Ulster and the Origin of the Believers' Meetings

I.    Ulster and the Origin of the Believers’ Meetings

A.    In his history of the Ulster revival of 1859, Ian R. K. Paisley describes the awakening as an outgrowth of the Prayer Meeting Revivals in America:

1.The news of the great awakening in America in 1858 caused the General Assembly meeting in Londonderry in 1858 appointed two of their ministers, Dr. William Gibson and Rev. William McClure to visit North America. a.Upon their return the two deputies had many public op­portunities of bearing testimony to what they had witnessed of the remarkable outpouring of the Spirit across the Atlan­tic. b.Their united testimony no doubt contributed to the spiri­tual background of the revival.

B.    Starting on this foundation, the revival began when a certain English lady, Mrs. Colville, told the story ol how she obtained peace of heart to a young Irishman named James McQuilkin.

1.    McQuilkin was responsible for organizing the first prayer meeting in Kells, near Bal­lymena.

2.    Then came the great meeting in the First Pres­byterian Church in Ahoghill on March 14, 1859, which was moved out of doors because of the large crowd in attendance.

3.    Here a layman addressed some three thousand people, and ’⁴hundreds fell on their knees in the muddy street."⁴

4.    There it reached the heart of a young man destined to play significant role in the origin of American Fundamental ism. : George C. Needham (1840-1902)