Over the last decade, the number of United Methodists outside the U.S. more than tripled. The denomination's largest district is now in the Ivory Coast. Trends suggest Christianity is going to continue to grow as a global phenomenon, and denominations are going to have to adapt to a global self-perception. Nearly 8 million United Methodists are now in the U.S., with another 3.5 million overseas. The denomination is the 3rd-largest in the U.S. behind Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists, but if current patterns continue, within decades the typical United Methodist will be from Africa. While international congregations expand, the denomination's U.S. ranks have decreased by 19% since the '70s.

Check out this article from the recent issue of Forbes. In it, Rick Warren talks about the power of the Global Church -

Check out the latest edition of the Catalyst Podcast, A Tribute to Jerry Falwell. In this episode, several young leaders sat down to talk about the legacy, leadership, and vision of Jerry Falwell who unexpectedly passed away on May 15, 2007.

Gabe Lyons, one of the founders of Catalyst and Fermi Project, recently posted his thoughts on the legacy of Jerry Falwell. Lyons attended Farwell's church and was a graduate of Liberty University. Check out his thoughts here.

Today's New York Times features on article on the evolving evangelical movement. According to the article, "The evangelical Christian movement, which has been pivotal in reshaping the country's political landscape since the 1980s, has shifted in potentially momentous ways in recent years, broadening its agenda and exposing new fissures. The death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell last week highlighted the fact that many of the movement's fiery old guard who helped lead conservative Christians into the embrace of the Republican Party are aging and slowly receding from the scene. In their stead, a new generation of leaders who have mostly avoided the openly partisan and confrontational approach of their forebears have become increasingly influential... Members of the baby boomer generation are taking over the reins, said D. G. Hart, a historian of religion. The boomers, he said, are markedly different in style and temperament from their predecessors and much more animated by social justice and humanitarianism. Most of them are pastors, as opposed to the heads of advocacy groups, making them more reluctant to plunge into politics to avoid alienating diverse congregations."