Olea Nel - South Africas Forgotten Revival: The Story of the Capes Great Awakening in 1860

South Africas Forgotten Revival

The Story of the Capes Great Awakening

in 1860

by

Olea Nel

2021 by Olea Nel

Clairvaux House

Batemans Bay

Australia

Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Copyright 1973,1978 by the International Bible Society.

All rights reserved solely by the author. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author.

Revised edition

ISBN: 978-0-9876427-7-6 (e-book)

ISBN: 978-0-9876427-8-3 (paperback)

Authors Note

I n 2008, an international Christian publisher indicated that they were keen to publish this work, but could not find a single church historian in their stable of authors who had heard about the Cape revival of 1860/61. So because of this lack of knowledge, the publication of my book was rejected. As I feared that the same thing would happen with other international publishers, I felt that I had no other option at the time but to publish my book through Xulon in the US.

Being achingly aware that I needed to find pastors and theologians in South Africa who could endorse my research for my planned South African edition that would be published in time for the 150th anniversary of this revival, I hastily reached out to a number of prominent pastors and theologians to ratify my research. This, then, is the list of ten church leaders from South Africa, plus one from Scotland, who were kind enough to read this book and provide their respective commendations.

Although I recount this story through the lives of three key leaders, it was really Andrew Murray who did the most to inspire awakened members of the Dutch Reformed Church to heed their biblical calling to bear much fruit. They certainly rose to the challenge by spreading the Gospel from the Cape to the Sudan via a concerted missionary endeavor.

Meanwhile, within South Africa, Andrew Murray launched womens education by building the Huguenot Teachers Seminary in Wellington. Needless to say, the training of women did much to address the shortage of teachers in farm and church schools throughout the country. As he was also six-time moderator of the Dutch Reformed Church, he has also been credited for halting the spread of liberal theology during his lifetime.

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Commendations

I enjoyed reading this book. It is well-written and keeps the reader's interest throughout. In my view, it will appeal to a wide audience, especially those interested in revivals, prayer and missions. While the book is written in a popular style, it gives evidence of good research and a responsible engagement with the sources. I found the book very interesting and learnt a lot from Olea Nels research. I am sure that others will have a similar experience .

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W hile reading this highly informative and spiritually uplifting book, Ive come to wonder why such an important and momentous happening in the history of a large church and even a country did not receive more attention before. Indeed, there were some smaller publications in the distant past, but nothing that did justice to a revival that shaped and influenced the history of a church and country.

Being a church historian myself and a South African by birth, I can testify to the fact that the 1860 revival in South Africa left a positive heritagethe fruit of which is obvious even to this day.

My sincere thanks and appreciation go to the author for an honest, well-researched, and objective witness to the 1860s revival in the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, including her depiction of the key-players involved. In proportion, this revival is no less impressive and important than the Second Evangelical Awakening in America and England.

This book is long overdue and deserves to be taken notice of not only by South Africans but by everyone with an interest in revivals in the church.

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I t is my privilege to commend Olea Nels volume South Africas Forgotten Revival: The Story of the Capes Great Awakening in 1860. This well researched volume not only brings a historical message of interest for both academics and the ordinary person in the pew, but also bears within its pages a very strong message of spiritual challenge relating to what God can do when His Spirit is allowed to move freely in reviving power amongst His people.

It is a good time for this little volume to see the light of day in South Africa as there has probably never been such a great need as there is right now for this country to know the kind of revival which came to the Cape in 1860, as well as to England with the Wesleyan Revival of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The fact is that it is only out of such revivals that real national reformation can come, the latter being the fruit, and the former the root. May God bring revival again to South Africa so that we may see the reformation we so seriously need.

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A ndrew Murray was one of the most important and blessed church leaders in South African history. A prolific writer, Andrew Murrays books have continued to be in print for over a hundred years, translated into many languages, and beloved by millions of Christians worldwide.

Dr. Olea Nel has done the church a tremendous service by producing this vital book: South Africas Forgotten Revival: The Story of the Capes Great Awakening in 1860 . We desperately need Revival today, and this dynamic book is both an inspiration and a practical help by exploring the people, the doctrines and the events that God used in such a powerful way back in the Cape of Good Hope in the 19th century. As we approach the 150th anniversary of this momentous Revival, this book will be a most inspiring and helpful study for churches, schools and families.