Kenneth Kitchen: ‘A remarkable man’ with a great legacy
Paul Lawrence
Date posted: 20 Feb 2025
Kenneth Kitchen, Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, died on 6 February aged 92. His formal title does little to sum up this remarkable man.
As well as being one of the world’s leading authorities on the Ramesside kings and Egyptian chronology, Ken, as he liked to be known, was one of very few people in the world who could read Ancient South Arabian and a whole host of other languages once spoken in the Ancient Middle East – Akkadian, Aramaic, Coptic, Elamite, Hebrew, Hittite, Hurrian, Luwian, Phoenician, Sumerian, and Ugaritic.
Nigel Harris steps down as Tearfund CEO
Luke Randall
Date posted: 8 Feb 2025
Nigel Harris will leave Tearfund at the end of June after serving as its CEO for over nine years.
He joined the international development charity from Farm Africa in 2015 and has led their focus on the role local churches can play in ‘humanitarian response and development’, and having established their vision to ‘equip 250,000 churches around the world to support communities to lift themselves out of poverty’, Tearfund said in a statement.
David Curry leaves Global Christian Relief
Luke Randall
Date posted: 6 Feb 2025
After nearly two years of service, David Curry has left his role as President and Chief Executive of Global Christian Relief (GCR), with Brian Orme taking over as Acting Chief Executive.
Curry’s tenure was described in a press release as ‘marked by passionate advocacy for persecuted believers worldwide during a pivotal chapter in our organisation’s history.’ He oversaw the sending of 50,000 Bibles to believers in the Middle East and North Africa and support for over 2million Christians around the world in 2024.
Robin Griffiths: missionary called to glory
Michael Griffiths
Date posted: 4 Feb 2025
Robin Griffiths, who served as a missionary in Thailand for nearly three decades, was called to glory on 28 December 2024 after a short illness.
Robin served Jesus in remote jungle regions in west Thailand, churches in his native Isle of Wight, in Send (Surrey), on the beaches and high streets of the UK with United Beach Mission and Christian Answer, and most recently, in Truro, Cornwall. He loved to help people practically, sharing his love of God’s word, and his testimony of the goodness of God.
Gillian Joynson-Hicks dies
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Feb 2025
Gillian Joynson-Hicks, Vicountess Brentford, has died age 81. Lady Brentford had deep evangelical Christian beliefs, a ‘steely determination’ to advance them, and held several influential positions to this end.
Born in Kenya in 1942, Gillian was educated at West Heath Girls’ School in Kent. During her childhood, she suffered from rickets, which, according to The Telegraph, gave her ‘a lifelong fellow-feeling for those who were struggling.’ After training as a chartered accountant, she married the then Hon. Crispin Joynson-Hicks in 1964, bringing up three daughters and a son in Sussex.
Who is the new president of The Gospel Coalition?
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 31 Jan 2025
Mark Vroegop has been appointed as the new President of evangelical network The Gospel Coalition (TGC).
Vroegop, who has pastored College Park Church in Indiana for nearly two decades, is a current TGC council member and board member. He was unanimously elected, and will be the third President of TGC, taking over from interim President Sandy Wilson.
Christian businessman Eddie Stobart obituary
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 30 Jan 2025
Eddie Stobart, founder of the famous haulage firm and committed evangelical Christian, has died aged 95.
Growing up with Methodist parents in the 1930s, Eddie came to faith himself at a young age. According to The Guardian, at 17, he preached at his local chapel for the first time – finding, as he did, that a stammer he’d had since childhood had miraculously disappeared. ‘God took me by the hand. God helped me to cure it,’ he said.
Giving thanks for the life of Peter Rowan
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 29 Jan 2025
On 10 January, over 120 gathered in St Nicholas’ church in Sevenoaks to give thanks for the life of OMF (UK) Co-National Director Peter Rowan, with 900 tuning in online from across the world.
The service included songs chosen by Peter, moving tributes from his children, and an address delivered by Dr Krish Kandiah on 2 Timothy 4:1-8. ‘Peter lived a life of service; just like Paul he can say his life was poured out like a drink offering,’ Kandiah said. ‘He can say that he fought the good fight… but his life offers us a challenge – what will we do?’
Lee Strobel fights cancer for second time
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 28 Jan 2025
Lee Strobel, American author of The Case for Christ and former investigative journalist, recently underwent surgery to fight skin cancer for the second time.
The surgery took place early in the morning on 11 December. The day before, he took to X to ask his followers for prayer – the post received over 1,600 comments from people committing to lift him to the Lord. Reacting to this, he said: ‘Thanks so much to everyone who offered to pray for me, I was overwhelmed and encouraged by the response.’
Bear Grylls: Brand's conversion is 'heartfelt'
en staff
Date posted: 27 Jan 2025
Adventurer, ex-soldier and Christian, Bear Grylls says he believes celebrity Russell Brand’s conversion to Christianity is genuine.
Asked by The Telegraph if he regards Brand turning to faith as authentic, Grylls replied succinctly: ‘Yes.’
Don Carson ends speaking engagements due to ill health
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 26 Jan 2025
Don Carson has stepped back from his involvement in ministry, due to limitations arising from his Parkinson’s disease.
In a Christmas letter, Carson (78) said that while the physical limitations are slowing him down, it is the cognitive limitations that are having the biggest impact. He shared a moment where he tried to convince his neurologist that they were living in 2008, adding: ‘I could not remember the name of the first president of the United States. (I thought of offering to provide the name of the first Prime Minister of Canada, which I could remember, but I doubt that the neurologist would have been impressed).’
Ivor MacDonald’s new rural role
Luke Randall
Date posted: 6 Jan 2025
Ivor MacDonald has moved to the Isle of Skye to take up his new role as the director of the Free Church of Scotland’s Centre for Rural Ministry, leaving Hope Church, Coatbridge, where he was the minister for 13 years.
The newly launched Centre for Rural Ministry was set up primarily by the Skye and Wester Ross presbytery, but will aim to support Free Church congregations who serve rural and remote communities.
A life remembered: Tony Campolo
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 30 Dec 2024
The outspoken American preacher and ‘Red Letter Christian,’ Tony Campolo died last month aged 89.
The evangelical speaker and author was a forceful influence in the American church and was best known for calling Christians to follow Jesus’ teaching by loving and serving the poor and vulnerable in society.
New Tory leader’s evangelical faith
en staff
Date posted: 27 Dec 2024
The new leader of the Welsh Conservatives is an unashamed Bible-believing Christian.
Darren Millar was elected unopposed as the new leader of the Tories in the Welsh Senedd.
Philip Hacking: Hugely influential evangelical leader dies
en staff
Date posted: 20 Dec 2024
From the Keswick Convention to Word Alive to local church ministry and beyond – it is hard to overestimate the scope and significance of Philip Hacking’s ministry. He died on 6 December with 93 years of life and nearly as many years of gospel ministry behind him.
Philip was born in 1931 into a working-class family and grew up on the terraced streets of Blackburn, Lancashire. He attended the Church of the Saviour, a fairly new Anglican parish. It had a significant impact not just on his life but his ministry with the patterns that were laid down there. Philip wrote: ‘Prayer and Bible study and expository preaching were the order of the day, and I discovered the joy of seeing the treasures of the Bible unfolded’. They would remain the ‘order of the day’ throughout his ministry. He remembered too how ‘as teenagers we were encouraged to lead our own youth groups and to be involved in Christian witness’. Strikingly, at the same time as Philip, three others from the row of terraced houses in which he lived were called into ordained ministry.
Marc Guéhi risks punishment after writing 'Jesus loves you' on rainbow armband
Luke Randall
Date posted: 18 Dec 2024
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi risked facing Football Association (FA) disciplinary action after he defied their warning over religious messaging by writing about Jesus on his rainbow armband.
The FA had announced it would remind Guéhi, who has been described as a ‘devout Christian,’ of rules over religious messaging, avoiding the need for disciplinary proceedings to be raised against him after he wrote ‘I love Jesus’ on his rainbow captain’s armband worn during Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign.
Ex-footballer Gavin Peacock returns to pastor UK church
en staff
Date posted: 11 Dec 2024
Former footballer Gavin Peacock is returning to the UK in 2025 to pastor a church.
The celebrated soccer player, who scored more than 135 goals for Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and Newcastle United among others, is taking up a new role at Bethersden Baptist Church in Kent. He has been a pastor at Calvary Grace Church in Calgary, Canada.
Niall Dunne to be new Team Leader for Creation Fest
Creation Fest
Date posted: 28 Nov 2024
After ‘prayer and deliberation,’ the board of Creation Fest UK is pleased to announce the appointment of Niall Dunne as the charity’s new Team Leader, it reports.
Niall is a familiar face in the organisation, having been a member of a band that performed at Creation Fest’s annual event during its early days in Devon, and more recently serving as the organisation’s Pastoral Lead for the past seven months. As Team Leader, Niall will oversee all aspects of the year-round charity, including the annual summer festival in Wadebridge, Cornwall.
