Christian Churches and Schools on the Rise

God is not yet finished with the West:

Just hours ago I wrote a piece on how the Anglican Church in the West is in perilous freefall with increasing rejection of basic biblical truths and scriptural ethics. That has been happening for some time now. But thankfully African and other Anglicans have been courageously fighting back. See the piece on GAFCON here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2025/10/17/gafcon-showing-the-west-how-it-is-done/

But there is still some good news about the state of Christianity in the West. The recent martyrdom of Charlie Kirk has been one clear example of this, with countless Christians now seeking to be brave witnesses for Christ as Charlie was, and many people now starting to read their Bibles, go to church, or get saved, for the first time. See this article for example: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2025/09/14/kirk-christianity-and-revival/

More recent pieces discussing the scene in America have appeared. Prolife activist Lila Rose and others have shared this from Fox News from just days ago:

BREAKING: Reports show a surge in Christianity, affirming the visible revival happening across the United States.
Bible sales: +41.6%
App downloads: +79.5%
Christian music streaming: +50%

See the 4-minute video interview with Christian singer and influencer Anne Wilson here about this: https://www.foxnews.com/video/6382805658112

Jason Ashe commented on earlier studies on this:

For years, headlines have claimed that Christianity in America is dying. Yet beneath the noise, a quiet revival is taking place. People across the nation are turning back to God — and it’s showing up in surprising ways.

 

In 2024, Bible sales in the U.S. surged by more than 20 percent, outpacing all other book categories. Over 14 million Bibles were sold, many to first-time buyers. And remarkably, much of this growth is being driven by younger generations — Gen Z and Millennials — who are seeking truth in an age of confusion.

 

They’re not just inheriting religion; they’re discovering faith for themselves. Many are gathering in small groups, reading Scripture together, and asking real questions about God and purpose. This is not a cultural Christianity — it’s convictional faith, born from personal encounters with Christ.

 

The movement is visible beyond bookshelves too. Worship music is booming, with Christian songs among the fastest-growing genres on streaming platforms. On social media, verses and devotionals are reaching millions daily. Even Bible apps are thriving — the YouVersion Bible App has been opened billions of times this year alone, turning smartphones into tools of faith instead of distraction.

 

Though church attendance looks different than it once did, new communities of believers are forming everywhere — in homes, campuses, and city centers. These gatherings are smaller, more relational, and more passionate. They reflect a generation that wants to live its faith, not just talk about it.

 

This isn’t decline. It’s refinement. The Church is becoming leaner, but stronger. The faith of convenience is giving way to the faith of conviction. Jesus’ promise still stands: “I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

 

What the world calls decline, heaven calls revival. Across America, from living rooms to playlists, from printed Bibles to digital screens, the light of faith is burning brighter than ever.

Christian schooling

Both in America and Australia, more and more believers are turning to homeschooling or Christian schools to keep their kids free of the rot found in most secular schools today in the West. Consider the scene down under with this report from today’s Herald Sun:

Private Christian colleges are growing up to six times faster than government schools, with the highest demand for schools with fees of less than $7500, a new report shows. Private non-Catholic schools now educate 745,000 students, or 18 per cent of the national school population, and are tipped to overtake the Catholic sector as the second most popular education choice by 2027.

 

Analysis commissioned by Independent Schools Australia (ISA) – the national peak body for the private school sector – shows overall enrolments for its schools growing at 3.9 per cent compared to 0.2 per cent for government schools and 1.7 per cent in Catholic schools. The figures compiled by the ISA also show Montessori, Jewish and Uniting Church schools losing students and low growth in Anglican and Catholic schools.

 

In comparison, the biggest increase since 2019 is in Islamic schools (6.8 per cent growth in student numbers), other religious schools (up 6.1 per cent), non-denominational schools (up 5.4 per cent), Pentecostal schools (up 4.8 per cent) and Christian schools (up 4.7 per cent).

 

Most of the growth in the past five years has been in lower fee schools charging $7500 or less, with those charging less than $2500 accounting for 18 per cent of additional enrolments. Between 2023 and 2024, the strongest growth was in Queensland (4.8 per cent), followed by Victoria (4.1 per cent), Western Australia (4.5 per cent), New South Wales (3.6 per cent), ACT (3.2 per cent) and South Australia (2.4 per cent).

The article continues:

ISA chief executive Graham Catt said families were “voting with their feet”. “They are choosing independent schools because these schools meet their values, aspirations and expectations,” he said. “Despite the fact their children receive only half the taxpayer funding of students in public schools, families are still making extraordinary sacrifices. That choice must continue to be supported.” The report notes that private schools receive $13,080 per student in government funding compared to $24,860 for public school students.

Note: this article by Susie O’Brien with the headline “Low-fee Christian school enrolments are soaring – but not in the traditionally dominant Catholic and Anglican sectors” is behind a paywall.

Now it is true that increased Bible sales or increased Christian music downloads or increased numbers in Christian schools do not in themselves necessarily indicate a real revival and/or out-pouring of God’s spirit. But it is all good news nonetheless.

Many – including plenty of young people – in the secular West are growing tired of what is on offer, and are looking for something more. Charlie Kirk helped to point many in that direction, and it seems that God is not yet finished with the West. That is something to be thankful for, and we need to keep praying for further revival and moves of God in the spiritually barren West.

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