London churches unite for mission
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
Churches from across London are planning to unite next year for a London Mission Week, aiming to share the gospel with people in the city. The outreach initiative is supported by a variety of representatives from organisations including London City Mission, the Evangelical Alliance, the Church of England and London Mission Collective.
The event’s website revealed that cultural gatherings undertaken by the London Project – which exists to share the gospel with people in the city – have revealed a clear desire among the global church to collaboratively evangelise to the people of London.
Ben Stansfield to lead Global Connections
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
Ben Stansfield has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Global Connections, (GC) replacing Chris Wigram who had served in an interim capacity in recent months.
GC exists to equip the UK church and mission community in the world. Ben has spent over 25 years working for international charities, church ministries and discipleship ministries, so has helpful experience ahead of taking on the role.
Myanmar: ‘Your prayer is our hope...’
Luke Randall
Date posted: 24 Apr 2025
Following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, which has killed thousands and destroyed many buildings, evangelicals are reporting a desperate need for aid – and glimmers of gospel opportunity.
The 7.7 magnitude quake has prompted an immediate humanitarian crisis in a country which has been gripped by civil conflict for four years, with missionaries in the nation already experiencing a “tenfold increase” in requests for missionary aid even before the earthquake.
Keswick Convention: Celebrating 150 years
Luke Randall
Date posted: 14 Mar 2025
The Keswick Convention will ‘prioritise the emerging generation,’ its Chief Executive says, as the event prepares to celebrate its landmark 150th anniversary this summer.
The convention was started in 1875 by Canon Thomas Harford-Battersby and Robert Wilson and was attended by three or four hundred people. Now, around 12,000 travel to the small Lake District town which has a population of just over 5,000.
Israel: How outreach is changing
Luke Randall
Date posted: 29 Jan 2025
A Ukrainian-born Jewish missionary says his evangelistic approach to Jewish people has changed since the attacks on 7 October 2023.
Misha Vayshengolts, who works for International Mission to Jewish People and lives in Tel-Aviv (interviewed by en last year), revealed that he has had to change how he communicates with Jewish people since Hamas attacked and killed over 1,200 Israelis.
DRC: Christians caught in crossfire
Luke Randall
Date posted: 21 Feb 2025
Church services have been cancelled as fighting continues to intensify in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – with 70 Christians found beheaded in one church.
M23 rebels, who have been seizing territory since early 2022 with the help of around 4,000 Rwandan troops, now control the two of the largest cities in DRC - Goma and Bukavu.
King Charles III becomes patron of mission agency
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
King Charles III has become the Patron of the Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS).
He takes over from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II in support of the Anglican evangelical mission agency, which said in an Instagram post that it is ‘delighted’ the King wants to continue to have a relationship with them.
Nigeria: Horrific death toll of Christians
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Nov 2024
The Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) has called for the Nigerian government to strengthen religious rights, following their discovery that Christians have been the most violently persecuted group in Nigeria during the last four years.
A study by ORFA revealed that 16,700 Christians have been violently killed out of an overall civilian total of 55,900, mainly by Islamist extremists. This makes them the most discriminated-against people group in the country. Other groups to feature high on the list were security forces and terror group members.
New minister for Govan Free Church
Luke Randall
Date posted: 27 Oct 2024
David MacPherson has been appointed as the new minister of Govan Free Church. He moves to the West Glasgow congregation following ministry in other congregations including Bon Accord Free Church in Aberdeen and Greenock Free Church, as well as a period of mission work in Peru.
About 85 people attended the service of induction, which saw the church induct only its second-ever minister, following Norman Mackay’s departure in 2022. Mackay had planted the church in 2013.
Prayer times literally ‘out of this world’
Luke Randall
Date posted: 8 Oct 2024
During the Covid pandemic, Christians had to learn how to engage with church differently because of national restrictions. Now, two NASA astronauts have taken virtual church to a whole new level.
Christians Barry Wilmore and Tracy Dyson, who were among the four astronauts on the Boeing Starliner’s flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in June, are members of Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas.
When pens are an answer to prayer
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
God answers prayer in amazing ways, and He did so in Kenya with just a few pens and pencils, as Robbie Toop of Mission Africa revealed.
The organisation has been sending mission teams to the African nation for ten years and sent Kathryn Lindsay, its first long-term worker, in 2023.
Nigeria believers face ‘brutal violence’
Luke Randall
Date posted: 10 Sep 2024
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has said, in a statement at the 56th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, Switzerland, that the Nigerian government must do more to protect Christians from the ‘brutal violence’ of extremist groups.
The WEA spoke of ‘patterns of repeated violence’ by extremist groups in Nigeria which are wiping out communities and displacing thousands. It called on the country’s government to do more to ‘disarm violent groups’ and ‘boost security’ in the nation.
Irish Presbyterians plan ahead
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) agreed at its General Assembly for 2024 that it needs a radical shake up of mission and ministry, while new Moderator Richard Murray called on the PCI to find better ways of connecting the gospel’s message to an uninterested and at times ‘hostile’ world.
About 1,000 ministers and elders from the denomination’s more than 500 congregations attended the three-day Assembly in Belfast which agreed to what it described as a ‘radical process that will see a comprehensive reconfiguration of ministry’ across the denomination.
Church of Scotland continues freefall
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
The Church of Scotland (Cof S) has announced it is selling around 100 buildings following a period of drastic decline in worshippers and ministers. Buildings on sale range from churches to houses, some dating back to the 1800s – and it has described the decision as a ‘difficult’ and ‘painful’ move.
The news comes after the denomination recently announced at its General Assembly that it is set to close hundreds of churches in the coming years due to a large fall in membership, and that it was ‘unsustainable’ to keep over 1,000 churches open for the number of people attending services.
Change of leadership for Bury Street Community Church
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
Jake Tasker has been inducted as the pastor of Bury Street Community Church, Enfield, London.
He has spent much of the past year serving as Pastor Designate and takes on the role having studied at Oak Hill Theological College. Formed in 2017, the church is a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) and Together for Mission (TFM).
Nicky Cruz: Keeping on keeping on at 85
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Jun 2024
Nicky Cruz has revealed that his ongoing mission at the age of 85 is to bring people to Jesus in a world which sees many young people harmed by ‘loneliness’ and a ‘lack of ethics’.
In an interview with Evangelical Focus before he attended the ‘Fire in Your Bones’ conference in Madrid in early May, he spoke about how today’s world seems to have prompted an increasing number of young people to consider suicide as an option, as he did aged nine following a traumatic childhood, but that ‘transformation is in Christ.’
Mormonism: ‘A different Jesus,’ says former member
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 May 2024
An ex-Mormon says she believes plans for a Mormon temple to be built in Sutton Coldfield spring from a financial controversy that the sect is facing.
The structure will be built on a site currently occupied by the church’s Birmingham mission offices and will be their first new temple to open in the UK since 1998, and the third of its kind in the country.
Carl Knightly
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Jan 2024
Carl Knightly has been appointed as the new leader of the City Mission Movement (CMM) UK and Ireland.
CMM was founded in 1991 and exists to support the 18 City Missions across the UK and Ireland. City Missions work to serve their cities and take the gospel to the people of their cities across the country.
‘Patient, gracious’ Roger Forster dies
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
Roger Forster, the founder of Ichthus Christian Fellowship, has died aged 90.
A husband to Faith and father to three children, he was a well-respected theologian, best known for founding the neo-charismatic Ichthus Christian Fellowship in 1974.
Middle East: ‘Jesus can change terrorists’ hearts’
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Dec 2023
While world leaders have devoted a countless number of hours to finding a seemingly impossible solution to the ongoing Middle Eastern crisis, Misha Vayshengolts, who serves with International Mission to Jewish People in Israel, believes that ‘Jesus is the answer’.
In an interview with en, Misha spoke about what life is currently like in Israel, how recent events have impacted his work as a missionary, and why he thinks Jesus is the solution to the crisis.
Andy Bathgate: ‘A faithful disciple of Jesus’
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Dec 2023
Former Scripture Union
(SU) Scotland
CEO Andy Bathgate died on 17 October,
aged 68. He leaves his wife Alyson, with
whom he shared over 40 years of marriage,
and his three daughters, son-in-law, and
grandchildren. He died peacefully at home.
Andy was the CEO of SU Scotland from
2001 to 2020, having volunteered with SU since
his teens. He was also the Scottish team leader
for UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian
Fellowship) and was a founding member of
CVE (Christian Values in Education) Scotland,
serving as its Chair from its inception in 2014
until his retirement from the role in 2022.
Chris Wigram
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Jan 2024
Chris Wigram has been announced by trustees as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Global Connections (GC). He started in the post in late November, having previously served as GC’s Chair of Global Conventions between 2006 and 2008, and also as a board member. Chris has also served in leadership positions with OMF and ECM.
Global Connections is made up of several organisations and individuals including churches and charities, as well as others. It exists to support the UK church’s mission community at home and abroad.