For nearly four decades, evangelist Tim Todd has carried a distinct burden for America's young people. Through Revival Fires International, his mission centers on a bold strategy: equipping students to bring the Word of God directly into public school hallways through the Truth for Youth Bible.
Speaking recently on American Family Radio, Todd pointed back to the pivotal 1960s Supreme Court rulings in Abington School District v. Schempp and Engel v. Vitale. Those landmark rulings removed the Bible from public classrooms and banned state-sponsored prayer—and the cultural vacuum left in their wake.
"God's people allowed the Word of God to be removed from school," Todd stated. "We allowed the devil to take God out of our schools, and as a result of it, the devil has moved in."
He noted that when the Word of God was removed from school, 97% of Americans believed in God; only 3% didn't. Now, according to updated Gallup data, the percentage of U.S. adults who state they believe in God stands at an all-time low of 81%. When polled on specific traditional entities, 74% explicitly express belief in God.
Likewise, Pew Research Center finds that about 83% to 90% of Americans believe in God or a universal higher power/spiritual force when given broader definitions.
Despite those cultural shifts, Todd says student-led evangelism is proving that young people are hungry for spiritual truth.
With that in mind, his ministry is all about getting the Word of God into the hands of people that do not have Bibles "and bringing a harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God."
Despite restrictions on school-sponsored religious activities, other Christian student organizations have also remained active. Fellowship of Christian Athletes, for example, operates on many public school campuses through student-led clubs, often meeting before or after school under the same rules that apply to other student organizations.
Other ministries like Young Life, Youth for Christ, and local church outreach programs have continued engaging students through campus clubs, mentoring, athletic programs, and community events as well.
These ministries provide opportunities for prayer, Bible study, discipleship, and fellowship while relying on voluntary student participation.
Revival Fires International has been distributing Bibles into public schools since 1995.
