Faith & Reflection: Voices from the Black Church and Beyond
- Young men are returning to faith, seeking brotherhood, family, and courage as urged by Joshua 1:9.
- Today's dads are increasingly present; their steady love, sacrifice, and accountability shape children and restore families per Institute for Family Studies.
- Churches, fathers, and mentors must disciple men to repentance, responsibility, and courage, answering the call of 1 Corinthians 16:13–14.
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”
Billy Graham
New research offers hope that more men are embracing the call of fatherhood, stepping up for their families, and turning their hearts toward God. Recent Gallup data reported that 42% of men ages 18 to 29 now say religion is very important in their lives, up from 28% in 2022–2023. ¹ Another Gallup report found that 40% of young men now attend religious services monthly or more, the highest level for that group since 2012–2013. ²
While that may not mean we are in full blown revival, something has shifted. For years, the radical push has been to feminize men, define them by the worst examples of manhood, and broad-brush masculinity itself as toxic, dangerous, and evil. Don’t get me wrong, men have given up territory, and need to take ownership for toxic decisions and behavior that have adversely impacted and hurt others. We cannot excuse sin, abandonment, passivity, anger, abuse, or the failure of men to show up, but treating Biblical masculinity itself as the problem has damaged children, families, churches, and communities.
Young men are telling us something, and we should pay attention. Many are looking for faith, brotherhood, and to anchor up at home. Today’s dads are spending more time with their children than any prior generation of fathers, according to survey data highlighted by the Institute for Family Studies. ³ Our kids want and need that presence.
It’s no secret that a mental health strain is showing up in homes, schools, churches, and counseling offices. According to a recent report, mental health conditions were the top diagnostic category for telehealth services, accounting for 52% of the overall share of patients, and more than 60% of telehealth claims among individuals ages 10 to 40.⁴ Behind those numbers are children under pressure, parents trying to hold families together, and a generation that needs steady, present, godly men.
Frederick Douglas was right when he said, “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
My dad shaped my understanding of true masculinity. He was one of what Tom Brokaw called the greatest generation, a World War II veteran who loved America and served God with his whole heart. ⁵ He was the kindest man I have ever met, and his strength was never cruel, arrogant, or harsh. His strength was steady and faithful, expressed in work, prayer, sacrifice, love, and showing up when it mattered.
Our kids do not need a culture that shames them for being male or men who excuse destructive behavior in the name of strength. They need fathers and mentors who will challenge them, guide them, and teach them how to answer the call of Joshua 1:9: to be strong and courageous, warriors, defenders, protectors, not afraid or discouraged, because the Lord is with them wherever they go. They need men who will help them become responsible, humble, God-honoring men.
Scripture says, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13–14, ESV). That is not toxic, it is biblical, because strength and love belong together.
This Father’s Day, I want to say something to dads who are in the stands showing up, trying, praying, repenting where needed, and staying in the fight for their families. You matter more than you know. All the research proves it. Dads are irreplaceable sources of love, guidance, and protection, and they shape their children’s lives for better or worse.
Dad, your children are watching, and your presence, words, faith, the way you love their mother, the way you apologize, and the way you keep showing up when life gets hard all matter more than you may realize.
Let’s shut down this effort to feminize men, demonize men, or even excuse worthless men. We need to disciple men by calling them to repentance, healing, responsibility, and courage. If young men are beginning to return to church, faith, family, and responsibility, then their fathers, pastors, and older men need to “man up” because we cannot waste this moment.
The tide is turning, and by God’s grace, a new generation of men are coming around the mountain. To the dad stepping up to the plate, your kids see you, and we all honor you.
References
- Associated Press. (2026, April 16). What a new Gallup poll shows about young men’s religious revival. AP News.
Read article - Boorstein, M. (2026, April 16). More young men are attending religious services regularly, poll finds. The Washington Post.
Read article - Institute for Family Studies. (2026, June 16). Today’s dads are spending more time in total with their kids than any prior generation of dads. Data from American Time Use Survey, 2003–2024, queried in IPUMS Time Use.
View data - FAIR Health. (2026, June 16). Mental health conditions the top-ranking telehealth diagnostic category in every age group in first quarter 2026. PR Newswire.
Read release - Brokaw, T. (1998). The greatest generation. Random House.
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