Church is cool again — and Gen Z men are leading the way



Amid a broader spiritual collapse, one trend stands out: Young men are returning to church in growing numbers. Generation Z, in particular, seeks structure, meaning, and community in a world fractured by chaos and alienation.

For decades, the dominant story in the West told of religion’s slow death. Church attendance dropped year after year, while “nones” — those who reject any religious affiliation — surged. But recent data complicates that narrative, especially among younger Americans.

The return of young men to the church is a cultural reckoning and a budding flower of renewal.

Gen Z remains the least religious generation on record, with 34% identifying as unaffiliated — higher than Millennials (29%) or Gen X (25%). Yet signs of revival are breaking through. One recent survey found that 31% of Gen Z attend religious services at least once a month, while 25% actively practice a faith.

Similar trends are occurring in the United Kingdom. A report by the Bible Society reveals that Catholics now outnumber Anglicans by more than two to one among Generation Z and younger Millennials. In 2018, Anglicans made up 30% of churchgoers ages 18-34, while Catholics accounted for 22%. By 2024, these figures had changed to 20% Anglican and 41% Catholic.

According to the Becket Fund’s 2024 findings, members of Gen Z attending religious services at least monthly rose from 29% in 2022 to 40% in 2024. Similarly, those who consider religion important in their lives increased from 51% to 66% over the same period.

Religious is the new ‘rebellious’

What explains the sudden shift? For generations, youth pushed back against the dominant order, and for much of the 20th century, that order was Christianity. But what happens when Christianity fades, replaced by atheism or whatever postmodern creed happens to be in vogue? The instinct to rebel remains. Only now, the rebellion turns back toward order, tradition, and moral clarity.

For years, legacy media and Hollywood told young men they were disposable — interchangeable, expendable, even dangerous. That narrative failed. And now, young men are driving the revival.

Historically, women filled the pews in greater numbers. But in 2024, that dynamic flipped. According to the Alabama Baptist, 30% of men attended weekly services compared to just 27% of women — a quiet but telling reversal of a long-standing pattern.

Men lead the charge

Traditional, structured worship has become a magnet for young men seeking discipline and meaning. Orthodox and Catholic churches — with their rituals, hierarchy, and deep historical roots — have seen a marked rise in male converts.

A 2022 survey reported a 78% increase in conversions to Orthodoxy since 2019. Catholic dioceses across the country have posted similar gains. From 2023 to 2024, some reported conversion spikes of up to 72%. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles alone welcomed 5,587 people into the Catholic Church this Easter, including 2,786 baptisms at the Easter Vigil — a 34% jump over last year.

But this resurgence goes deeper than doctrine. Churches offer young men what the modern world fails to provide: real community. According to the Barna Group, 67% of churchgoing adults report having a mentor — often someone they met through church. Among Gen Z and Millennials, that number rises to 86% and 83%, respectively.

Small groups and discipleship programs allow young men to wrestle with challenges, seek counsel, and build genuine friendships. These are exactly the structures secular society neglects — and precisely what my generation craves.

Cultural shifts have accelerated the return to faith. The internet may connect everyone digitally, but it often isolates people in the real world. Local churches still offer something screens can’t: brotherhood, accountability, and face-to-face contact. In a culture that demonizes masculinity and treats male virtues as liabilities, the church remains one of the last institutions to honor strength, discipline, and leadership without shame or apology.

A cultural mandate

Many young men today feel discarded by a society that marginalizes their natural instincts and virtues. Christianity offers them something different — a call to action rooted in service, discipline, and brotherhood. It gives them a place where effort matters, strength is welcomed, and belonging isn’t conditional. The need to connect, to matter, and to be respected — long ignored in secular culture — finds real expression in the life of the church.

This return of young men to the pews marks more than a spiritual revival. It’s a cultural reckoning. In many ways, it echoes the moral foundation laid by America’s founders. Though denominationally diverse, the founders agreed that freedom without faith could not last. George Washington said it plainly: “Religion and morality are indispensable supports” to political prosperity.

Today’s young men appear to understand what many in power have forgotten — liberty without virtue cannot endure. As America drifts, a new generation looks not to slogans or screens but to God — for strength, clarity, and the courage to rebuild what has been lost.

Young people are FLOCKING to the Catholic Church — here’s why



According to several recent reports, including one from the National Catholic Register, we’ve seen a huge surge in Catholic conversions — especially among younger generations. A recent New York Post article highlighted the “growing number of young people turning to the Catholic Church from other denominations, religions and even no faith at all.”

What’s behind this sudden flocking to Catholicism?

Glenn Beck says that people are drawn to Catholic rituals because they offer order and meaning in this era of progressive chaos.

He reflects on Michelle Obama’s infamous 2008 speech, during which she claimed that “we are going to have to change our conversation; we’re going to have to change our traditions, our history.”

A decade and a half later, and it’s clear that uprooting tradition results in division, displacement, and disorder.

Tradition, Glenn explains, is “deeply human” and serves to “mark moments that matter in our lives” and “helps organize things in our mind.”

Catholicism, which is predicated on tradition, can restore the emptiness our current culture has adopted.

“Rituals in Catholicism — the Eucharist or the confession — elevate this instinct, this need to the sacred, so it’s not just a routine; it is a bridge to meaning,” says Glenn. “That matters because when you have meaning and there's a storm in your life, it gives structure so it doesn't feel like the storm is just going to wipe you out entirely.”

Modern worship doesn’t seem to offer the same stability as traditional worship. The Post article notes that “Gen Z crave clarity and certainty” and are therefore “rejecting lax alternatives of modern worship.”

“Why? Because modern worship tells you you can believe anything; there are no real rules,” says Glenn.

The problem is, that kind of progressive doctrine lacks substance, which is what the human soul is designed to thirst for. Ritual and tradition can offer a solution because they “build communities — like a congregation singing together in unison or a neighborhood block party,” says Glenn.

“We now live in a world of screen and rush,” he explains. But rituals and traditions “will slow you down, make you present in the moment.”

“They're not about rules; they're all about meaning if you do it right. This isn't about recognizing one faith over another. This is about recognizing what rituals do for us.”

To hear more of Glenn’s analysis, watch the clip above.

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Could this unexpected trend spark a nationwide spiritual revival?



New Year’s often inspires plans for enhancing our lives, and a recent trend could spark a nationwide revival.

America saw a Bible boom last year — the hope and good news of Scripture reaching millions of new eyes. Bible sales increased 22% in 2024 over 2023, led by shoppers purchasing copies as first-time readers. Bible sales rose to 14.2 million in 2023 from 9.7 million in 2019, according to data reported by Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at the Wall Street Journal, and hit 13.7 million in the first 10 months of 2024.

An interesting point is that sales of all books — including secular ones — were up less than 1%. That means there’s an undeniable spike in demand for the Good Book.

What does all this mean? Christians like me are rejoicing at this opportunity for more people to know God's love. As a recovered agnostic, baptized as an adult seven years ago on December 3, my desire is to encourage new believers or curious seekers exploring faith.

For some new Bible readers, it may seem foreign and uncomfortable to embark on this journey, especially if they experienced or witnessed religious trauma and abuse. I certainly did, which is part of why returning to Bible reading was hard for me at first.

I grew up with seven biological siblings and a violent, mentally ill street-musician father, who believed he was a prophet and would someday become president of the United States and that Satan had “reassigned” lesser demons in order to personally torment our family. We lived a transient lifestyle, skirting authorities by constantly moving. Besides various houses, we lived in motor homes, tents, mobile homes, and sheds.

I learned the abundant scientific evidence for a divine creator that blew away any last vestiges of agnosticism.

One of my five brothers was born in a tent when our family lived in the public campground woods of Greenbelt Park, Maryland. Besides time spent in homeschooling, I attended 17 different public schools. When I took my ACT exam, we lived in a shed with no running water in the Ozarks.

The LDS Church eventually excommunicated my dad, so I’m careful to distinguish his behavior from the official, 17-million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a child, my dad was sexually assaulted by a female Mormon babysitter and witnessed the sudden death of a best friend. Sadly, his children inherited the effects of his trauma.

Three siblings attempted suicide, and I have two brothers with schizophrenia, including one brother who tried to rape me and another who accused me of trying to seduce him. I’ve been hospitalized nine times for depression, fibromyalgia, suicidal ideation, and PTSD.

For years, I assumed I’d never return to belief in God or organized religion. My heart remained closed for over a decade because of the evil things I’d seen done in God’s name. To fill the void, I threw myself into work, schooling, dating, friends, and travel as ultimate sources of meaning. I studied business policy with a full-tuition scholarship at Harvard and worked as an analyst for major Wall Street firms, earning unthinkable sums for a girl from a motor home. I launched a career in political journalism at outlets like Politico, The Hill, and the Washington Times.

But it didn’t provide the meaning and purpose that only God can.

After unexpected turns, I turned to studying the Bible and Christian theology. I also began studying science and metaphysics, embracing a ministry called Science + God created by former Harvard physics professor Michael Guillen, a nondenominational Christian and former atheist. Guillen earned a Ph.D. in mathematics, astronomy, and physics from Cornell before teaching physics at Harvard and serving as ABC News’ chief science correspondent.

I learned the abundant scientific evidence for a divine creator that blew away any last vestiges of agnosticism. I eventually embraced Christianity and haven’t looked back.

While there are many ancillary readings that complement the Bible, nothing compares with the life of Jesus himself and the Old Testament that points to Him.

The former French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who saw his political fortunes collapse, reportedly said while in exile after defeat at the Battle of Waterloo:

I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him.

In today’s modern world of cheap social media tricks to buy followers and “influencers” buying engagement, Jesus’ powerful influence has lasted more than 2,000 years, with billions of Christians worldwide today and many millions throughout the centuries.

As Christians recently celebrated the birth of our Savior at Christmastime, we also have reason to rejoice in our brothers and sisters learning more of Jesus’ life and teachings.

Congratulations to the millions of Americans buying their first Bible. You’re in for a powerful journey, one that won’t necessarily be easy. As Jordan Peterson would say, welcome to your first wrestling match with God.

Survey confirms Zoomers' values will end America as we know it



If you’re not worried about the values of up and coming generations, you probably should be.

A recent survey on attitudes about key religious and values statements from Baby Boomers vs. Generation Z shows that Gen Z — and thus America — may be in trouble.

When those participating in the survey were asked whether or not they believed patriotism was “very important,” 76% of Baby Boomers said it was, while only 32% of Gen Zers had the same sentiment.

Belief in God for Gen Z was even less important to them, with only 26% calling it “very important,” while 65% of Baby Boomers voted that it was.

Having children was the least important to Gen Z and Baby Boomers, with only 23% of the former calling it “very important" and 52% of the latter.

While the Baby Boomers’ seem to have better values, Steve Deace believes the stats aren’t promising for either one of the groups.

“That’s a sad stat, frankly,” Steve Deace says. “How belief in God and religion has produced in your generation a 13-point deficit in thinking children are important — I have to question what God do you believe in and what’s your religion?”

“If you think patriotism is more important than having children by 25 points, well, I mean, for goodness' sake, what’s a more patriotic act other than to have children and pass on to them your values and legacies and heritage?” Deace asks again, adding, “The amount of confusion even on the Boomer side here is paramount.”

When asked if they believed America was the best place to live, 66% of Baby Boomers voted yes, while only 33% of Gen Zers voted the same.

“I’m going to tell you right now, these numbers are unrecoverable without great awakening levels of revival. These numbers are unrecoverable. These trend lines will not be altered. We don’t have the power within us to alter these things,” Deace warns.


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Glenn: This MIRACLE gives me MORE HOPE than any other story



Asbury University, a small, Christian college most have never heard of before, is now going VIRAL.

What started as a routine chapel service at the university is now bringing in worshippers from thousands of miles away, and the ongoing prayer hasn’t stopped for days.

It’s a miracle, Glenn says, and THIS story is giving him more hope than any other ‘good news’ story today. In fact, Glenn says, this may be the biggest story of this time.

In this clip, he’s joined by Asbury University student body president Alison Perfater, who describes how this revival began, God’s overwhelming presence at the chapel, and why it’s provided a "healing" journey for so many.



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