(Photo: Unsplash/Aaron Owens)
The so-called “Quiet Revival” report by the Bible Society noting an upsurge in Christianity among young people in the U.K. is also seen to an extent among young New Zealanders, according to a report by Baptists.
In the 2025 Annual Report for the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, Ethan Miller, Youth Catalyst for the denomination, made the comments in reference to the Bible Society report published in April 2025 and titled “The Quiet Revival: Gen Z leads rise in church attendance emerging across parts of the Western world.”
Miller shared the findings in a chapter titled, “Fanning the Flame: Is the Quiet Revival Here?” referring to the Bible Society report that found a measurable rise in Christian faith in the U.K., with Gen Z (born 1997–2012, now aged 13–28) “leading the way.”
He then asked whether similar signs of renewal could also be seen in Aotearoa New Zealand.
He listed a series of figures from the Baptists showing a marked increase in church attendance in New Zealand by younger people, arguably showing that a “quiet revival” is also being noticed in the country.
These figures show between 2022 and 2024, youth in Baptist churches increased by 24%. Easter Camps grew 42% between 2023 and 2025. KB Youth Leaders Training, predominantly young adults, also grew by at least 100 people (30%) to 445 youth leaders between 2024–2025, said Miller.
Meanwhile, of the 710 baptisms reported in Baptist churches, 58% (411) were under 25, with the majority under 18 (43%), he said. There are 8+ new youth ministries (over 100+ youth ministries in total) over the last two years.
“We expect many more to begin over the coming years,” said Miller, and he commented on the real life stories behind the figures. “We’re hearing remarkable stories of young people walking into church with no faith background, curious about Jesus, reading Scripture—and even bringing their Bibles to school; sharing faith, starting Alpha courses, and inviting friends to church.”
Showing passion for mission and justice for the poor, sick, and marginalized had also been noted among younger people. This social action interest complemented a demonstrable hunger for prayer and worship.
“My favourite story is about a 15-year-old girl from an unchurched background who came to faith at Easter Camp two years ago,” recalled Miller. “After moving towns, her passion for Jesus led her to start a youth group. Today, 30 of the 40 highschoolers in her area school gather to worship, read scripture and grow together.”
“God is on the move, and Gen Z— what [Christian researcher] Barna calls [the open generation] —seems to be leading the way,” he added.
However, Miller cautioned that much work remained in evangelistic witness among youths in New Zealand with challenges in resources.
“Although Jesus is moving and there has been significant progress, there is still much work to be done,” he said.
“The greatest challenge impacting youth ministry is the reduction of resources, between 50-60% lower than it was 10 years ago, at a local, regional and until recently national level.”
Miller believed that a strong and ongoing emphasis upon discipleship and leadership training is needed to reach youngsters.
“The future of the Baptist churches lies in the leaders we raise. We must recapture our vision and passion for the next generation and younger leaders; they are the most strategic investment we can make! We would love to see this increase in the coming years, particularly with what Jesus is doing in young people! As Nelson Mandela once said, ‘the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.’”
© Christian Daily International
