“Shock the Darkness:” The Love of God Shared at Demonic Festivals

Philip Renner goes to some of the most unlikely places to present the Father’s love to festival attendees. Read how your partnership with KCM is impacting lives from the D.C. Pride Parade to the satanic Burning Man Festival in the desert of Nevada.

His appearance was an odd sight to behold. Sporting a beard that was dyed blue, large goggles resting atop his head and a guitar strapped to his back, he rode his mountain bike across the desert sand. A dust storm raging around him, you’d think he would stand out among a crowd. However, the crowd was dressed just like him.

The location was the Burning Man Festival, where 70,000+ people gather annually to participate in satanic activities; the man was Philip Renner. There to “shock the darkness,” as the Lord instructed him to do, his mission was to shift the atmosphere through worship, ultimately leading people to encounters with the living and loving God.

Twice-Sown Seed: Where You Give, You Go

As a Partner with Kenneth Copeland Ministries, did you know that you were right there alongside Renner and his team? OK, maybe you didn’t dye your hair blue, trek through a dust storm on a bike, or even sing a single note. But we have a saying around here at KCM: “Where you give, you go.”

What does that mean? When you give financially to this ministry, we take 10% of that money and give it to other ministries, supporting them as they go where the Lord leads them. This means your giving doesn’t stop in Fort Worth, Texas; it flows through KCM and reaches the most unlikely places, such as the satanic Burning Man Festival in Nevada, the D.C. Pride Parade, and even Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We call this twice-sown seed, and thousands of lives are eternally impacted each year because of this partnership.

Shock the Darkness: Shifting the Atmosphere with Worship

One of the twice-sown seed ministries of KCM is Philip Renner Ministries. A team devoted to seeing God move during worship, they fast and pray to see the supernatural manifested as they go to some of the darkest places where it seems they would be the most unwelcomed.

One day, with a heart of compassion, Renner prayed, “Lord, where are the souls? I want souls in the kingdom.” The Lord responded, You [must] go ‘shock the darkness.’ After asking the Lord what He meant by that, Renner heard, You have to go where the darkness is like, ‘How did YOU get here? Who let you in here?’

That’s where it started. Renner and his team began going to the people. In doing so, they married the operation of the worshipper, the intercessor and the evangelist, as instructed by the Lord.

John 1:5 declares, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” It’s that light they carry with them as they follow the Lord’s leading into places where few are willing to go.

Check out these resources and be encouraged as you develop your ability to hear from the Lord:

Burning Man: “Debauchery at the Highest Level”

Every year in the desert of Nevada, there is an annual event called the Burning Man Festival, where “all religions become one,” according to Renner. It’s a week-long event at which attendees, known as “Burners,” exchange gifts such as sex or drugs. “It’s debauchery, [at] the highest level I’ve ever seen,” he stated.

The central theme of the event is a gigantic statue which is set ablaze and burns in the night. It’s a satanic ritual where Burners sacrifice relics and pagan artifacts, among other things, from their different religions. “It’s not just a show, it’s a sacrifice. It’s very satanic; you can feel it in the air,” said Renner. Presenting the eternal light of Jesus in the midst of such darkness, Renner and his team saw 176 salvations in 2023.

He went on to share that it was at that spot, the burning statue, that they saw the most salvations in 2024. Led by the Lord, they would walk up to people and sing a blessing over them; then the people being blessed would be overcome by the presence of God. Tears would begin to flow on the faces of the Burners, and words of knowledge came through Renner’s team. These words of knowledge included things about the Burners’ past or about sicknesses they were dealing with…things that Renner’s team could only know by the Spirit of God. This would cause the Burners to cry even more, and Renner’s team could then tell them, “That’s Jesus.”

Encounters With the Father’s Love at the D.C. Pride Parade

According to a recent U.S. census, over 15 million children live without a father in the home. “We have a fatherless generation,” said Renner. “Every single person [we] meet who is gay or trans[gender] or lesbian…they have a lack of a father.”

Jesus said, “I’ve come to reveal the Father.” This is the heartbeat behind what Renner and his team take to the streets when they go to events such as the D.C. Pride Parade, where the seemingly “least likely” to be receptive to the gospel are found. Renner’s prayer: “God, let them feel the love of the Father right now.

“Romans 8:39 tells us there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate anyone from the love of God. This love is revealed in Jesus Christ. As Christ’s hands and feet in the earth, we take that love where He leads us to go, and that’s when people in unlikely locations, such as a massive Pride parade, encounter the love of the Father.

“1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us that love never fails. As believers in Jesus Christ, we can rest assured that when we seek the Father for His direction, then follow that directive, we have no reason to fear because love never fails. This means we can fearlessly share this love with others, no matter how unlikely their receptiveness may seem based on their outward appearance.”

“God Found Me at Mardi Gras”

Renner has noticed that at places like Pride Parades and Mardi Gras there’s a mindset that the freakier someone looks, such as drag queens, the less receptive they’ll be to the message of the gospel. However, Renner says that the way they dress is actually a cry for help. “When you’re with these people and you begin to speak to them, they open up and they talk about their father abusing them or the childhood that they went through; they just open up and say I need the real thing!” With tears in his eyes, Renner shared how he hears things from people such as “God found me at Mardi Gras,” or “God found me at the gay parade! How did God find me [here]?”

Vision for the Future

When asked what his vision for the future is, Renner had this to say: “Bigger teams. More of [what we’ve been doing], but as we go out, I want to have one team that is out [connecting with the people], and another team that has meetings at night [we can] invite people to and disciple people.” Renner said he doesn’t want the people to get just one touch, “I want them to get a second touch and [then] a third touch.”

As they minister at these festivals and parades, Renner’s team gives away Bibles and resources to help new believers get connected to local churches.

A message from Renner to the Partners of KCM

When asked to share his thoughts toward KCM Partners, Renner had this to say: “Every single time we go [to these festivals], you’re there with us. Every single demon that’s cast out, you’re there with us at that moment…. You’re the one who shocks the darkness. Together, we are the Body of Christ. I’m so thankful for the prayers [of KCM Partners], I’m so thankful for the giving [of KCM Partners].”

In 2024, Renner’s team has seen almost 7,000 people give their lives to the Lord in some of the darkest places in America. These are places where people say, “It’ll never be done. They’ll never listen to you there.”

It’s in Renner’s heart to see thousands of Christians going to these dark places for the right reasons. That reason is to share the heart of the Father—to share His love with the ones who are broken and searching for love and acceptance.

Said Renner, “The army of God is rising. [As a KCM Partner], you’re equipping evangelists and you’re equipping worshippers and you’re sending them out; and everywhere we go, you go with us; I am just so grateful. [To the Partners of KCM], thank you so much.”

Watch full interview here: