(RNS) — On the penultimate night of his I Love Jesus tour in late March, 22-year-old evangelist Bryce Crawford stepped onstage wearing wide-legged sweatpants, a cross-themed vintage tee and Lightning McQueen-shaped Crocs.
“Who has their physical Bibles in the room?” he asked with a slight Georgia drawl. Throughout the 975-seat Crest Theatre in Sacramento, hands gripping Bibles sprang up. “Wow, amazing!” he said, before joking, “You know, for everyone who doesn’t have their Bibles … God’s gonna judge the earth.”
In a few short years, Crawford has become one of the most popular evangelical voices of his generation. He has a combined total of 7 million followers on TikTok and Instagram and a hefty YouTube catalog of sermons and street-preaching videos. His podcast, which sits at third on Spotify’s Religion and Spirituality charts, has hosted influential and contentious figures, including far-right pundit Tucker Carlson and 89-year-old prosperity gospel televangelist Kenneth Copeland. Crawford has also, of late, aligned himself with MAGA platforms such as Turning Point USA.
His manager, Divij Vaswani, claims his client reached “a billion and a half people last year” based on view counts. According to Crawford’s website, all but four of his 26 tour dates in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand sold out.
At a moment when Generation Z’s religiosity is hotly debated, Crawford is clearly resonating. But whether his virality is driving a real movement — and where, exactly, this is all heading — remains to be seen.
Bryce Crawford performs at the Crest Theatre, March 27, 2027, in Sacramento, Calif. (RNS photo/Hayden Royster)
Building a brand
Crawford grew up in Cartersville, Georgia, and was raised evangelical, attending a private Christian academy and a Southern Baptist church. He was also, like many bo …