***NEWS RELEASE***
For Immediate Release
May 11, 2026
CONTACT:
Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Richard Jefferson, rjefferson@hamiltonstrategies.com
First-time church attendance increase in decades, signals revival
Dr. Alex McFarland: ‘This is the heightened church interest that Alex McFarland Ministries wants to turn into a full revival, bringing people everywhere into local churches and closer to God’
GREENSBORO, N.C. — In-person worship service attendance at the median U.S. congregation increased for the first time in decades, Lifeway research reported.
“While in-person attendance had been rebounding in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic, church attendance last year topped pre-pandemic levels,” said Lifeway, citing a study by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. In 2025, the median congregation welcomed 70 attendees, up from 65 in 2020 before the pandemic. Analyzing data from more than 7,000 U.S. congregations surveyed in late 2025, researchers found that “across a range of indicators, there are signs of recovery and, in some cases, renewal.”
“After years of an immoral, godless society, Americans are finally waking up to the absolute need for and relevance of the Gospel,” says renowned speaker, author, and apologist Dr. Alex McFarland. “The need for revival in America is profound, and this increase in church attendance is just one of the many factors contributing to igniting the revival. This is proof that our Christian faith is essential in guiding our lives and that a biblical worldview matters when it comes to daily decision-making, politics and culture.
“This is the heightened church interest that Alex McFarland Ministries wants to turn into a full revival, bringing people everywhere into local churches and closer to God.”
Alex McFarland Ministries’ newly launched Revive US events reignite the faith for Christians, introduce it to others, and impart knowledge with eternal consequences to everyone. Each event equips attendees to confidently answer these and other critical questions:
- Is there evidence that God is real and Jesus is the only way to heaven?
- Whose truth is true and what does that even mean?
- Should our Christian faith guide government and our daily lives?
- How will we recognize the end times?
- Does God care about me?
To learn more about Alex McFarland Ministries’ Revive US events, click here.
Alex McFarland currently co-hosts “Exploring the Word” on the American Family Radio Network, airing daily on nearly 200 radio stations across the U.S. He is also the host of the “Alex McFarland Show,” which airs weekly on NRB TV and YouTube. The “Alex McFarland Show” podcast is available here.
McFarland and theologian Bert Harper, veteran cohosts of the nationally syndicated broadcast “Exploring the Word,” are proud to announce their newest book, “100 Bible Questions and Answers on Prophecy and the End Times.” Available now, the book concisely answers biblical questions about God, Scripture, Christian Living, and more. A follow-up to their previous work, “100 Bible Questions and Answers for Families,” this book promises to guide you through some of the most fascinating and frequently misunderstood topics in Christianity: end-times prophecy and life in the everlasting new creation.
Alex McFarland has authored or co-authored more than 21 books, including the newly released 100 Bible Questions & Answers on Prophecy and the End Times,” “10 Issues that Divide Christians,” “The God You Thought You Knew,” “10 Answers for Skeptics,” “10 Answers for Atheists,” “The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity,” published by Focus on the Family, and more.
McFarland is a frequent guest on Fox News and has been interviewed by other media outlets including Fox and Friends, Focus On The Family radio, NPR’s All Things Considered, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CBN, La Vie (France), and various news outlets including CBS, FOX, NBC, CSPAN, SRN, and the Associated Press (AP) wire service. He is a contributing writer in print and electronic media, including LA Times, Boston Herald, OK- Celebrity News Magazine, Christianity Today, Charisma, On Mission, Billy Graham’s Decision Magazine and more.
Learn more about Alex McFarland Ministries at its website, Facebook and Instagram pages, or X feed.
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To schedule interviews with Alex McFarland, contact Hamilton Strategies, media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096 ext. 105, or Richard Jefferson, rjefferson@hamiltonstrategies.com.
