Gen Z Revival Film Premieres at Kennedy Centre
WASHINGTON, D.C. A new documentary spotlighting a spiritual revival among Generation Z made its red-carpet debut at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts on August 27, 2025. The Revival Generation, produced by Abigail Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), explores a growing hunger for faith and healing among young people across the United States.
Premiering amid the Trump administration’s ongoing push to encourage more faith-friendly programming at high-profile venues, the film documents large-scale worship events and student-led revivals that have swept college campuses in recent years. From Asbury and Auburn to Baylor and Texas A&M, the documentary reveals how a generation burdened by mental health crises, identity confusion, and cultural instability is finding spiritual hope through Christianity.
A Generation in Crisis and in Search
Many of those involved in the documentary believe Gen Z those born roughly between 1997 and 2012 is uniquely positioned for a spiritual awakening. Interviews featured in the film, as well as commentary shared during the premiere, suggest that the pressures facing today’s youth have primed them for a return to faith.
“This is the toughest time to be a young person,” said Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, who attended the premiere. “From economic hardship to overwhelming cultural pressure, many are turning to God for answers.”
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Tim Robertson, son of CBN founder Pat Robertson, echoed this view: “Young people are rejecting the instability of secular values and searching for something real. Christianity gives them that a rock and an anchor.”
Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, also featured in the film, pointed to rising rates of depression and identity confusion as symptoms of a deeper spiritual vacuum. “They’re open to something more because they’ve tasted the bitterness of what the world has offered,” he noted.
At the heart of the film is the story of Tonya Prewett, a mother whose daughter’s battle with addiction and suicidal ideation led her to find the Unite US movement a grassroots network that facilitates worship and prayer events for college students.
Prewett was a key figure in the September 2023 revival at Auburn University, where thousands of students filled an auditorium for worship, and hundreds were baptized in a nearby pond despite freezing temperatures. Similar events unfolded that year at other universities, signalling a growing spiritual hunger among students.
“They’ve tasted the darkness,” said author and Bible teacher Jennie Allen, who also appears in the film. “And now, they want a different way. They want hope.”
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Prewett believes the struggles so common in Gen Z comparison, isolation, addiction, loneliness are driving many young people toward Christ. “He’s the only hope that’s going to get them through it,” she said.
The film also highlights a surprising trend: a spiritual surge particularly among young men. According to data from Barna’s State of the Church 2025 report, the number of Gen Z men who profess a commitment to Jesus has jumped by 15 percentage points since 2019, with millennial men showing a 19-point increase.
Chad Prewett, Tonya’s husband and former assistant basketball coach at Auburn, witnessed this firsthand during the Auburn revival. “We’re watching the toughest of tough guys show up and be moved by the power of God,” he said. “They’re being vulnerable with each other, with themselves, and with Christ.”
He believes this openness is breaking generational patterns of emotional repression. “In my generation, men held everything in. But these young men are seeking truth, and they’re responding with tears and repentance.”
Producer Abigail Robertson, granddaughter of Pat Robertson, believes Gen Z’s upbringing in a post-Christian culture is prompting many to see the Gospel message with fresh eyes.
“Unlike previous generations who went to church because it was just part of American life, many Gen Zers didn’t grow up that way,” Robertson said. “For them, Christianity isn’t cultural. it’s countercultural, and that makes it feel more authentic.”
While Gen Z is often overwhelmed by social media and technology, Robertson says that same exposure has also increased their spiritual curiosity. “They’ve tried every spiritual trend. But when they encounter the Gospel the love of Jesus. they recognize it’s real.”
“Gen Z loves authenticity,” she added. “And that’s exactly what the Gospel offers.”
Despite the challenges this generation faces, The Revival Generation offers an unmistakably hopeful message: young people are turning to Christ in growing numbers, seeking purpose, healing, and truth.
“I hope this film ignites something in them,” said Tonya Prewett. “To be saved, to find purpose, and to make a difference where they are. That’s what it’s all about.”
As evil and suffering seem to grow more visible, those behind the film believe God’s work among young people is becoming equally impossible to ignore.
“As hope arises, so will evil,” Prewett said. “But light shines brighter in the dark.”
Content Credit: Ohidah Oluwaferanmi
Image Credit: The kennedy centre.com
