(RNS) — On Aug. 27, over a thousand attendees lifted their voices in worship at Washington, D.C.,’s Kennedy Center as part of a red-carpet premiere of a new documentary, “The Revival Generation: Gen Z Turning to Jesus.” As the notes of the last song faded, Abigail Robertson, granddaughter of famed televangelist Pat Robertson and producer of the film, took the stage to praise God for the Christian revivals taking place around the globe.
“May this be the first of many events like this at the Kennedy Center. May you use this place mightily to continue to glorify your name, Jesus,” prayed Robertson.
The event was emblematic of both the center’s new Trump-led pivot toward faith-friendly content and of the kind of evangelical fervor featured in the documentary itself. The film focuses on the revivals hosted by UniteUS, a nonprofit that facilitates worship, evangelistic gatherings and baptisms at college campuses. Thanks to their efforts, the documentary claims, 13,000 college students have made “decisions to receive Christ.” The documentary frames these revivals as evidence of a broader spiritual shift happening among Gen Z “Zoomers.”
“I know that a lot of the media is typically covering Gen Z in a pretty negative way,” director Laura Hand told RNS. “I saw the opposite to be true, seeing these young people with such a passion and hunger and true joy, spreading the gospel …