EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either do not rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch or are slightly (perhaps even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and not to worry much about being slightly off-brand. If that is not for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.
YouVersion Milestone. The world’s most popular Bible app has just reached a major milestone. It just announced one billion total downloads across its family of apps. The milestone came sooner than expected — originally projected for 2027, then revised to 2026 — due to accelerated growth, including a 12% year-over-year increase in global app installs and an 18% rise in daily usage in 2025. The app, launched in 2008 without ads and funded by donations, now offers over 2,100 Bible versions in more than 1,000 languages, driving engagement in regions like Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Image courtesy of IMDB via The Imaginative Conservative.
Death By Lightning. I had high hopes for the new Netflix television program “Death by Lightning,” which dramatizes the life and very short presidency of James Garfield and his assassin Charles Guiteau. It has a fantastic cast and was based on an outstanding book, Candice Millard’s 2011 book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President.” Alas, I couldn’t make it through the first episode. This review by Dwight Longenecker, in The Imaginative Conservative, identifies my objections. “While the series scores points for authenticity, costumes, acting, scenery, and cinematography, it misses the mark in script and subplot. The dialogue is loaded with completely intrusive, indefensible, and anachronistic ‘F-bombs.’ It is impossible to imagine that even the corrupt and unscrupulous characters would casually use such profanity. A quick search reveals that it was a deeply offensive obscenity confined to the coarsest contexts.” My advice: read Candice Millard’s excellent book. Skip the series.
The Imaginative Conservative. While we’re at it, I strongly recommend The Imaginative Conservative. I’ve been getting their daily emails for years, and I inevitably find something nourishing there. It’s free, and you can sign up here.
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New Christianity Today CEO. Christianity Today announced this week that Dr. Nicole Massie Martin would be its next president and CEO. Dr. Martin brings more than 25 years of nonprofit, academic and ministry leadership experience to this role, and has served at CT since 2023 as Chief Impact Officer and most recently Chief Operating Officer. Martin graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University and went on to work as a business analyst for Deloitte before receiving her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Martin earned a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and she served as an Adjunct Professor of Ministry and Leadership Development there as well.
Orthodoxy in America. Ruth Graham of The New York Times has an article suggesting that Orthodoxy (Eastern Orthodox, the Orthodox Church in America [OCA], and related bodies) are growing in the United States. Columnist Rod Dreher breathlessly distributed the article, with comment, at his Substack. The problem with this analysis is that it is mostly anecdotal, not showing up yet in the statistics. From 2010 to 2025, the number of Orthodox adherents in the U.S. has, in fact, declined. The OCA fell about 10% from 2010 to 2020. Graham and Dreher claim that the Orthodox are about 1% of the American population, though that claim is hard to support. The total number of Orthodox adherents in the U.S. appears to be less than 1.5 million, and that would put the percentage at close to 0.5%. Still, there are interesting signs of life, including a growing number of conversions by single men in their 20s and 30s. I wish my Orthodox cousins well.
The Rise of Non-Denoms. In 1972, fewer than 3% of Americans identified as nondenominational Christians. Now it’s 14%, or nearly 40 million people, according to the General Social Survey. My go-to data guy, Ryan Burge, was interviewed by CBS to discuss the phenomenon. You can find that interview here.