United Methodist Megachurch

Plus, the coming depopulation, Bob Woodson, and ReDedicate 250

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 (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.

Church of the Resurrection, Kansas City. I subscribe to Kate Bowler’s Substack and read this week that she recently spoke at Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. When she said this United Methodist congregation had 25,000 members, I was a bit incredulous. United Methodist churches do not usually grow that large, especially these days. So I did some fact-checking, and she is right—though most online sources also say the church’s weekly attendance is closer to 6,000. Still, that is big. The church is centrist in theology and has so far managed to stay in the United Methodist Church without suffering a meltdown in attendance, though its growth has flattened in recent years. I am going to keep my eye on the church. It will be an interesting bellwether for the future of the UMC.

Transitions at IFES. After nearly six years of service, Kevin Van Horne has stepped down as executive director of International Fellowship of Evangelical Students/USA. His last day was Friday, May 15, 2026. According to a statement from the organization, “Kevin led IFES/USA through a season of significant change, helping to serve our global fellowship and partners well. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and for the ways God has worked through him.” Dave Shepherd (director of finance) has been appointed as interim executive director. IFES was a MinistryWatch Shining Light Award winner in 2023 and has maintained excellent ratings from us since then.

The Coming Depopulation. What is the most significant problem facing America and the world? Nuclear winter? Global warming? Artificial intelligence? I would submit for your consideration the coming depopulation of the earth. For at least 30 years, most reputable demographers have been saying world population growth is slowing and will likely top out soon. By 2100 the world will be in the midst of a significant population decline. This decline will have enormous implications for every aspect of life. Cities built for millions of people will disappear, leaving rotting infrastructure. Economic growth will be impossible. We are already seeing towns in the Midwest and West disappear. That trend will accelerate. If these predictions seem a bit melodramatic to you, I suggest reading a new article from The Atlantic, “The Great Depopulation.” A world with a shrinking and aging population will offer great opportunities for ministry, but for almost every country on the planet, it will be a culturally wrenching reality.

ReDedicate 250. On May 17, an event called ReDedicate 250 brought speakers to the National Mall in Washington D.C. Speakers included Eric Metaxas, Mark Driscoll, Sean Feucht, Greg Locke, and others from what some are calling the Dissident Christian Right. In other words, not quite Christian nationalist, but not mainstream evangelical, either. Most assessments have judged the event as kind of a bust. A few thousand people attended, but DCR pundits had predicted many more. For example, The Christian Post reported that Robert Jeffress predicted the gathering “could be the nation’s largest religious gathering in more than 50 years.” It is not clear what the attendance figures for this event portend for the DCR movement, but the weak attendance was a surprise to me and to many who have been following the movement.

Remembering Bob Woodson. My friend Bob Woodson died last week at the age of 89. If you do not know about Bob’s life and the legacy he leaves behind, I recommend reading John Stonestreet’s excellent tribute. It was an honor for me to be part of the Colson Center team that presented Bob with a Wilberforce Award in 2018. He was sui generis—one of one. I will miss him personally, and our country will miss his leadership. I helped arrange a trip for him to The King’s College in 2010 to do a live interview with Marvin Olasky. That interview is worth a listen, and you can find it here.

Avoiding Ministry Burnout. As I’ve mentioned before, I am a fan of Carey Nieuwhof’s leadership podcast. This week he dropped one of his most personal episodes ever. He recounts how, about 20 years ago, he experienced a period of profound burnout. It is the first in a two-part series on how to avoid burning out. I strongly recommend it. You can find the first episode here.

Readers in Knoxville, Colorado Springs, and Denver. I will be in Knoxville on Thursday and Friday. If you would like to have lunch with me, please hit me up at [email protected]. We will be doing similar events in upcoming weeks in Denver and Colorado Springs in June. Let me know if you would like to join us.

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