Athletes behind a growing spiritual movement on the University of Pittsburgh campus say the "presence of God was tangible" during a recent first-of-its-kind evangelistic event last week.
Nearly 600 people attended "Pitt for Jesus" at Mazeroski Field in Oakland, PA, last Thursday to worship, hear the Gospel, and have their lives transformed by the love of God, "Pitt Purpose" reported. By the end of the night, more than 65 people surrendered their lives to Jesus, 80 were baptized, and "countless others experienced freedom from addictions and strongholds right at the altar."
Pitt Purpose is led by student-athletes and holds weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings, aiming to transform Gen Z lives.
"If God can touch a football team, then He could touch a campus. And if He could touch a campus, we think He could touch a city. If you could touch a city we believe that He could touch a state...if He could touch a state, He could touch a country," Pitt Purpose founder, Jake Overman, recently told CBN News.
Overman, a red-shirt senior tight end, says the movement began with a God-given vision, expanding over several months to impact hundreds.
He attributes the movement's momentum to students' openness, saying, "The harvest here...is good soil," and he believes hearts have been prepared for this season.
"I think God's been getting all of their hearts ready for it for many seasons many years and I think now is the time [of harvest]," Overman added.
During last week's outreach, various ministries teamed up with Pitt Purpose and athletes to spread the Good News of Christ beyond the campus.
Overman, along with the University of Pittsburgh's offensive lineman Caleb Holmes and defensive lineman Joey Zelinsky, shared their testimonies.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
"Whether it's on the court, whether it's in the classroom, wherever it may be Lord, I just pray for a boldness to come over these athletes, Lord," Overman declared.
"I thank You that You have positioned them in such a time as this, that You have given each and every single one of them a platform. And Lord, I just pray that it would be a platform that wouldn't build them up, but would build You up. So Lord, we just pray and we declare right now that Pitt Athletics belongs to Jesus," he continued.
That message stirred many to put their faith in Jesus Christ.
"Altar filled with students surrendering their lives to JESUS," shared Life Church Pittsburgh Pastor Adam Miller on Instagram. "Now they're SAVED, SET FREE, HEALED, SET APART, BAPTIZED, and changing their world for HIM!"
Overman believes his generation is "searching for truth and searching for something more."
"Right now, there are so many distractions going on in the world. 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," he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pitt alumna Sarah Sharar recently graduated and shared her testimony at the "Pitt for Jesus" event. She told the outlet that people are hungry for a real relationship with God. It's one of the reasons why she shared how God rescued her.
"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."
Pastor Miller agrees and says college students are facing enormous pressure and looking "to find out what's real."
"The hunger we're seeing in this next generation is twofold. Number one, that God is after this next generation. He loves them so much, and He just wants them to know what's made available through Christ," he said. "And then two… there's an increased desire to know spiritual things and to realize there's more beyond this physical world."
It's one of the reasons why Overman says he obeyed the call to bring Pitt Purpose to campus.
"It was time to step up, really, to step up in a new way on this team and lead this team not only on the field but off the field. I've always seen myself as a guy who's done the right things and led my team on the field, but stepping out of my comfort zone and leading these guys towards God has been something that hasn't always been my calling until early this year," he told Sports Spectrum's "What's Up" podcast.
And the fruit is evident.
"Pitt for Jesus 2025 was nothing short of revival. People met God at the altar, many were set free, addictions were broken, and an entire university was touched in just one night," organizers wrote on Instagram. "We declare that this will be the generation that turns back to God!"
Did you know?
God is everywhere—even in the news. That’s why we view every news story through the lens of faith. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1.
Support CBN News
