The Charlotte Baptist Chapel was founded in Edinburgh, Scotland about 1800. Christopher Anderson, who had been saved under the ministry of Robert and James Haldane, became the first pastor. The Holy Spirit abundantly blessed his ministry, and soon there were between 700 and 800 believers serving the Lord in that church. But then, as so often takes place, over the next hundred years the church began a steady decline, until the membership stood at 108 by the end of the century.
That was when Mrs. William Binnie began to pray for revival, begging the Lord for a renewal of His blessings on the church. But then when her husband was transferred to western Scotland, heart-broken she moved away without seeing the answer to her prayers of faith. About the time of her move, she noted in her journal the words of Psalm 45:16 – “Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children.”
Back in Edinburgh, on February 2, 1902, thirty-five people greeted their new pastor, Joseph Kemp, and once again the congregation began to pray for God’s blessing, but little changed, until this day in 1905. After spending some time in southern England, recovering from a bout of bad health, Pastor Kemp returned to Edinburgh, preaching the gospel and praying for revival. All of a sudden fire fell from heaven, so to speak, duplicating what Kemp had just witnessed in Wales. Multitudes began to be saved, joining the congregation and serving the Saviour. In a short period of time the Lord added 1,148 people such as were being saved.
An interesting side note takes us back to Mrs. Binnie. After her husband died, she returned to her old church, and eventually her youngest daughter married Pastor Joseph Kemp. The dear old saint had been praying for revival for years, but in the will of God it didn’t come in the days of the fathers, but it did in the days of the children.
Never stop pleading with the Lord for His blessings, for souls and for revival.