'They Want God': 8,000 Students Seek Jesus in Huge Kentucky Revival, 2,000 Give Lives to Christ
A supernatural Christian revival is stirring up once again on American college campuses through Unite US – an evangelistic movement marked by salvations, water baptisms, and worship. Last night at the University of Kentucky, more than 2,000 students responded to the gospel message of Jesus Christ and many took part in spontaneous baptisms.
"It's hard to believe. This keeps happening. It is insane," said Unite US speaker and founder of IF:Gathering Jennie Allen.
Unite US was birthed out of a desire to "lift the name of Jesus."
It all began at Auburn University's Neville Arena in September 2023 where 5,000 students showed up to worship Jesus and 200 were spontaneously baptized in a nearby lake. And now, the organization hosts massive worship events making waves on college campuses across the country.
Collectively, those events have brought in more than 70,000 college students.
Their first stop in 2025 was the University of Kentucky, just 30 minutes from Asbury University where the first sparks of a new spiritual awakening were seen among American students in February of 2023.
This time, more than 8,000 students packed Rupp Arena to worship Jesus and to hear a powerful message on the Gospel.
"Every time they are confessing their sin, they are yelling it out. They are responding to the gospel in herds. Like droves of kids are coming forward to receive Jesus," said Allen. "We are baptizing kids for an hour and a half. [They are] giving their lives to Jesus."
"It is only God," she added. "There is a movement amongst students that you can't believe. And even when you see it, you can't believe it!"
CBN's Abigail Robertson was there, and she attests to the almost indescribable move of God that took place on the campus.
"I've never seen anything like what happened last night. Kids lining up to get baptized in 30-degree weather – it's truly amazing what's happening," she shared.
According to the event's organizers, it is an event that they have been praying about for months.
"We've been praying for this night for months, and God met us here again," reads a post on social media. "We know it's just the beginning of all He has in store."
The founder and visionary behind Unite US, Tonya Prewett, shared a powerful message with the crowd about giving it all to Jesus.
"You get so tired of the enemy and his attacks, that you will do anything. Even if it costs everything. Many times God will use our deepest pain to propel us into our deepest purpose," she shared.
The night ended with hundreds of students making a public declaration for Jesus Christ, followed by water baptisms. And as each person rose out of the cool waters, cheers erupted from the crowd because another life was counted for the Kingdom of God.
"He did it again. Except for He did it bigger than He's ever done it," said Unite US speaker and Pastor Jonathan Pokluda of Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.
"It was just crazy," he said. "All the aisles and the altars [were] just full of people. Literally thousands [of] college students came forward to give their lives to Jesus. My legs are sore, my arm is sore from baptizing people. And we say thanks to God. Praise be His Name."
Unite US is bucking the claims that GenZ is spiritually apathetic.
"I think we're a generation of critical thinkers, and I think we're a generation of authenticity, and we're a generation of vulnerability," Trosper Buchanan, a junior at UK, told NBC News affiliate LEX-18.
"I've seen and, and experienced firsthand, the death and the depravity that is disguised as the college experience. We're just taught like this is what fulfills you and then this is life and then we, we take it and it kills us, and we're like, 'Well I guess, I guess something's wrong with me,'" he continued.
Dr. Sarah Baldwin, Vice President of Student Life at Asbury University, was at Asbury two years ago when a revival hit the campus that lasted several weeks.
She told the outlet that GenZ is waking up to their true identity in Christ.
"The students are recognizing that like, 'no, this is what I was designed for; this is the purpose that was set aside for me, this is the life... this is the love that Jesus has for me.'"
And events like Unite US are serving as a catalyst across many of those college campuses.
"Revival is here," Allen said. "We're not pulling teeth. We're not doing magic tricks. We are just there responding to the gospel. They want God. And it is so beautiful."
