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Billy Graham once filled Australian stadiums with seekers. Today, faith is sidelined and truth is under attack. Can Australia find its way back to spiritual renewal?

In 1959, Australia was abuzz with religion. Across our land, thousands upon thousands of people were flocking to hear American evangelist Billy Graham. At his concluding meeting in Adelaide, 50,000 people packed the Adelaide Oval to hear him.

In Melbourne, the largest crowd ever to attend the MCG was at his final meeting — 150,000 people packed the stadium and that is the record for the venue.

About 30% of the Australian population attended his meetings, and millions more heard him speak via radio and television. People were converted to Christ, churches were packed, believers were called to full time service, and Bible college enrolments increased significantly.

Religion was a popular topic of conversation and news coverage was dominated by reports of the crusade meetings.

Today in 2025, 66 years later, Australia is a very different country. Christianity is now marginalised. One brief report sums up where we are today. Our Prime Minister made a brief nano-second reference to Jesus’ resurrection in his Easter message, and that was it. If you blinked, you missed it. He had said a lot more to the Muslim community at the beginning of Ramadan. The Opposition Leader did say a lot more. But the PM’s remarks are reflective of the religious climate of our nation. We are nothing like the Australia of 1959.

So, at this pivotal time in our history, we must ask: what has happened to us?

What Happened to Australia?

In the late 60s and into the 70s, the social atmosphere of Australia changed. Influences that were harmful to the blessings of the Graham crusades emerged.

Sunday sport increased our secularism. TV programmes featured more suggestive scenes and themes, which have since declined further, with sex scenes now quite common. Pop music, with its mixed messages, gained massive success. A new morality emerged, breaking down conservative values. Hollywood’s morality seduced us. The gay lifestyle slowly began to shift Australians’ attitudes towards homosexuality, and prostitution gained significant support and growth.

Church attendance began to decline. We had “religious instruction” in our schools in South Australia while I was at school. Then a major denomination voted to pull out — and that was the end of it. Australia began moving rapidly down a different pathway.

In the churches, a strange new emphasis gained significance: modernism. It questioned everything Billy Graham had preached — from the authority of the Bible to the need for salvation. A new message emerged and began to influence all the major denominations.

Suddenly, the religious climate changed — and eventually changed rapidly. The charismatic movement gave impetus to the growth of the Pentecostal denominations, but other denominations began to decline in numbers, to the point that churches are now closing at an alarming rate.

A Nation at the Crossroads

Now, at the spiritual crossroads, Australia will either continue the spiritual decline or experience a new spiritual awakening.

We cannot look for our politicians to change the direction we are on. Why? Many of the problems we face were supported and promoted by politicians, including:

• Same-sex marriage
• Transgenderism
• Non-binary narrative
• Anti-gay conversion therapy laws
• Vilification laws
• The climate change cult

I believe all of these are anti-God and anti-Christian. We are on a slippery slope that can only get worse if not stopped.

I am currently reading through the book of Acts and I refer you briefly to the answers it provides for Australia to experience a spiritual awakening. Before I dive into my discussion, let me draw your attention to the religious climate of the First Century AD:

• Roman Religion: The Romans worshipped a pantheon of gods like Jupiter, Mars and Venus. Religion was deeply intertwined with public and private life, with rituals performed to gain the favour of the gods.
• Judaism: Jewish communities were spread across the Roman Empire. Despite facing challenges, such as the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, Judaism remained a significant and influential faith.
• Mystery Religions: These were secretive cults, such as those dedicated to Isis or Mithras, offering personal salvation and mystical experiences to their initiates.
• Hellenistic Religions: A blend of Greek and Eastern traditions, these religions often focused on astrology and the idea of fate. Paul’s experience in Ephesus points to the power of the demon goddess Artemis. She ruled the city and her temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

This was the environment in which the early Christians proclaimed the gospel — and they had success. Here are four keys from the book of Acts that expalin why they succeeded, and how Australia can get back on track, too.

1. Prayer

In Acts 1:12-14, we read:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Acts 2:42 adds that “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers”. Indeed, in the book of Acts we find a total of 29 references to prayer.

Prayer preceded the filling of the Holy Spirit, healings, bold preaching, and brought comfort in persecution. The early believers believed in prayer. Do we? The early church was a praying church. Are we?

We must remember the words of 2 Chronicles 7:12-14:

Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

It is incumbent on us to seek the Lord in fervent prayer for our nation.

2. Power

In Acts 2: 1-4, we read:

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Christianity without the power of the Holy Spirit is Christianityless. It is like driving a car with flat tyres — and it’s plain hard work. Many churches still do not teach and preach the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A definite experience of Holy Spirit power is needed to wake up a sleepy church.

3. Proclamation

In Acts 2:36-39, Peter declares, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” The passage continues:

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

The apostles preached Jesus and repentance — not “your best life,” or “how to be happy and successful,” or “how to find purpose and meaning,” or “prosperity is for everyone.” Acts 4:12 sums it up: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

4. Phenomena

According to Acts 8:4-8:

Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralysed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

The spiritual phenomena — signs and wonders — got attention for Philip to preach. I believe that we need a similar demonstration of the Spirit’s power in our ministry.

Paul’s commentary on this in Romans 15:17-19 highlights what I am saying:

Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient — in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

We are facing a federal election in just a few days. We are at the crossroads as we approach this date. Adam Bandt, the leader of the Greens — the worst political party to gain traction in Australia’s history — has predicted that Labor will need them to form government. He is anticipating a hung parliament.

I predict an increasingly dark future for us if that happens. Be very wise in how you vote. Your vote matters. You may think, “Oh, what can my vote do? I am not very important; I am only one person.”

If you think you are small and insignificant and so cannot do much, then you have never been in bed with a mosquito.

So, it is time to seek the Lord, pray, and vote wisely.

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Image courtesy of Unsplash.