The 2023 Asbury revival Gen Z

The 2023 Asbury revival Gen Z 

The 2023 Asbury revival was a Christian revival at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. The revival was sparked by students spontaneously staying in Hughes Auditorium following a regularly scheduled chapel service on February 8, 2023. Following the gathering, Asbury President Kevin Brown sent out a brief two-sentence email: “There's worship happening in Hughes. You're welcome to join. Bad News for Woke Elites

The news of the phenomenon quickly spread through social media and in Christian online publications. The revival has been compared to similar revivals at Asbury, notably one that took place in 1970, which had far-reaching consequences in Methodism, culture of the United States, and the growth of the Jesus movement. Notably, news of the revival largely spread on social media, as the participants are mainly members of Generation Z. It has been attended by approximately 15,000 people each day.  By its end, the revival brought 50,000-70,000 visitors to Wilmore, representing more than 200 academic institutions and multiple countries.

Asbury University is a private Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. Chapel attendance is mandatory for students on certain weekdays. On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, a handful of students remained in the chapel following a regularly scheduled service. Student body president Alison Perfater was one of them, and in an interview with Tucker Carlson later during the gathering, after a fellow student decided to openly confess some of his sins to the small group, 'the atmosphere changed'. According to Perfater: "For seemingly no reason at first on Wednesday, February 8 it didn’t end. That’s kind of the logistical side of what’s been going on. On the deeper side of things, what’s been happening here since Wednesday is there’s a young army of believers who are rising to claim Christianity, the faith, as their own, as a young generation and as a free generation, and that’s why people cannot get enough." The revival has been described as calm, with some commentators have noted the absence of many of contemporary worship features. The revival is additionally significant because of its spread on social media, particularly among Generation Z, the most irreligious generation in US history. On February 15, hashtag #asburyrevival had over 24 million views on TikTok, which increased to 63 million by February 18. Wikipedia