Now Christian nationalists claim we’re having a revival

This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on October 16, 2025.

As the Christian church loses credibility worldwide due to egregious politicking, Christian supremacists across the nation are tripping over themselves with excitement about a more positive story line they see: Revival.

Although every other metric shows the church in America in numerical decline, these pumped-up Pollyannas see things differently.

“A Christian revival across the country!” the Fox News host celebrates as the screen displays the revival stats stock market style. “Bible sales increasing over 40% since 2022, religion app downloads surging nearly 80%! That increase since 2019. And Christian music Spotify streams up 50% from 2019.”

“JUST IN: Stunning data reveals Christianity is SURGING in the United States,” Eric Daugherty of Florida Voice News announced with a red police car revolving light emoji. “What an amazing sight to see.”

“A Christian revival is under way,” TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet rejoiced.

“Reports show a surge in Christianity, affirming the visible revival happening across the United States,” Live Action president and founder Lila Rose added. “Incredible news.”

“Harvest is ripe!” Megan Basham of the Daily Wire declared.

And Christian nationalist worship leader Sean Feucht concluded, “What we’ve been saying for years is now factually undeniable. A wave of revival is sweeping across America.”

In contrast, religion statistician Ryan Burge posted on social media today a definitive rebuttal: “There is no empirical evidence of a religious revival happening in America.”

‘Revive us again!’

White evangelicals have been talking about God sending revival someday down the road for decades.

Every year, the independent Baptist church of my youth hosted a week of revival meetings with fundamentalism’s finest evangelists, booked presumably with the Holy Spirit years in advance. During the week, we’d knock on doors in hopes to save our non-Christian neighbors and invite them to our revival. If you were lucky, you could get the Michael Jordan evangelist of the fundamental Baptists, Tom Farrell.

Tom Farrell preaching (screencap)

The night would begin with energetic hymns about the harvest, accompanied by the piano and organ that prepared the hearts for the sermon. Just before the evangelist would get up to speak, a women’s duet would sing a song about someone showing up to church in order to get saved, but not being able to because the rapture happened the day before. With Y2K looming and the Clinton administration in charge, everyone was on the edge of their pews.

Farrell was a fiery preacher who warned every night of the flames of hell that were lurking nearby. He’d share horror stories of teenagers who wouldn’t get saved or dedicate their lives to God during one of his revival meetings and who would get in a car accident on their way home and die.

Continue reading at Baptist News Global.