Archive · 33 stories
September 2026 in Kingdom News
September 2026 was dominated by one story told in many places: people being baptised. Biltmore Church in North Carolina baptised 458 in a single day, beating its own record from a year earlier; Lakepointe Church in Texas baptised 882, up from nearly 700. The UniteUS campus movement reached Pepperdine and then Miami, passing more than 100,000 students reached since 2023, and a small South Carolina town that had prayed for revival for years saw its weekend crusade fill the altar with children and youth.
It was also a hard month for the persecuted church. In Nigeria, which accounts for roughly 72 percent of Christians killed for their faith worldwide, a pastor and a church worker were killed and a reporter was shot at while documenting the aftermath. Algeria's Protestant churches remained sealed, with believers meeting in homes and garages. In the United States, persecuted-refugee admissions were reported to be heading toward zero for the year.
Underneath the headlines, research continued to complicate the decline narrative: Barna's 25-year data shows Gen Z churchgoers now attend more regularly than any other generation. We also published five evergreen guides this month — on what revival is, how to pray for the persecuted church, what the church-growth data shows, the baptism wave, and how to start a prayer meeting for revival.
Every story from September 2026
UniteUS Reaches Miami: 'God Marked the University of Miami Tonight'
Six days after Pepperdine, UniteUS filled the Watsco Center at the University of Miami. Hundreds of students made the decision to follow Jesus, and hundreds were baptised.
882 Baptisms in One Day at a Texas Church — the Largest Yet This Season
Lakepointe Church in Texas baptised 882 people on 27 September — up from nearly 700 last September, and after 2,772 first-time decisions at Easter.
From Cane Ridge to Jerusalem: Communion 250 Gathers 156 Sites at Once
From 24 to 26 September, Christians gathered at 156 sites across every US state and abroad for extended communion — including near Cane Ridge, Kentucky, 225 years after the revival there.
Why Are So Many People Getting Baptised? The 2026 Baptism Wave, Explained
2,552 on a Florida beach. 458 in one North Carolina church. 17,900 across 49 countries in a single day. Here is what is driving the baptism wave, what baptism means, and how to tell if it lasts.
How to Start a Prayer Meeting for Revival: A Practical Guide
Almost every documented awakening began with a handful of ordinary people praying persistently. This is a practical, step-by-step way to start that kind of meeting — and to keep it alive when nothing seems to happen.
Police Raided His Church With Machine Guns. Attendance Went Up.
An armed police unit stormed Wera Forum in Duisburg over an allegation its source later admitted was false. The pastor says he left with a broken nose. The church has since grown past 1,000 across four locations.
Small Town, Big Prayer: Whitmire, South Carolina Believes a Great Awakening Is Coming
Whitmire has been praying for revival for years. This weekend World Harvest Ministry brings an evangelistic crusade to town — and the mayor says he believes God planned it two years ago.
What Is Revival? The Biblical Definition, the Marks, and the History
The word gets used for everything from a genuine outpouring to a well-attended conference. Here is what revival means biblically, the marks that distinguish it, and what the historical awakenings actually shared.
How to Pray for the Persecuted Church: A Practical Guide
Most of us want to pray for persecuted believers and do not know how, so we pray vaguely and stop. This is a practical method — with the numbers, the countries, and the specific requests the persecuted church actually makes.
Is Christianity Growing or Declining? What the 2026 Data Actually Shows
Both stories are true at once, and which one you hear depends entirely on which continent, which generation and which measure someone is quoting. Here is the actual picture.
'What a Night, What a God': The College Revival Reaches Pepperdine
Thousands of students gathered at Pepperdine University in Malibu. Hundreds chose Christ. Many were baptised on the spot. UniteUS has now reached more than 100,000 students since autumn 2023.
A Pastor Killed, a Reporter Under Fire: Nigeria's Daily Attrition
A pastor and a church worker were killed, and the pastor's son critically wounded, roughly five miles from an earlier attack site. A reporter documenting it was shot at while filming.
458 Baptisms in One Day: A 137-Year-Old Church Breaks Its Own Record
On 13 September, Biltmore Church baptised 458 people in a single day — the largest in its 137-year history, and a jump on the 389 it recorded just last year.
'Nothing Short of a Miracle': A Skateboard Accident, a Brain Injury, and an Encounter
An electric skateboard accident left Gabe Poirot with a horrific brain injury. He says that during it he met Jesus — and doctors say his survival and recovery are nothing short of a miracle.
Sealed Doors, Open Homes: Algeria's Church Goes Underground
Since 2006 at least 58 Protestant churches have been shut in Algeria, and no EPA-affiliated congregation has been granted a licence. The church did not stop meeting. It stopped meeting in buildings.
The Weekend Kingdom Briefing: Baptism, Belonging, Freedom and Costly Worship
This weekend's briefing follows public baptisms in Britain, new research on young men's loneliness, international religious-freedom appointments and believers who worship under pressure.
New Religious-Freedom Appointments Put Global Persecution Back in Focus
The U.S. religious-freedom commission welcomed several appointments while calling for a swift Senate confirmation process for ambassador-designate Cissie Graham Lynch.
A Social Post Became an Ocean Baptism as More Than 170 Declared Faith in Jesus
CBN News reports that a simple online invitation, developed with local pastoral support, brought people from across the UK to the sea for baptism.
Young Men Are Naming a Friendship Crisis. Churches Can Answer With Real Community
Research based on 2,000 American men ages 18 to 29 found that four in ten reported two or fewer close friends and nearly half felt they lacked community much of the time.
The Kingdom Briefing: Four Stories to Pray Through This Week
This week's source-linked briefing follows four stories where the Church is being called beyond attention and into prayer, care, relief and patient discipleship.
Worship at Any Cost: Believers Gather Under Pressure Across Six Nations
From an unfinished church in Mexico to a burned church in Nigeria, believers continue to gather—and ask the global Church for specific, sustained prayer.
After 10 Months in Captivity, Missionary Kevin Rideout Is Home — and the Prayers Continue
Kevin Rideout, a SIM missionary and pilot who spent 10 months in captivity after being abducted in Niger, has returned to his family. His release is an answer to sustained prayer — and the beginning of a longer road toward rest, privacy and restoration.
‘God Has Left Me for a Purpose’: A Nigerian Widow Chooses Healing After Unthinkable Loss
Open Doors tells the story of Asabe, a Christian mother from Plateau State who survived a 2025 attack and later found strength through Scripture, church fellowship and trauma-informed care.
From Addiction and Prison to a Life of Service: Henry Lozano’s Story Points to Grace
Henry C. Lozano's public story moves from heroin addiction and federal prison to Christian recovery ministry, national drug-prevention work and service in the White House.
Nepal Floods: Churches Grieve, Serve and Ask the Global Body of Christ to Pray
After catastrophic flash floods swept through communities near Nepal's northern border, local believers are grieving lost family members while churches and relief partners organize practical aid.
Visions of Jesus: Muslims Across the Middle East Are Meeting Christ in the Middle of War
Pastor Georges Houssney of Horizons International says the pattern is now unmistakable: where war breaks out across the Middle East, Muslims begin having dreams and visions of Jesus — and walking into churches asking who He is.
AWAKE Houston: Thousands to Gather at Smart Financial Centre on September 19
On Saturday 19 September 2026, Leading The Way hosts AWAKE Houston at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land — the third official city-wide rally in the AWAKE America series.
Gen Z Is Now the Most Regular Churchgoing Generation in America
For twenty-five years the story was decline. Barna's latest data tells a different one: Gen Z churchgoers now attend more regularly than Boomers, and the trendline is still climbing.
The Government Told This Grandmother to Stop Feeding People. She Said No.
She has been cooking for her neighbours for years. Then the paperwork arrived telling her to stop. She kept cooking.
From 29,000 to Zero: Persecuted Christian Refugee Admissions Collapse
In fiscal year 2024 the United States resettled 29,000 Christians fleeing persecution. In fiscal year 2026 the number is tracking toward zero — a first in at least a quarter century.
One of the World's Most Secular Nations Just Named Jesus Influencer of the Year
Sweden's annual Youth Barometer surveys fifteen thousand people aged 15 to 24. It named Jesus Influencer of the Year — and the churches are seeing the same thing the survey found.
A Nigerian Woman Left Islam for Christ. A Court Just Ruled in Her Favour.
In Nigeria, leaving Islam for Christianity can mean losing your family, your home, and your safety. For one woman living under threat after her conversion, the courts did something almost nobody expected.
Nigeria Accounts for 72% of Christians Killed Worldwide — and a Governor Just Drew a Line
Of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith worldwide in the last reporting year, 3,490 were in Nigeria. In September, Plateau State's governor ordered security agencies to shut down unauthorised religious enforcement.