Shane Pruitt Sees ‘Movement of God’ Among Gen Z: ‘God Is Up to Something’
A well-known evangelist who travels the country speaking to thousands of young people each year says he has never seen a hunger for the gospel like the one now emerging among members of Gen Z.
Shane Pruitt is Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and speaks to more than 100,000 people each year – many of them teens and college students searching not only for a future job or career, but also for meaning and purpose in life.
But Pruitt, who has spent more than two decades in ministry, says something has shifted in recent years as more and more young people wrestle with questions about identity and truth. He is the author of Revival Generation and the new book Reaching Generation Alpha, which focuses on reaching children and teens 16 and younger.
“I travel all over the nation, and I'm asked to speak evangelistically and give a gospel invitation,” Pruitt told Crosswalk Headlines, adding that he’s “seen more young people in the last five to six years make professions of faith in Jesus Christ” and “get serious about the Word and doctrine and theology” and missions “than probably the previous 20 years of ministry combined.”
Last year, Barna found that belief in Jesus among younger generations has soared in recent years to 67 percent among Gen Z men and 61 percent among Gen Z women – both figures higher than pre-pandemic levels.
“I would say for the last probably four years or so, there's definitely been this movement taking place – a movement of God,” Pruitt said.
He stopped short of calling it a “revival” or “awakening,” but quickly added: “All I know is God is up to something.”
“We're definitely in a God moment that I want to be a part of, and I definitely don't want to get in the way of it. The biggest factor I've seen is just this openness to the gospel – this openness to spiritual conversations, there's this hunger for truth.”
Pruitt theorizes it may have been sparked during the pandemic, when children and teens suddenly found themselves isolated at home and confronted with difficult questions about life.
“I think that what that did for Gen Z is it really taught them that the world is broken and they're broken. I think that became very evident to them at a very early age. … It propelled a whole generation to start looking for answers – they started looking for hope, they started looking for truth, and when they didn't find that in the world, then guess what happens? Anxiety rates go up, depression rates go up, suicide attempts and rates go up.”
Eventually, many members of Gen Z found their answers in Christ.
“The church stepped into that moment and said, ‘Listen, you're looking for hope, you're looking for answers, you're looking for truth – you're actually looking for Someone, because truth has a name, the answer has a name, hope has a name, and it's the name above every name, Jesus Christ.”
But the harvest is not done, Pruitt emphasized.
“I preached at a church [Sunday on] the Parable of the Sower, and I just feel like there's just this good soil that's just waiting for the good seed of the gospel.”
Related Article
Gen Z Leads Belief that Revival Is Coming to America, Survey Finds
Photo Credit: ©Shane Pruitt
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.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published May 19, 2026.
