From Kate Shellnutt: In his review of The Stadium, historian Paul Putz mentions that the book skips evangelicals’ use of arenas for revivals. It made me think back to the last time I was in a sports venue for a Christian gathering, years ago when I covered a conference called Catalyst in a minor-league hockey arena outside Atlanta.
 
One of the biggest Christian events—Louie Giglio’s Passion conference—takes place in the 16,000-plus capacity basketball arena in downtown Atlanta. On the West Coast, Greg Laurie has hosted his Harvest Crusades at AT&T Stadium, Dodger Stadium, and Angel Stadium. And Sarah Jakes Roberts is holding her upcoming women’s conference at Globe Life Field, where the Texas Rangers play.
 
But, by my observation, these big-scale events seem like more of an exception for evangelicals. The popular stadium tour Women of Faith, rebranded as Belong, suddenly shut down seven years ago. These days, touring speakers may opt for a church or theater that can seat 1,000 people rather than trying to pack in 10,000 or more. Perhaps it’s a lingering effect of the pandemic, which put a pause on big gatherings, or just a change in ministry philosophy, as attendees prefer more intimate events.