Portland Pastor Says God ‘Is Moving’ in the Secular Stronghold
The pastor who helped lead an evangelistic crusade in Portland this summer has a message for the American church: Don't give up on the West Coast. Brett Meador, senior pastor of Athey Creek Church in Portland, Ore., preached at all three sessions of the PDX Crusade in August, where 35,000 people heard the gospel and 3,200 made decisions for Christ in a region often described as one of the nation's most unchurched.
The Pew Research Center's latest Religious Landscape Study (2023–24) found that religiously unaffiliated individuals now outnumber Christians in the Portland–Vancouver area, 44 percent to 42 percent.
Meador, though, says God is on the move in Portland, even if much of the U.S. views it as a "crazy city."
"The Lord is moving," Meador told Crosswalk Headlines.
The PDX Crusade was held at the home of the Portland Trail Blazers, the Moda Center, and included musical worship from Zach Williams, Chris Tomlin, CAIN, TAYA, Anne Wilson and the husband and wife team of Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes.
Pre-crusade interest was so strong that organizers ran out of free tickets for the two scheduled events and were forced to add a third.
Meador understands why many Americans have written off his city -- and admits that at times, he's tempted to do the same.
"Portland is kind of post-post-Christian because it's gone so nuts," he said. "If you go downtown, parts of Portland look like Armageddon. We've legalized drugs. Human trafficking is worse in Portland than any other city in America. We've got more strip clubs than any other city in America, per capita. [But] I think a lot of our people -- Christian, secular, whatever political party -- I think everybody has to admit, 'Wow, we are lost.' And so I think there's an openness to the gospel of Jesus."
Meador says John 1:5 gives him hope: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
Portlanders living amid such darkness, he said, are "hungry" for truth.
"There's just a sense that Jesus really is the answer. And I think Portland is ripe for that right now."
Meador estimates that the arena the first night of the crusade was three-quarters full, while the additional Saturday afternoon session was perhaps five-eighths to capacity. The final night of the crusade was packed -- much like an NBA arena on game night, only this time, to hear the gospel.
A spiritual awakening, he said, is breaking out on the West Coast. The California Harvest Crusade this summer saw 5,500 make professions of faith.
"I'm seeing this in Southern California, Northern California, Portland. We're seeing somewhat of a revival," he said.
Individuals who accepted Christ were connected with a local church, a strategy Meador said was inspired by the Billy Graham Crusades of the past. The PDX Crusade mobilized 3,900 volunteers -- many of whom were trained to pray with those who came forward, reflecting the same model that made Graham's gatherings so impactful.
Meador realizes that Portland often makes the news for all the wrong reasons. He, though, encourages Christians to pray for Portland when they hear the city's name.
"Say a prayer for us," he said. "… The Lord is just doing kind of a unique work and we're just hanging on for the ride, really."
Photo Credit: ©PDX Crusade
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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Originally published September 03, 2025.
