More than 3,200 came forward to follow Jesus during PDX Crusade, the first evangelistic crusade held in Portland in more than 25 years.
Hosted by Athey Creek Church, the Crusade included three free events at the Moda Center, Portland’s largest indoor arena, on Saturday, August 2 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on Sunday, August 3 at 7 p.m.
Athey Creek Senior Pastor Brett Meador delivered a gospel message of hope during each event calling attendees out of darkness and into the light.
“We live in a town where darkness is all around us,” said Meador of Portland. “If you live here, you feel it – how desperately people need to believe in Jesus that they may find hope. We need to see our town, our city and our whole country come out of the darkness and into the light.”
To illustrate his point, Meador described the seven “I Am” statements Jesus declared throughout the biblical book of John, highlighting how God revealed Himself through His son.
“We think we’re hungry for delight, for satisfaction or for pleasure,” Meador said after explaining how Jesus is the Bread of Life. “When you feed your soul full of those worldly things, it only makes you hungrier.”
Referencing a 2023 TIME story, Meador explained that though more people than ever are flocking to therapy, our nation’s mental illness is getting worse.
“If our mental health system is so good, why are we spiraling?” asked Meador before discussing how Jesus is the vine. “So many people try to live their lives, and they feel like they are dying, but if you are connected to the vine and abide in the vine, you will find life in Jesus.”
More than 35,000 attended the PDX Crusade. Athey Creek hopes the events will serve as a catalyst for change across the city of Portland, which is one of the least churched cities in the nation. According to the Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, the Portland-Vancouver region is the only place in America where non-religious individuals outnumber Christians.
“I believe the Lord’s doing a great work in Portland, and it’s evident here tonight,” Meador said. “But we have more work to do and that’s why it’s important for us to declare that He is the light of the world.”
Athey Creek has been in the Portland area for nearly three decades and is committed to teaching through the Bible verse-by-verse. The church has three campuses across the Portland area, five live weekend worship services, a weekly Wednesday night Bible study, watch parties in local communities around the world and a national radio program titled Today’s Word Radio.
More than 3,900 volunteers from Athey Creek worked to make the PDX Crusade events run smoothly. In addition to Meador’s message, worship artists CAIN, TAYA, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, Anne Wilson, Chris Tomlin and Zach Williams performed.
“There’s nothing like the sound of the people of God singing the praises of God in the presence of God,” said Tomlin. “It’s the greatest sound on the earth and what we just did – singing to God – ought to be different than just singing a song, because we’re singing to a living God.”
For more information about PDX Crusade, visit pdxcrusade.com.
About Athey Creek Church
Athey Creek is a church with a simple focus: to point to Jesus in all it does. The Church aims to keep the main thing the main thing: worship and the Word of God. For more information visit atheycreek.com.