A three-day conference at an Assemblies of God-affiliated Christian university in central Florida has now entered its eighth day of near-continuous worship.
Starting Feb. 9, the annual conference of Southeastern University (SEU) in Lakeland was intended for young adults to “encounter God and discover their divine design.” Victory Church, whose 4,300-seat sanctuary is the largest in the area, hosted the event.
“It went how a conference would normally go,” said David Lawson, 21, a student on staff with SEU Worship told The Roys Report (TRR) on Sunday. “Then, the last day, after the morning session, we had a moment of repentance.”
Jennie Allen of student ministry Unite US preached on Feb. 11 on the need for discipleship and repentance to live out one’s calling. She closed her talk by urging students to shout out their struggles with sin.
In a widely shared video clip, students could be heard exclaiming, “Anger!” “Pornography!” “Pride!” and other transgressions. Allen sat down on the stage, praying, for about 15 minutes, as piano music played in the background.
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Allen explained the video in a caption: “They named their sin and bondage so bravely, and they genuinely believe Jesus has set them free.”
Jamie, a sophomore at SEU, told TRR that students “lingered in the presence of God.” She said, “Everyone was just repenting of their sins and coming in unity and praying for each other.” (SEU allowed TRR to speak to students only on condition of using first names.)
SEU leaders closed the conference, as planned, at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. But they told students that Bush Chapel on campus would open for anyone who wanted to continue to worship and pray.
Patrick Fitzgerald, chief of staff at SEU, said that “about 600 students were lined up waiting to get in” when they opened the doors at midnight. Every day since, worship meetings have gone late into the night.
On Feb. 13, 2026, students pray together outside Bush Chapel at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo: Josh Shepherd/ The Roys Report)
In an interview with TRR on Friday at SEU, Fitzgerald called Allen’s message “a very holy moment.” He explained, “You could hear all of these awful things that people are struggling with, and you felt the shame leaving the space.”
Fitzgerald said it played “an important part in starting this movement” which has been “a very organic, student-led response.”
A day later, on February 12, SEU President Kent Ingle invited local residents to come on-campus in a video posted online, emphasizing that the extended meetings are “not about SEU.”
“God is unleashing faith, surrender and a fresh pursuit of Jesus in this generation,” Ingle said. “This is about the presence of a living God. This is about the pursuit of Jesus.”
SEU sophomore Derek, who also asked to only use his first name, told TRR on Friday night that he resonated with that message.
“We just want Jesus,” said Derek. “We just want God in his true form. What I’m praying for is that it leads to drastic change, to bring the light of Christ to this world.”
People coming from multiple states
This week, tens of thousands of people worldwide have tuned in to the SEU Chapel livestreams, which have been a nearly-continuous worship and prayer service.
SEU social media post on Feb. 12, 2026. (Screengrab)
Classes at SEU were cancelled Thursday, but most resumed on Friday, as students “were encouraged to remain in the Lord’s presence,” according to a report by AG News.
The chapel has been closed for several hours each day, to “make sure students are eating, showering, and sleeping,” Fitzgerald said. About half of each night’s crowd of approximately 900 people have come from off-campus. Visitors have come from at least 10 states.
“What drew me here was the sincerity of people crying out to God with no agenda,” said Timothy Johnson, an SEU alum from Tampa attending with his wife. “I think America needs a move of God and this is good place to start.”
Meghan Barnard, provost and senior vice president of SEU, told TRR that they’ve seen “all kinds of worship” at the meetings.
“In the chapel right now, what you’ll notice is there are people who are waving flags, dancing, and worshiping with gusto,” she said. “And there are probably more people who are quietly sitting and reading Scripture. They’re just contemplating. They’re still and very prayerful.”
On Feb. 13, 2026, students pray and read Scripture in Bush Chapel at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo: Josh Shepherd/ The Roys Report)
Online donations accepted
The school’s “outpouring” webpage provides details of when and how people from the community or out-of-state can participate in the extended meetings, along with a donation link.
Fitzgerald said the school is not trying to raise money off an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The donation link was prompted largely by SEU alumni.
“Once this whole thing started, we had pastors, church leaders and parents from all over the country saying, ‘I want to help and do whatever I can. I want to be part of this.’”
On Feb. 13, 2026, students pray and worship in Bush Chapel at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo: Josh Shepherd/ The Roys Report)
He added: “We haven’t raised much, but it’s been used to provide food and water for our staff and students. The screen outside the chapel is rented, and we have to cover the costs of additional security to ensure a safe environment.” Unmentioned were extra janitorial costs along with maintaining and cleaning restrooms.
Several SEU staff and students noted reports of people being healed, including of a torn ACL and lazy eye. But no specific testimony could be identified.
Fitzgerald said they have “heard reports and celebrated with students,” while adding that the school has no process of confirmation.
“I don’t know if there are any measures being taken to verify or validate them, but I would assume students are going to a doctor to get it checked out,” he said.
Song lists, discernment and setting the tone
At both the conference and since then, SEU Worship has returned to several popular worship songs as anthems. Some observers may note that the churches where many of the songs originated have faced controversies in recent years.
On Feb. 12, 2026, David Lawson leads students in worship at SEU Conference in Lakeland, Florida. (Video screengrab)
“There are times to have discernment with that and retire a song,” said Lawson, a singer and violinist with SEU Worship. But, he said, “God, with humanity, he really has no choice but to use broken people. We all fall short of the glory of God.”
Lawson added: “If you are connotating worship lyrics unto God, with the scandals and brokenness of men, and you’re joining them together, to me, that is robbing Jesus of glory. These songs are based in Scripture, and they’re ascribed to him.”
He also said that SEU Worship is prayerful about not creating an atmosphere of hype or self-centered worship.
“Sometimes, Pentecostal worship can become very individual and personal, all about receiving from the Lord,” he said. “I pray there is a pendulum swing to songs that are about repentance and about who Jesus is and what his reign looks like as we take up the cross.”
‘Revival is only in hindsight’
Leaders of SEU are cautious about labeling this “move of God” a “revival.”
“We have an attitude of not trying to characterize or define what’s happening,” Barnard, the provost, told TRR. “Students are ministering to each other. We don’t know where it will go, but the Lord is definitely speaking to students.”
SEU Provost Meghan Barnard (Courtesy Photo)
Fitzgerald, whose graduate program includes classes on past revivals like Azusa Street in 1906, said, “Revival is something that you can only identify in hindsight.” The leaders also noted that true revivals begin with repentance.
Christine Sherretz, a professor in SEU’s School of Education, said the outpouring has led her to relate stories about the 1970s Jesus movement in her classes. “But students say, they don’t want to just hear stories. They want to experience it themselves.”
For worship leader Lawson, the ultimate measure of the experience might be how many commit to missions or ministry. He said at one point, more than 2,000 students responded to a call to be commissioned.
“We need to preach repentance and conviction,” he said. “It’s not a game.”
SEU sophomore Derek said he believes the outpouring will have a lasting impact.
“The world needs transformation,” he said. “Jesus wants his people and his children, which is all of us, to take part in the healing of the world that only he can bring.”
Correction: This story has been updated to accurately report SEU President Ingle’s first name.
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in central Florida.