While Boston is famous for its history of revolution in the American War of Independence, it is also a city of many spiritual revivals and revolutions.

In 1740-41, during the First Great Awakening, George Whitefield held revival meetings in Boston. People from Boston and surrounding areas flooded to hear him preach. Whitefield had a booming voice and reportedly preached to around 23,000 people in the Boston Common. This was an astonishing reception of spiritual hunger, especially given the entire population of Boston at that time was only around 17,000.¹

Spurred on by the Second Great Awakening, local Boston churches began forming missionary committees in the 1820s. A tide of missionary zeal and spiritual awakening spread throughout Boston, resulting in many churches, but specifically Park Street Church and Old South Church, sending out waves of missionaries to destinations around the world.²

As Sattler students walk by Park Street Church regularly on their walk to school, they are reminded of the spiritual fervor and foreign missions that were started in Boston. This spiritual history of revival and evangelistic missions inspires students at Sattler College to continue to spread the Kingdom in their own generation.

In 1877, D.L. Moody, who had originally come to Christ while working at a Boston shoe store, came back to preach in Boston. His months preaching in Boston stirred up tremendous spiritual revival and fervor. Then in the 20th century, both Billy Sunday and Billy Graham preached to packed churches, arenas, and public spaces—bringing renewed vigor and desire for God.

Boston’s strong history of revolution and revival inspires Sattler College to equip students to begin a new spiritual revolution in Boston. Sattler hopes to cultivate an atmosphere of spiritual depth and renewal where college students rise up to spread the Kingdom of God.