2:22 “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”
Revelation 22:2 “The river was flowing in the middle of the street of the city, and on either side of the river was the Tree of Life, with its twelve kinds of ripe fruit according to each month of the year. The leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations.”
Ephesians 2:22 “This means that God is transforming each one of you into the Holy of Holies, his dwelling place, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in you!” (TPT)
Daniel 2:22 “He reveals deep and hidden things…”
Isaiah 22:22 “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”
If you haven’t already discerned it, the time is NOW. We are in a Kairos moment, a window of opportunity. There is an invitation set before us where God is inviting us to step ALL in for what He’s pouring out for such a time as this. We have to step into and walk through the window to enter into all that He has. If all of these signs don't point to God pouring out His Spirit in unprecedented measures for such a time as this, I don’t know what else will.
The majority of the Saturate team who are hosting these meetings have recently quit jobs, moved out of their homes, sold their belongings, and are all in to see revival sweep across our land. All other invitations or speaking engagements have been canceled this month to continue hosting meetings here at the Red River Meeting House this weekend because we feel God is doing a mighty work. I have canceled my flight home so I could remain with my dear friends who are going all in for revival in our day. We are calling forth the laborers of the harvest to join us. We are calling the remnant, those who know they are born for more to join us as we drink from this deep well with great expectation that out of our bellies rivers of living waters will gush forth and saturate and dry and thirsty land.
Come and see.
Join us and bring those who need healing, deliverance, salvation, or a fresh touch from God.
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Notes
[1] Narrative of the Commencement and Progress of the Revival of 1800. The letter written to his friend was dated October 23, 1801, By the late Rev. James McGready. Learn more about the Great Revival of 1800 and Red River Meeting house beginnings https://www.gospeltruth.net/revival200yearsago.htm
[2] https://www.gospeltruth.net/revival200yearsago.htm
[3] (Church History magazine, No. 23, p. 25). https://www.gospeltruth.net/revival200yearsago.htm
[4] See full dream here https://ginagholstonministries.org/2020/01/14/red-river-meeting-house-gushing-well/
[5] See full dream here https://ginagholstonministries.org/2021/04/02/duncan-campbell-and-the-eagles/