‘The Lord Wants to Bring You Back’: Hundreds Accept Jesus at Pepperdine University Event

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Hundreds of college students surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles last week as thousands of students gathered for an event held by Unite US.

 The event, held on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at Pepperdine University's Firestone Fieldhouse, featured guest speakers Madi Prewett Troutt and Grant Troutt as well as UniteUS founder Tonya Prewett. The event was also featured by UPPERROOM WORSHIP, who played such songs as "Awake My Soul" and "Pour My Love on You.”

UniteUs posted on social media that hundreds of students made professions of faith.

“Thousands of students gathered at Pepperdine last night to worship Jesus together, and hundreds made the decision to give their lives to Him!!! Students stayed after the event praying, worshiping, and celebrating together, and many were baptized!”, the ministry stated on their Facebook page.

The social media post went on to add, “We are so thankful for every student, church, ministry, volunteer, and person who helped make this night possible. We truly believe what happened last night is going to have an impact far beyond Pepperdine. We are praying this is the beginning of something powerful across California!!! Thank you, LA. We’ll never forget this night!” 

Additionally, 19 students were baptized at Raleigh Memorial Pool following the event, according to Pepperdine University’s website.

Madi Prewett Troutt opened the night with powerful words as she encouraged students to “wake up from spiritual slumber" and to choose a life of hope and purpose, and to have a “true encounter with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.”

"There's something inside of you that needs to be resurrected," she said. "I know if I look at your Instagram, I’d think ‘You look so good.’ I know if I was given your resume, it's really good. But I bet if I got you alone, I would hear what is breaking you right now; I would hear what you have been holding in the dark. The Lord wants to bring you back tonight.”

“Truth is not just a book; he’s a person,” Prewett Troutt added. “Encountering that person of truth can set you free.”

Meanwhile, Grant Troutt also spoke, sharing a message from the book of Jude in the New Testament, according to CBN News. 

"Are you positioning yourself to receive the most radiant beam of the love of God?,” he asked. “Are you connected to your local church? Are you confessing (to others)? Are you living in the light? We are all in the love of God, but I want you to drag yourself into the radiant beam of the Son of God and receive his love every day. Receive it."

The outlet reports that UniteUS has held more than two dozen massive outreach events on college campuses, as well as several high school events, since Tonya Prewett launched the ministry in the fall of 2023.

In her message to college students, Prewett shared she was prompted by UniteUS after witnessing an increase in heartache and depression while she was mentoring young women at Auburn University.

“I decided to do something about it,” she said.

Since its inception, over 100,000 students have gathered at Unite US events, with tens of thousands making professions of faith and being baptized. 

Photo Credit: ©Facebook.com/UniteUS

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.