Pitt Athletes Stand Boldly for Jesus at ‘Pitt for Jesus’ Worship Night
Michael Foust
Audio By Carbonatix
By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com
A spiritual awakening that has swept college campuses nationwide has also reached the University of Pittsburgh, where a “Pitt for Jesus” worship service was held Thursday and dozens were baptized.
The event was sponsored by Pitt Purpose, a campus organization launched by Pitt student-athletes with the goal of seeing revival spread throughout the university and the nation. More than 600 people attended Pitt for Jesus, with 65 accepting Christ and some 80 baptized. It drew wide participation, too, with 16 ministries and 15 varsity sports represented.
It was held at Mazeroski Field, adjacent to the campus.
Jake Overman, a tight end on the Pitt Panthers football team, helped launch Pitt Purpose and organize Pitt for Jesus.
He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he wants to see “revival touch Pitt’s campus.”
“In the time our nation is in, I think a lot of people are looking for answers [and] looking for people to be bold one way or another,” he said. “As believers, we have to rise up and be bold in our faith — and there's nobody better to do that than a football program on a campus.”
Overman, offensive lineman Caleb Holmes and defensive lineman Joey Zelinsky shared their testimonies at the event, according to the newspaper.
It’s not the only such movement among college athletes. Early this month, Ohio State University athletes took part in a campus worship night.
Overman said his faith has grown in college.
“Right now, there are so many distractions going on in the world,” he said. “There is so much happening -- there’s politics, social media, different beliefs. … In the midst of all of that, we know that there is one truth, and that truth is found in Jesus.”
A Barna report released in September found that Gen Z church attendance has risen every year since 2022, with today’s young adults attending more often than older generations — a striking reversal of past trends. Millennials, too, are returning to church at higher rates than in previous years. An April Barna survey further showed that personal commitment to Jesus is climbing nationwide, led by Gen Z and Millennials. More than six in 10 in both generations say they have made a commitment to Jesus that remains central to their lives today.
Sarah Sharar, who graduated from Pitt this year, shared her testimony, too.
“People want the real deal with things. They don’t want things that are fake,” Sharar said. “There’s a spiritual awakening… We’re seeing the visible power of God. People’s lives are being transformed and they can’t stop talking about it.”
Photo Credit: The Sanctuary Church
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.
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