James McGready
Catalyst for revival in Logan County, Kentucky — fasting, prayer, communion meetings.
Lesson 9 · Course 66
I. The Philadelphia Church, The Missionary Church: 1750 – 1900 AD
Second Great Awakening West; McGready camp meetings; Finney’s new measures; Raikes Sunday School; Layman’s Prayer Revival; Moody and Sankey.
At a glance
Summary
Before the Second Great Awakening in the West, public morals were non-existent. James McGready catalyzed revival in Logan County, Kentucky; camp meetings introduced public emotion in worship. Baptists did not nearly disappear. Finney’s altar call was not welcomed by all denominations; his sermons often ran in next-day papers. Robert Raikes fathered the Sunday School movement. The Layman’s Prayer Revival was not birthed in Chicago (Fulton Street, NYC / Lamphier). Moody regretted giving no invitation the Sunday before the Chicago Fire; Ira Sankey was his music leader.
Quiz 9: 10/10 (100%), 4m 38s, cmid 1219 / attempt 102003. Essays Complete/Not graded (Q11–Q13 verbatim). Course total 70%. Cert cmid 2165 locked.
Big ideas
What to teach and remember
- Pre–2nd Awakening West: public morals non-existent.
- McGready = catalyst in Logan County, KY; camp meetings = public emotion in worship.
- False that Baptists almost went out of existence during the 2nd Awakening.
- Finney altar call NOT well received by all denominations; sermons often in next-day papers.
- Robert Raikes = father of Sunday School.
- Layman’s Prayer Revival NOT birthed in Chicago (Fulton St NYC / Lamphier).
- Moody regretted no invitation before Chicago Fire; Sankey = music leader.
Key terms
People, places, and words that matter
Camp meetings
Open-air gatherings (e.g. Cane Ridge) introducing public emotional display in worship.
Charles Finney
New measures: altar call / anxious seat; sermons printed next day; not universally welcomed.
Robert Raikes
Father of the Sunday School movement.
Layman’s Prayer Revival
Began Fulton Street NYC under Jeremiah Lamphier — not Chicago.
Ira Sankey
Moody’s music leader.
Structure
Outline / timeline
- Moral collapse before 2nd Awakening in the West
- McGready and Camp Meeting Awakenings (1780–1820)
- Finney and the General Awakening (1830–1840)
- Raikes / Sunday School
- Layman’s Prayer Revival; Moody and Sankey
Must remember
Facts to keep straight
| Quiz 9 | 100% (10/10), cmid 1219 |
|---|---|
| Course total | 70%; cert 2165 locked |
| McGready | Logan County, KY catalyst |
| Finney | Altar call contested; next-day papers |
| Prayer Revival | Fulton St NYC / Lamphier — not Chicago |
| Moody regret | No invitation before Chicago Fire |
Compare
Side-by-side contrasts
Methodist growth vs Baptist myth
- Methodists grew considerably in the 2nd Awakening
- False that Baptists almost went out of existence
Where the Layman’s Prayer Revival began
- True origin: Fulton Street Church, New York City (Lamphier)
- False: birthed in Chicago
For the pulpit
Sermon hooks
- Preach camp-meeting urgency without confusing emotion with empty hype.
- Hold Finney’s invitation as a tool — not every church welcomed it then either.
- Recover lay-led noon prayer (Lamphier) as a model for ordinary believers.
- Learn from Moody’s regret: give the invitation while there is still a tonight.
Quiz drill
Quiz drill / review · open to practice · 10 items
Quiz score: 100% · 1 attempt
1. Prior to the Second Great Awakening in the West, public morals were non-existent
TrueMorals collapsed.
2. The catalyst for revival in Logan County, Kentucky was James McGready
TrueMcGready.
3. The camp meetings introduced a public display of emotions in worship.
TruePublic emotion.
4. During the Second Great Awakening, the Methodist church experienced considerable growth, but Baptist churches almost went out of existence.
FalseBaptists did not nearly disappear.
5. Charles Finney's introduction of the alter call was well received by all Christian denominations.
FalseNot welcomed by all.
6. Finney's sermons were often printed in the newspaper the day after he preached them.
TrueNext-day papers.
7. The father of the Sunday School movement was Robert Raikes.
TrueRaikes.
8. The Layman's Prayer Revival was birthed in Chicago.
FalseFulton St NYC / Lamphier.
9. DL Moody always regretted not giving an invitation the Sunday night before the Great Chicago Fire.
TrueMoody’s regret.
10. Moody's music leader was Ira Sankey.
TrueSankey.
Essay themes
If you preach or review
Describe the Camp Meeting Awakenings (1780-1820)
The Camp Meeting Awakenings grew out of the moral and spiritual decline that followed the American Revolution. In Logan County, Kentucky, Presbyterian preacher James McGready called people to regular fasting and prayer, and the communion meetings he led became too large for church buildings. At Cane Ridge in 1801, an estimated 10,000–20,000 people gathered, with many arriving in wagons and staying for days. Preachers proclaimed repentance, salvation, heaven, and hell in the open air, and people responded with deep emotion—weeping, shouting, trembling, and coming to Christ. These gatherings became known as camp meetings. They combined fellowship, heartfelt singing, long sermons, and evangelism, and later became more organized. Baptists and Methodists embraced them, while circuit-riding preachers carried the gospel and planted churches across the frontier.
Describe the General Awakening (1830-1840), and the paradigm shifts and innovations that it introduced
The General Awakening of 1830–1840 was closely associated with Charles Grandison Finney. After his conversion, Finney left the law and preached revival, especially in Rochester. His “new measures” included the public invitation or altar call and the anxious seat, asking hearers to make an immediate, personal response to the gospel. Protracted meetings, lay participation, carrying revival results into nearby communities, organized evangelistic music, and the deliberate creation of a worship atmosphere also became important. The movement emphasized a practical Arminian appeal rather than relying on older Calvinistic assumptions. Print media helped spread the message, since Finney’s sermons were published in newspapers soon after preaching. These innovations connected worship and evangelism and helped revival spread widely.
Explain the inception and expansion of the Layman's Prayer Revival
The revival began during a time of economic growth and then the severe financial panic of 1857. At Fulton Street Church in New York City, missionary Jeremiah Lamphier organized a noon prayer meeting. Only a few attended at first, but the meeting grew rapidly as workers left their shops to pray. Newspapers reported the meetings, and prayer gatherings spread to other cities. Where factories were far from churches, owners provided tents. The movement was driven by ordinary laymen rather than a famous evangelist or a major crusade. Meetings were open and orderly but participatory: people prayed, exhorted, sang, or testified, usually within a five-minute limit. Conversions multiplied across the country, with prayer meetings in many cities and rural communities. The Civil War later disrupted the movement, but the revival showed how God used simple, faithful prayer by lay people.