Stuart Hamblin
Radio personality who promoted Graham’s Los Angeles Crusade; later converted.
Lesson 11 · Course 66
The Laodicean Church – The Apostate Church: 1900 – Present
Postwar missions; Graham LA/Seoul; Hebrides; China house churches; SCOTUS & morals; Jesus movement; Towns Sunday Schools; Prairie restitution.
At a glance
Summary
After WWII, over 20,000 veterans went to Christian colleges/seminary then overseas as missionaries. Stuart Hamblin promoted Graham’s LA crusade; in Seoul over a million heard Graham in person. The Hebrides lead evangelist was not James Murray McKay (MacKay was pastor; Duncan Campbell preached). China house churches are hard to locate; Communists did not invite Western missionaries. SCOTUS did affect U.S. moral values. Chuck Smith was used greatly in the Jesus movement. Towns’ 1969 study: 7 of 10 largest Sunday Schools were Independent Baptist. Western Canadian Prairie revival was known for restitution.
Quiz 11: 10/10 (100%), 4m 58s, cmid 1227 / attempt 102006. Essays Complete/Not graded (Q11–Q13 verbatim). Course total 88%. Cert cmid 2165 locked until final quiz.
Big ideas
What to teach and remember
- Postwar: 20,000+ veterans → Christian colleges/seminary → overseas missions.
- Stuart Hamblin promoted Billy Graham LA crusade; Seoul: million+ heard in person.
- Hebrides lead evangelist ≠ James Murray McKay (Campbell preached; MacKay pastor/prayer).
- China house churches hard to locate; Communists did NOT invite Western missionaries.
- SCOTUS affected changing U.S. moral values (False that it had nothing to do).
- Chuck Smith / Jesus movement (Baby Boom revival).
- Towns 1969: 7/10 largest Sunday Schools Independent Baptist.
- Western Canadian Prairie revival known for restitution.
Key terms
People, places, and words that matter
Hebrides Revival
Duncan Campbell preached; Pastor James Murray MacKay led prayer — MacKay not “the” lead evangelist.
Chinese house church
Hard to locate; grew without buildings/foreign missionaries; Communists expelled missionaries.
Chuck Smith
Pastor used greatly in the Baby Boom revival / Jesus movement.
Restitution (Prairie)
Western Canadian Prairie revival known for the extent of restitution.
Structure
Outline / timeline
- Postwar missionary surge from veterans
- Graham: LA 1949 crusade; Seoul crowds
- Hebrides Revival: prayer, MacKay, Campbell
- China underground / house churches
- SCOTUS, Jesus movement, Sunday Schools, Prairie restitution
Must remember
Facts to keep straight
| Quiz 11 | 100% (10/10), cmid 1227 |
|---|---|
| Course total | 88%; cert 2165 locked |
| LA radio push | Stuart Hamblin |
| Hebrides evangelist | Duncan Campbell (not McKay) |
| Jesus movement pastor | Chuck Smith |
| Towns 1969 | 7/10 Independent Baptist |
Compare
Side-by-side contrasts
Hebrides roles
- James Murray MacKay: pastor; led leaders in prayer; invited Campbell
- Duncan Campbell: lead evangelist whose preaching brought conviction
- Quiz False: McKay as “the lead evangelist”
China church under Communism
- House churches hard to locate; no public structure
- False that Communists invited Western missionaries
For the pulpit
Sermon hooks
- Preach Graham’s LA urgency — invite broadly, raise the tent, watch for God’s sign.
- Hold Hebrides: aged prayer warriors + clean hands before the crowd.
- Learn from China’s house churches: the church is people in Christ, not buildings.
- Name restitution as revival fruit (Prairie) and Chuck Smith’s Jesus-movement pastoral role.
Quiz drill
Quiz drill / review · open to practice · 10 items
Quiz score: 100% · 1 attempt
1. After World War Two, over 20,000 veterans would attend Christian colleges or seminary and then go overseas as foreign missionaries.
TruePostwar missionary veterans.
2. The radio personality who promoted the Billy Graham Los Angeles Crusade was Stuart Hamblin.
TrueHamblin.
3. When Billy Graham preached in Seoul, Korea, over a million people heard him preach in person.
TrueSeoul million+.
4. The lead evangelist in the Hebrides Revival was James Murray McKay.
FalseCampbell preached; MacKay pastor.
5. The house churches in China are easy to locate.
FalseHard to locate.
6. The Communist government in China invited western missionaries to come and preach,
FalseDid not invite.
7. The Supreme Court had nothing to do with the changing moral values of the United States.
FalseSCOTUS did affect morals.
8. The pastor used greatly in the Baby Boom revival, also known as the Jesus movement, was Chuck Smith.
TrueChuck Smith.
9. In Dr. Towns' study of the ten largest Sunday Schools in 1969, he discovered that 7 out of 10 were Independent Baptists.
True7/10 Independent Baptist.
10. The Western Canadian Prairie revival was known for the extent of ‘restitution.’
TrueRestitution.
Essay themes
If you preach or review
1949 Los Angeles Crusade
The 1949 Los Angeles Crusade began through the invitation of Christ for Greater Los Angeles, a fellowship of about 200 churches. Billy Graham approached it with urgency, believing that revival in Los Angeles could have repercussions around the world. He asked that all churches be included, the budget be raised from $7,000 to $25,000, and a tent seating 5,000 be built. Stuart Hamblin, a popular radio personality, urged listeners to attend and was later converted, which Graham viewed as God's sign to continue. William Randolph Hearst then ordered his newspapers to ‘Puff Graham,’ and the media attention expanded the meetings. Jim Vaus, a wire-tapper for the Mob, was also converted. The meetings continued for 72 nights, thousands professed faith, and 82 percent had never made a profession before. The crusade launched Graham's worldwide citywide evangelistic ministry.
Hebrides Revival
The Hebrides Islands had declined spiritually after World War II; no church could point to a single young person attending, while young people went to dances, films, and drinking houses. Peggy Smith, an 84-year-old blind prayer warrior, and her sister Christine prayed for revival. Peggy's vision of crowded churches was confirmed by Pastor James Murray MacKay, who led his leaders in prayer for three months. A young deacon's question, ‘O God, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure?’ was followed by deep conviction. MacKay invited Duncan Campbell, who first declined but later came when circumstances changed. Campbell's preaching brought a solemn awareness of God's presence, repentance, and salvation. More than 600 gathered outside one church, and the revival spread rapidly to neighboring districts. People prayed through the night, homes experienced salvation, and drinking houses closed for a generation. The revival showed me the importance of persistent, honest prayer and repentance.
Chinese Organic House Church / underground church
The Chinese Organic House Church, or underground church, developed almost everywhere in China but is difficult to locate because it has no public structure. Estimates place the movement at about 130 million believers, alongside roughly 23.5 million registered members of the official Three-Self Church. It grew without church buildings, programs, denominational support, foreign missionaries, or a formal organizational network. When the Communists took power, missionaries were expelled, pastors and believers were imprisoned, and many outward professors abandoned the faith. Yet the gospel continued to spread through believers meeting in homes, apartments, restaurants, and other ordinary places. Its strength came from committed disciples, prayer, witness, and dependence on God rather than buildings or institutions. For me as a pastor, this movement is a reminder that the church is people gathered in Christ and that persecution cannot extinguish the true light of the gospel.