A quiet revival? 

I welcome a recent study showing an increase in church attendance - but I don't like the word revival, writes Michael Shaw. I believe God is doing something new, not reviving the old; a re-formation, not a revival. 

The Bible Society recently published data about church attendance showing a rapid increase, particularly among young men (you can find the report here). It seems many are noticing that something is happening within Gen Z, as young people appear to be searching for deeper meaning in life.

Dr Rob Barward-Symmons, co-author of, suggests that one possible reason for this growth is people's search for meaning. He says, 'With much of the population struggling with mental health, loneliness, and a loss of meaning in life—particularly young people—church appears to be offering an answer.'

Now, I rejoice people are finding faith and seeking something deeper in their lives. I would never dismiss that!

However, I take issue with the use of the word Revival. Bible Society did qualify it with "quiet revival," which I appreciate, but like many who grew up in certain church spheres, the word Revival is problematic for me.

The church I grew up in placed a heavy emphasis on Revival; the elders would fast—sometimes to the point of ill health—in hope of seeing one. The problem was the revival they sought involved the Holy Spirit doing things the church itself should have been doing. Any small sign of growth was perceived as the beginning of the Revival.

The key text for many was 2 Chronicles 7:14—which I can recite from memory: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land” (my paraphrase). The idea was if we just prayed harder, God would send his Spirit to heal the land.

But if you actually read the verse carefully, it doesn't focus on praying harder; it talks about God’s people humbling themselves and repenting. It was written originally to the Israelites, who had lost their passion for God and were in danger of losing their land (which, ultimately, they did). Healing the land required the people of God to turn back to Him—there was no mention of simply increasing prayer or fasting efforts.

There are many things the church needs to repent of that have never been fully dealt with:

• Historic issues – Crusades, involvement in the slave trade (where Christians were both abolitionists and slave owners), colonialism, and even apartheid.
• Leadership issues – Recent scandals involving figures like Ravi Zacharias, Mike Pilavachi, and John Smyth, where abusive leaders remained unchallenged despite multiple accusations.
• Culture wars – The suppression of women in ministry and the alienation of LGBTQ+ people.
• Prosperity Gospel – Church leaders manipulating faith for financial gain.
• The rise of Christian Nationalism – A movement tying right-wing politics to the mission of the Church (see: the Seven Mountain Mandate).

Until we truly address these issues—some of which have been partly acknowledged—can we really say we have humbled ourselves and turned from our wicked ways?

When we look at historical revival movements, many (though not all) share a common thread: they often began among the poor and marginalised. The Welsh Revival began in forgotten chapels; the Azusa Street Revival began in a simple chapel with a sawdust-covered floor, led by a half-blind Black preacher. Even the Great Awakening, led by the Methodists, found traction among miners in Keynsham and among impoverished Cornish tin miners. These are just a few examples where revival sprang from unexpected places.

We shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus’ mission began in Galilee, not Jerusalem, and the early church grew from an upper room, not the Temple. The biblical story consistently shows that the Gospel is "good news for the poor" (Luke 4—the Greek word ptōchós refers to someone destitute or deeply impoverished).

As someone ministering in an area ranked among the one per cent most deprived (according to Church Urban Fund data), my experience is that, for many in my community, the church feels as irrelevant as ever.

So, yes—the word Revival troubles me, and perhaps that's just my own baggage.

But I do believe that God is doing something. When we look at church history, every so often God uses individuals to shake things up. (In Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, they say, "every 500 years or so the church needs a rummage sale.”)

Think of Anthony of Egypt retreating to the desert, St. Francis challenging the church from within, or Martin Luther nailing his theses to a church door. Across the centuries, movements have re-formed the church: the early monastics, medieval reformers, the upheaval of the Reformation.

I wonder if that time is coming again.

I believe we don’t need a Revival—but a Re-formation: a reformation away from toxic theology, a returning to the basics, and a refocusing on Jesus and His priorities.

For me, this isn't happening on a mass scale, but in individuals—what some call deconstruction.

Now, the word deconstruction brings many preconceived ideas: "It's just a fashionable way to walk away from Christ," or "It's about leaving the church to sin." And yes, that may be true for some.

But in their recent book Invisible Jesus, Scott McKnight and Tommy Preston Phillips, through research and personal experience, explain that most people going through deconstruction aren't abandoning Jesus—they're on a mission to find Him.

As someone who has been through a 25-year deconstruction, that deeply resonates with me. Many people I've met—across all ages—have entered into a process of deconstruction. Some stayed in the church; some had to leave. But the consistent thread among them all was this: at great personal cost, they had a deep desire to find and follow Jesus.

So, I want to suggest that what we are about to see is not a revival, but a re-formation. I believe God is doing something new—not reviving the old.

That might be controversial, but my hope is that what is birthed will not drag the church backwards, but propel it forwards.


Image | Luis Quintero | Pexels

Michael Shaw is the minister of Devonport Community Baptist Church, Plymouth

 

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