history
Philip the forgotten?
Michael Haykin
Date posted: 11 Aug 2026
William Carey, the Particular Baptist from the Midlands, is often regarded as the pioneer voice in English-speaking circles for the urgent need to take the gospel beyond the cultural horizons of western Europe.
But it is very evident that Carey’s iconic status in this regard has overshadowed earlier figures who had a similar passion, one of whom was Philip Doddridge (1702–1751). Doddridge is a tremendously important figure in the development of British Dissent in the 18th century, as it moved away from the somewhat insular world of late 17th-century Puritanism and became a key participant in the Evangelical revivals of the 18th century and the global expansion of Christianity.
As a visiting Australian, what I see among UK evangelicals is disturbing
Peter Adam
Date posted: 10 Aug 2026
I am an Australian, from Melbourne. I studied and worked in ministry in England from 1972–1982, and have visited many times since then to do ministry here in England.
What has amazed and disturbed me on my visit in 2026, is the widespread occurrence of mutual criticism and condemnation in the media, both print and online, among Evangelicals. I am aware of many external pressures on Evangelical, Biblical Christianity. But here is a destructive and sinful weakening from within.
a Jewish Christian perspective
The limp is not normal...
Joseph Steinberg
Date posted: 8 Aug 2026
I was recently taken to see a film about a group of people on a long march. It was a bit gruesome for my liking. If a person slowed down too much, they were shot. It reminded me of the Nazi death marches of the Second World War.
One thing from that film made an impression on me that I cannot forget. One of those on the march lost a shoe. As soon as I saw the shoe break apart and come off, I shuddered. “Oh no!”
Time to slow down? Taking your foot off the pedal
Billy Hill
Date posted: 7 Aug 2026
The Eagles were one of the most successful bands in musical history selling over 200 million records worldwide. Their first hit, Take it Easy, was a song about letting go of stress, avoiding self-inflicted pressure and enjoying the moment. It’s a lesson we could well learn today. It seems, in this media-drenched, increasingly pressurised and frantic time, we have lost the art of slowing down.
Today we live in a world where everything is based on speed – fast transportation, fast Internet access, fast news, fast food. The Bible predicted this is what would happen. God told Daniel that in the last days “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Dan.12v4). Is that not a picture of society today?
the Bible in action
How the Bible transformed a bully
Martin Horton
Date posted: 6 Aug 2026
Talking to teenagers at church about the value of studying God’s Word was not something I was looking forward to. How would they relate to me? Do they even understand what I do? In their eyes, I’m just that older guy who stands up every now and then to share stories about Bible translation. I talk about how millions of people don’t have the Scriptures in their own language, and I can almost feel them switching off.
So, no, the prospect didn’t fill me with joy. But then, while preparing my thoughts, I read Yoke’s story. “I love God’s word because I have seen with my own eyes how it changes lives,” she says.
How noticing and acting can change a life
Helen Jones
Date posted: 5 Aug 2026
Churches are unique in many ways in that people choose to come together, often week by week, yet, certainly initially, not knowing anything about the majority of those who are there.
The church will be made up of people at different stages of life, with varying experiences and influences. Yet, perhaps for just one day a week, they come together as one to worship the Lord Jesus.
How can churches better support singles?
Jemima Davis
Date posted: 5 Aug 2026
It can be tough to be single in church. Both British society and our Christian sub-culture see partnerships as “normal” and singleness as “other” or “odd”.
And yet British churches are full of people who are single, be they teenagers, young adults, middle-aged, divorcees, widows, widowers, or retired missionaries. They may have very different experiences of singleness, but they do have one thing in common: they don’t fit neatly into family-centric church activities. Here are five suggestions from a newly-wed former long-time single on how to partner well with singles in your churches.
‘We need each other’ – ten questions with Fran Kirby
en staff
Date posted: 4 Aug 2026
Fran Kirby works part-time for Affinity managing their publications and is a part-time MTh student at Edinburgh Theological Seminary. When she’s not reading theological journals, she can be found exploring the Peak District with her husband and their border collie.
1. How did you become a Christian?
now this...
Living in a hostile world
Ian Hamilton
Date posted: 4 Aug 2026
The Bible is full of remarkable statements. One of the most remarkable is 1 Peter 1v17. Peter is instructing Christians how to live in an essentially Godless, anti-Christian society. He writes: “Honour everyone. Love the brothers. Fear God. Honour the emperor”.
This is surely remarkable. Love the brothers and fear God we can readily understand; but honour “everyone” and especially “the emperor”? The emperor in question was probably Nero, the fanatically anti-Christian megalomaniac. Honour him? God’s Word can be deeply unsettling.
the ENd word
Good news to the poor
Femi Adeleye
Date posted: 3 Aug 2026
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4v18-19).
The Scriptures tell us that one Sabbath day, as His custom was, Jesus went into the synagogue in Nazareth where He had been brought up. That day he read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, what we may consider to be His mission statement. He began by declaring, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor”; … and “… to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” When He finished reading from the text, and with all eyes fixed upon Him, Jesus declared: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The Gospels bear witness to the fact that the words of Jesus were not merely a declaration but a reflection of both proclamation and demonstration of the good news of God’s saving grace.
Meet Gen Z's Christian entrepreneurs
Jake Owen
Date posted: 1 Aug 2026
A research briefing in the House of Commons Library records that between February and April this year, “there were 735,000 young people aged 16 to 24 who were unemployed, 109,000 more than the previous year.”
Do not think, however, that all of Gen Z has become passive and lost determination. According to the business support platform, Enterprise Nation, in 2025 62% of Gen Z were “thinking about starting a business or side hustle”, 11% higher than Millennials.
en & Keswick Ministries
Praying for our families
Katharine Hill
Date posted: 1 Aug 2026
This article has been published as part of a collaboration between Keswick Ministries and en, which features contributions from the 2026 Convention speakers. Keswick Convention takes place annually each summer, its programme centring on Bible teaching, worship and Christian fellowship.
For more articles from this year's collaboration, visit the Keswick section of en's In Depth page.
Ukraine: 'When tragedy becomes routine...'
Ryan Burton King
Date posted: 31 Jul 2026
It is never a slow news day in Ukraine.
Recent headlines have featured protests (democracy and free speech are thriving!) against the Government’s decision to replace the popular 35-year-old Minister of Defence, Mykhailo Fedorov, after merely six successful months.
en & Keswick Ministries
‘How would you like to be known?’
Adrian Reynolds
Date posted: 31 Jul 2026
This article has been published as part of a collaboration between Keswick Ministries and en, which features contributions from the 2026 Convention speakers. Keswick Convention takes place annually each summer, its programme centring on Bible teaching, worship and Christian fellowship.
For more articles from this year's collaboration, visit the Keswick section of en's In Depth page.
en & Keswick Ministries
Standing firm – lessons from history
Clare Heath-Whyte
Date posted: 30 Jul 2026
This article has been published as part of a collaboration between Keswick Ministries and en, which features contributions from the 2026 Convention speakers. Keswick Convention takes place annually each summer, its programme centring on Bible teaching, worship and Christian fellowship.
For more articles from this year's collaboration, visit the Keswick section of en's In Depth page.
en & Keswick Ministries
Why gathering together is such a good thing
Mark Ellis
Date posted: 29 Jul 2026
This article has been published as part of a collaboration between Keswick Ministries and en, which features contributions from the 2026 Convention speakers. Keswick Convention takes place annually each summer, its programme centring on Bible teaching, worship and Christian fellowship.
For more articles from this year's collaboration, visit the Keswick section of en's In Depth page.
en & Keswick Ministries
Keswick Convention 2026: Behind the scenes...
Sarah Bennington
Date posted: 28 Jul 2026
This article has been published as part of a collaboration between Keswick Ministries and en, which features contributions from the 2026 Convention speakers. Keswick Convention takes place annually each summer, its programme centring on Bible teaching, worship and Christian fellowship.
For more articles from this year's collaboration, visit the Keswick section of en's In Depth page.
en & Keswick Ministries
Fighting the world, the flesh and the devil
Graham Beynon
Date posted: 28 Jul 2026
This article has been published as part of a collaboration between Keswick Ministries and en, which features contributions from the 2026 Convention speakers. Keswick Convention takes place annually each summer, its programme centring on Bible teaching, worship and Christian fellowship.
For more articles from this year's collaboration, visit the Keswick section of en's In Depth page.
