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The Kennedy Center’s new openness to showcasing pro-faith and pro-family stories is a sign of a Christian and conservative revival happening in America, conservative leaders said last week.
Top conservative and Christian figures spoke to Fox News Digital at the world premiere of the Christian documentary "The Revival Generation" on Aug. 27. They said the film debuting at the Kennedy Center heralds a cultural reinvigoration of the U.S. that values families and people of faith.
"I think it's a new day in America," Dr. Ben Carson said during a red-carpet interview ahead of the film’s premiere.
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Conservative leaders praised the Kennedy Center's new pro-faith direction under its new chair, President Donald Trump. (Background: The Washington Post/Getty; Insets: Fox News Digital)
President Donald Trump appointed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center in February and fired some of the center's previous board members. At the time, he declared they did "not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture." He replaced them with 14 other members, including allies such as second lady Usha Vance and "God Bless the USA" singer Lee Greenwood.
In a Truth Social post at the time, he also called out "woke" content hosted by the center prior to the shakeup.
The president appointed his envoy for special missions, Ric Grenell, as head of the Kennedy Center as well. Ahead of the premiere of "The Revival Generation," Grenell shared a video message laying out his vision for the arts center under its new board. He declared that faith-based content will be featured at The Kennedy Center going forward.
"One important aspect of the arts is to bring faith-based and family-based programming that speaks to the human spirit, that reflects the enduring hope of the American story to this place," he said.
The Kennedy Center is seen Aug. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP)
Carson and other conservative leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece, Dr. Alveda King, attended the screening of the film on Aug. 27.
"In every generation, every decade, every platform and genre, God does raise up a standard," King told Fox News Digital. "Now, the time right now for ‘The Revival Generation’ at the Kennedy Center is just amazing. I came here many years ago to an opera, I think, and that was very memorable. But this one is topping it."
Carson praised the center’s new board for hosting the premiere.
"I think it's spectacular that they're open to something other than the leftist ideology. And the fact that in a place that generally doesn't celebrate Christianity, it's front and center," he said.
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Kennedy Center on August 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"The Revival Generation" is a new documentary on the major Christian revival movement of the past two years that has seen tens of thousands of U.S. college students experience spiritual awakening and baptism into the Christian faith.
The film—produced by the Christian Broadcasting Network—documented how this Christian revival started as a modest small group on Auburn University’s campus. Hosted by Tonya Prewett, the modest campus Bible study morphed into a nationwide Christian revival.
Prewett stated in the film how she wanted to help young female college students who were battling anxiety and depression. Soon, her sharing of the Gospel spread beyond the small group and caught the attention of thousands of students on campus.
The film documents how the Auburn campus revival of 2023 spread to other major colleges nationwide, with Prewett and her team of Christian ministers preaching to and baptizing thousands of college students across the country.
That such a powerful faith-based film premiered at The Kennedy Center represented a major cultural moment in America, according to the conservative VIPs on the red carpet. Many of them pointed to Trump’s influence as the reason faith-based content was getting such a prominent feature there.
Faith & Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed told Fox, "Oh, there's no question it's unprecedented, and the Kennedy Center is one of the most important cultural institutions in American society and in American life. And to have this film premiere here on that kind of platform, I think is a big deal."
"I commend President Trump and Ambassador Rick Grenell for what they're doing to make sure that there are many faith-based performances here at the Kennedy Center," he added.
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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.