In depth | Evangelicals Now

The UK's 'spiritual openness' is both an opportunity and a challenge

Peter Lynas

In recent months, I’ve noticed something shifting. Church leaders across the UK tell me that political conversations are becoming more contested, pastoral pressures are continuing to grow, and more people are turning up at church. This doesn’t feel like a passing phase, but part of something bigger.

Some have described the larger cultural moment as a "polycrisis" – not one crisis, but many, colliding at the same time. War in Ukraine and the Middle East; persistent cost of living pressures; a political landscape fracturing in ways that feel genuinely new; and artificial intelligence arriving faster than most of us can process, raising real questions about work, identity and what it means to be human.

everyday evangelism

Deliver us from statistics...

Gavin Matthews

“What’s your take on the ‘quiet revival’?” I am asked repeatedly in person and online. The Quiet Revival Report itself has been withdrawn; so are there really more young people becoming Christians and joining churches, and if so in what numbers? What will the revised survey later this year reveal? I am no statistician, so instead of number-crunching, here are my observations of four unhelpful – then four helpful – responses to the debate and the contested data.

1. Over-reliance on statistics. Statistics are very interesting and can be encouraging or discouraging, but our faith is not in them. The gospel isn’t more true if millions believe it, or if we think we are the only one left. Likewise, the gospel of Christ isn’t validated by numbers, but by His resurrection from the dead. Our faith is only ever in Jesus – not in results.

The UK's spiritual condition: Crisis and opportunity

Gavin Calver

What season are we living in?

Like so many others, I felt disappointed when the findings of the “Quiet Revival” research (commissioned by the Bible Society) were declared as unreliable due to errors made by YouGov who were carrying out the research. The report has been taken down, and many are now understandably questioning what is going on spiritually in the UK? Have we been misunderstanding the moment we are living in?

So, Gavin Calver, how will the EA and a UK Gospel Coalition co-operate?

Lydia Houghton

As the Evangelical Alliance (EA) marks 180 years since it was established, en journalist Lydia Houghton interviews its CEO, Gavin Calver, about the "quiet revival", The Gospel Coalition UK, and his hopes for the future of the EA.

LH: I’m glad we’re chatting today, because I saw an article yesterday and I thought, “I’ll ask Gavin what he thinks about this…” Lots of us have seen articles about the “quiet revival” or the “quiet awakening,” and the one I saw last night was written with a lot of scepticism; so I just wanted to ask you, are you sceptical, or are you embracing the reports we’re hearing? Do you have any particular thoughts on the “quiet revival”?

More young men in church, but where are the young women?

Nay Dawson

Across the Western world, something surprising is happening. After decades of decline, church attendance among young men is rising. For the first time in modern history, men under 25 are more likely than women to attend church ^[1]. While this is a cause for celebration, it also raises an important question: Where are the young women?

The answer is not that young women are becoming less spiritual. On the contrary, many are deeply engaged in spiritual pursuits – just not in the ways or places the church has come to expect. Psychologist Sabina Brennan points to evidence that young women are particularly drawn to non-religious forms of spirituality, such as tarot, astrology, or manifesting. These practices are not spiritually neutral, and Scripture is clear that they do not lead to life. Still, if we hope to reach young women with the good news of Jesus, our response cannot begin with condemnation. It must begin with understanding the longings that drive their search.

Will the ‘Quiet Revival’ change our civic life?

Paul Blackham

Jesus said to a government official of His day: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19v11)

Power does not flow up from below, from the people, but rather, true power flows down from the Divine Empire, from the throne room of heaven. True earthly authority can only be given by King Jesus, not the ballot box nor the barrel of a gun.

Revival, New Age and cultural Christianity

Rani Joshi

As we head into the Advent season, I’m excited to share that we’ve just launched Discovering Jesus. This is a new eight-session video series designed to engage and invite people to watch, covering who Jesus is, the Bible, and topics around faith, identity and culture. It’s particularly helpful for people of Asian heritage, and those of different faiths (or none!) to explore these topics.

The past few months have been busy, writing scripts for this series and speaking at several conferences. Over that time, I’ve been reflecting deeply on what it truly means to be a disciple of Jesus versus a cultural Christian. One of the sessions explores what it looks like to genuinely follow Jesus and why some Christians may not necessarily reflect His likeness. Interestingly, this very question arose during the first edition of Discovering Jesus from participants who were curious about what authentic discipleship looks like.

'Responding to the Rebirth': Revival? Really?

Lydia Houghton

In the heart of London, 600 people – me included – gathered for Speak Life’s Responding to the Rebirth conference on Saturday.

The venue was All Souls Langham Place. And it saw an eclectic mix of evangelicals - from across denominations - gather, along with seekers as well, to discuss a phenomenon you might be familiar with: the "Quiet Revival". Or, as co-host Justin Brierley, of the Think Faith newsletter, coined it with the title of his 2023 book: The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.

Revival? Revolution? Or what?

Russell Moore

"I saw on a news clip that Bible sales are up," a woman said to me this week. "Does that mean we are in a revival?"

The news reports this woman noticed are consistent with what Bob Smietana at Religion News Service cited from a new Pew Research Centre study: A growing number of Americans—almost a third—now believe religion’s influence is rising in America.

Revival: My experience with Al Qaeda-loving African chiefs

James Burnett

During the Second Great Awakening, a hot potato leapt from one set of anodyne pastor's hands to another: “Can churches plan a revival?” What do you think?

Stories of revival are sacred heirlooms passed down through the generations. My grandmother told me my great-great grandfather was led to Christ by George Muller of Bristol. Granny ‘Nett lisped revivals to her grandkids while other grandparents rhapsodized famous FA Cup finals, career choices, or U2 concerts.

history

Daniel McPhail and the revival at Osgoode: A ministry marked by prayer

Michael Haykin

Under the powerful ministry of Daniel McPhail’s preaching, the church at Osgoode flourished.

When McPhail became the pastor of the church, there were 60 members. A year later, the membership had increased to 76. By the annual assembly of the Ottawa Association in 1846, at which McPhail preached the introductory sermon, the Osgoode church had 99 members. A dozen years later, this had nearly doubled to 192.

The revival so quiet you can’t actually hear it?

Dave Burke

Three years ago I wrote a comment piece for Evangelicals Now suggesting that there was a quiet work of God taking place in the churches and we had not noticed it.

Imagine my delight when the Bible Society published “The Quiet Revival”, a survey by YouGov showing that church attendance in the UK had risen by 50% in the last six years and that the main growth was among young people. Only 4% of young people attended church at least once a month in 2018, now the figure is 16%.

letter from Australia

Renewed faith down under?

David Robertson

There has been a great deal of talk about the “quiet revival” in the UK, but has it arrived in Australia?

Like the UK, there has been a lot of discussion and numerous articles and anecdotes that this is indeed the case. The statistical evidence has come through the McCrindle Research 2025 report – An Undercurrent of Faith: Australia’s Renewed Relationship with Christianity. McCrindle is an excellent research organisation with a good track record.

Now This

Is this ‘revival’ true revival?

Bill James

There are reports of a “Quiet Revival” in the UK.

Certainly there is evidence of increased church attendance; this is mainly among Roman Catholics and Pentecostals. But there is also anecdotal evidence of an increased number of conversions, and new people turning up at church interested in the Christian faith.

More UK adults exploring Christianity? New report reveals why

Milla Ling-Davies

Amid recent reports of a “quiet revival” and renewed exploration of Christianity in the UK, the question remains: Why the growing interest? A new report from the Evangelical Alliance has helped reveal the answer.

The Evangelical Alliance’s (EA) “Finding Jesus” research, conducted in 2024 and released this June, found that UK adults are investigating Christianity primarily due to a need for meaning and hope – often prompted by a personal crisis.

What Crystal Palace taught me about revival

Gavin Calver

I’m a massive football fan and I hail from South London. I personally support AFC Wimbledon, but it was a real joy to see another team from my side of the river, Crystal Palace, lift the FA Cup and in the process win the first major trophy in their 100+ years of existence.

Their fans had waited so long for a moment like this, had believed it might never come and when it did, what a moment it was. On a beautiful May afternoon, at a sun-kissed Wembley Stadium, they beat the overwhelming favourites Manchester City 1-0 through a goal by one of their star players, Eberechi Eze.

A quiet UK revival? How can we respond?

Rebecca Chapman

As we look forward to Easter, some of us may reflect on how many people attended Christmas services, and be recalling the joy of overflowing churches.

There has been talk of a Christian revival in the UK for at least a year – and speculation about it everywhere from the press to podcasts. But where is the data showing us how the Spirit is moving? Instead, we are often presented with disappointing data from various denominations about decreasing numbers of people attending church.

Aber 2024: the power of revival

James Allan

The annual conference of the Evangelical Movement of Wales (EMW) took place as usual in Aberystwyth during the second week of August.

The highlight of the conference each year is the preaching of God’s Word in the Great Hall of the university campus. This year’s speaker was David Meredith, Mission Director for the Free Church of Scotland.

Why I no longer pray for the ‘good old days’ of revival

David Shepherd

William P. Mackay, the Scottish doctor and Presbyterian minister, penned one of my favourite hymns.

It begins: ‘We praise thee, O God, for the Son of thy love’. However, it is the chorus’ anthemic appeal to God that most evangelicals probably remember, which goes:

Decline, purification – or slow-burn revival?

Dave Burke

Three of Sunderland’s Methodist church buildings went up for sale this week. I’ve watched their congregations decline steadily over the years and I’m amazed it took the faithful little remnants so long to throw in the towel.

Churches are closing everywhere, not just in the north of England. A recent edition of Christianity asked 12 Christians, mostly leaders, and some young people, a deceptively simple question: ‘How do we stop the decline?’ The answers were thoughtful and full of insight, but I wondered if they had been asked the right question.

The last mainland British revivals?

Matthew Pickhaver

This year sees the centenary of the last major evangelical revival on the British mainland.

Among its converts was the father of Stanley Griffin (1930–2004), who went on to write the definitive account, A Forgotten Revival (DayOne, 1992). Drawing from it, let’s go back to 1921 to see what God has done…

In Depth: revival