❓WHAT HAPPENED: Many Christian leaders have reported a significant increase in youth church attendance, with some schools seeing as much as a 15 percent rise, following the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Charlie Kirk, Christian leaders, and young people across the United States.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Following Kirk’s assassination on September 10, across college campuses and churches in the U.S.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I have not talked to anyone who has not seen an increase in Mass attendance. Some schools are reporting increases of 15 percent.” – Matt Zerrusen, co-founder of the Catholic Newman ministry.
🎯IMPACT: A spiritual revival may be taking place, with young people returning to church and seeking answers to life’s fundamental questions following Kirk’s murder.
Churches across the United States are reporting a notable increase in attendance following the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk on September 10. Known for his outspoken Christian beliefs, Kirk frequently spoke about a spiritual revival among young people. Just weeks before his murder, the 31-year-old father of two remarked, “There is revival in the Christian church. Churches are growing. Young people are flocking to faith in God.”
Religious leaders, particularly on college campuses, are now reporting a surge in interest. Matt Zerrusen, co-founder of Newman Ministry, a Catholic nonprofit active on around 250 campuses nationwide, told the Catholic News Agency that every Christian leader he’s spoken with has observed increased Mass attendance. “I have not talked to anyone who has not seen an increase in Mass attendance,” Zerrusen said. “Some schools are reporting increases of 15 percent.”
According to Zerrusen, many college students are searching for answers in the wake of Kirk’s killing. He said young people are asking deeper questions, such as, “What do I do? What is evil? How does God allow this?” He described the shift as part of a broader spiritual revival, spurred in part by the tragedy. At Texas A&M University, 400 students have enrolled in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults class at the St. Mary’s Catholic Center, a striking figure that highlights the trend.
Social media platforms have also reflected this movement. Numerous viral posts have featured people publicly recommitting to their Christian faith or returning to church after long absences. The response appears to echo a larger pattern being seen in other parts of the world. Recent data from Britain shows an uptick in young people attending Catholic churches, suggesting the trend extends beyond the U.S.
This revival, however, comes at a time when public expressions of Christian faith are increasingly under attack. Leftist media talking heads like Don Lemon have recently claimed that being openly Christian in public amounts to “religious nationalism.” Meanwhile, in Europe, police recently raided a charity that supports persecuted Middle Eastern Christians.
Globally, watchdog groups continue to report rising hostility and violence directed at Christians.
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