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Fox News
2 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Blue-city pastor sees signs of revival after tens of thousands attend Christian crusade
A Portland, Oregon, pastor believes people are ready for a spiritual revival in the deeply secular city, after tens of thousands of people responded to Christ at an evangelism event his church hosted earlier this month. "We've become known as a dark city," Athey Creek senior pastor Brett Meador said, referencing the city's reputation for homelessness, drug abuse, strip clubs, and human trafficking. "Our goal was to shed the light of Christ." The "PDX Crusade" — a free, two-night event inspired by famed evangelist Billy Graham's crusades — drew 35,000 people to Portland's Moda Center on August 2-3 to hear the gospel message and worship with popular Christian artists Chris Tomlin, Zach Williams and others. Around 4,000 church volunteers handed out Bibles to the 3,200 people who committed their lives to Christ at the event, Meador told Fox News Digital in an interview this week. Local reports noted it was Portland's largest gathering of its kind in decades. Meador recalled "powerful" moments from the event, including praying for a 10-year-old boy and his mother to accept Christ, and seeing venue staff come down to the arena floor to be prayed for. "It was kind of overwhelming, the response just from people who heard the good news," he said. "We have countless testimonies pouring in right now." Meador said he followed a spiritual calling to move to Portland with his wife nearly 30 years ago to plant a church in what he said was then known as one of the "the least-churched cities in America." That reputation hasn't changed much. The Portland-Vancouver metro area stands out as the only region among the 34 largest U.S. metropolitan areas surveyed, where religiously unaffiliated people outnumber Christians — 44% to 42% — according to the Pew Research Center's 2023–2024 Religious Landscape Study. Starting a church in such a secular environment wasn't easy, Meador said. Despite pushback, Athey Creek has continued to grow, from zero members to nearly 15,000 people who now attend services. He believes the spiritual climate has shifted over the past five years, especially after months of rioting and rising crime following George Floyd's death in 2020. "Jesus talked about how the field was ready for harvest," Meador said. "And I think that Portland, in the last five years, since the 120 days of rioting that we had in 2020, and just the problems we've had, I think people are realizing this isn't working out very well. And because we've been post-Christian for so long, I think that people are hungry for something that's real and powerful and true." "We're seeing an opportunity to give people an alternative from the darkness to follow the light," he continued. "I think people are realizing that there's just a much better way and that Jesus is actually the answer to all the problems that we face." Church leaders are now prayerfully considering whether to make the crusade an annual event. "We're praying that the Lord will open the door for us," Meador said. "We're very open to doing it again next year and making it maybe a regular thing." The Portland gathering followed another major revival meeting in Los Angeles in July, when about 45,000 people packed Angel Stadium for Pastor Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusade on July 19. It marked the second consecutive year the stadium sold out for the event, with an additional 200,000 people watching online, according to Harvest Church.
Fox News
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Deep blue city attracts tens of thousands for largest Christian revival event in decades
A major Christian revival event in Portland, Oregon this month drew one of the city's largest faith-based gatherings in decades. The PDX Crusade, hosted by Athey Creek Church in partnership with other churches, welcomed 35,000 attendees to the Moda Center in Portland on August 2-3, according to event organizers. The two-night gathering featured gospel messages and worship by popular Christian artists Chris Tomlin, Zach Williams, CAIN, TAYA, Anne Wilson, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes. The church reported that 3,200 people came forward during the altar calls. Volunteers distributed Bibles and connected new believers with local churches, according to a CBN report. The event was one of the most significant evangelical gatherings Portland has seen in decades. In 2020, an outdoor worship protest during the height of coronavirus restrictions drew between 4,000 and 7,000 people. Prior to that, the late evangelist Luis Palau hosted large festivals in Portland that combined music with food and preaching. His 1999 festival reportedly reached over 90,000 people. PDX Crusade attendees, like Portland resident Laura Lybrand, were in awe of the turnout. "I'm really excited about it," she told Oregon Public Broadcasting as she stood in line for the event. "I haven't seen anything like this in a long, long time." Athey Creek senior pastor Brett Meador delivered Gospel sermons each night of the crusade in which he addressed the city's struggles with homelessness, crime and lack of faith, according to the OPB report. "Why is there so much darkness here?" Meador said to the crowd. "I believe it's because we have often pushed Jesus — the real light of the world — out." According to the Pew Research Center's 2023–2024 Religious Landscape Study, the Portland–Vancouver metro area is the only one of the 34 largest U.S. metropolitan regions where religiously unaffiliated people outnumber those identifying as Christian (44% to 42%). Meador, who moved to Portland in 1996 because it was considered the most irreligious city in America, views the region as ripe for revival. The pastor previously decried the city's "stupidity, wokeness and failure," in a sermon in July, according to the report, after the Oregon House of Representatives hosted a drag performance to celebrate Pride month. He hoped the PDX Crusade will be a catalyst for a spiritual awakening in the secular city. "I believe the Lord's doing a great work in Portland, and it's evident here tonight," Meador said, according to KLove. "But we have more work to do and that's why it's important for us to declare that He is the light of the world." Some attendees suggested that the Pacific Northwest may be on the verge of a broader religious revival. "I've just seen a number of different people over these last few months and years that are moving from different areas to the [Willamette] Valley, because they feel like there's some sort of revival taking place," said Brandon Porter of Newberg, also speaking to OPB. "They feel like God's called them here." Athey Creek Executive Pastor Rick Anderson said that leadership is now considering whether to continue the crusade as an annual tradition. "If the city of Portland reflects back and recognizes that this was a catalyst for reviving the church… and really bringing the love of Jesus to a lost and desperate world, we're going to consider that a success," Anderson told OPB. The Portland crusade followed another large religious revival event in Los Angeles in July. Around 45,000 people packed Angel Stadium to attend pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusade on July 19. Harvest Church said it was the second consecutive year the stadium had been packed out for the event and an additional 200,000 people watched the crusade online.
Indianapolis Star
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
Sixth and soaring: Indiana State Fair ranked sixth in the country
The Indiana State Fair is officially ranked sixth among the country's state fairs. Every week, USA TODAY 10BEST taps into a panel of experts to nominate their favorite destinations and experiences. Those picks are vetted by editors before being put to a nationwide vote. Millions of readers choose what they believe deserves to be called the best. The Indiana State Fair has earned a top-10 badge among other top contenders like the Minnesota State Fair, the State Fair of Texas, the Iowa State Fair, and more. Check out the full list: Last year, more than 850,000 people attended the fair. This year's theme is "Soundtrack of Summer" and fairgoers can check out the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage for nightly performances including Babyface, Chris Tomlin, Bill Murray, and more. The State Fair is open until Aug. 17, and is closed on Mondays.
