Mission income declines
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Nov 2022
Income levels across more than 100 evangelical
mission agencies in the UK dropped in the
year to 2020 by £13 million – with the smallest
missions hardest hit, a snapshot report has
revealed. But missions which are more overtly
involved in proclaiming the Christian message
did not see a drop in income.
Eddie Arthur,
a
specialist
in mission
agency theology, reported that 105 mission
agencies suffered an overall fall in income of
4.6%. Between 2018 and 2020 it declined by
around 6% and it was not expected to have
recovered in 2021. He said it was too early to
judge the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic
on their incomes.
Women for mission – and a laugh
en staff
Date posted: 1 Jan 2023
Two hundred women gathered for the sold-out ‘Women for Mission’ (WfM) Conference organised by the Free Church of Scotland which took place at Culloden-Balloch Baptist Church, Inverness.
The first conference of its kind since 2018, ‘it was a real joy to have a wide age range of participants, including babes in arms whose behaviour was exemplary throughout the whole event,’ the FCoS website reports. ‘We were privileged to have as our main speaker Helen Thorne, Director of Training and Resources at Biblical Counselling UK, and author of a number of books.’
From casino to Christ to Kosovo... and beyond
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Feb 2024
A former gambler turned evangelist is planning his next mission at the age of 79.
As a young man, Fane Conant bet on horses every day and spent his Saturdays in the casino. After meeting some Christian sportsmen in his twenties and seeing they ‘had something’ he didn’t, he gave his life to Christ – but it took a decade for him to finally stop gambling.
Keswick ‘getting younger’ as it seeks to expand
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
After 30 years of working in mission both in the UK and across the globe, Mark Ellis became Ministry Director for Keswick Ministries in September 2023.
Six months into the role, he talks to en about how things are going, what’s new at the convention this year, and the future of Keswick Ministries.
news in brief
Hope Church Blackwood and Kirkmuirhill celebrates tenth anniversary
Hope Church (Blackwood and Kirkmuirhill) recently celebrated their tenth anniversary as a Free Church of Scotland congregation. Original members of the congregation, along with minister Rev. Ian Watson, had left the Church of Scotland in 2014.
The church’s anniversary weekend featured a meal and ceilidh on the Saturday and a service focused on the anniversary on the Sunday, which included Communion. Rev. Watson said: ‘as we review the past decade the verse that keeps coming back to us is Psalm 118:23: ‘The Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes.’’
Evangelical hospital gets railway boost
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
As part of a historic change to the London railway network, an overground line between Stratford to Richmond has been named after an evangelical Christian hospital – which hopes the recognition will further its efforts to ‘do God’s work’.
Transport for London (TFL) named The Mildmay line after the Mildmay Mission Hospital in Shoreditch, largely in acknowledgement of the help it provided during the 1980s during the HIV/AIDS crisis. The honour is a huge boost for the hospital who, just under a year ago, were facing closure due to NHS funding cuts – they now hope the spotlight will bring much-needed financial stability as they continue treating HIV patients and caring for the homeless.
Coekin severs final C of E links – and unveils ‘gym’ plan
en staff
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
Richard Coekin, the Senior Pastor of Dundonald Church, Wimbledon, says the 1,100-strong congregation has finally severed all links with the Church of England because of its ‘tragic denial of God’s word’.
Speaking to en, Coekin said the CofE’s so-called Prayers of Love and Faith ‘encourage same-sex attracted people down a path which leads away from God and His salvation instead of lovingly warning and supporting them in godliness’. He added: ‘We cannot accept this – or walk with those who do.’
Student leaders equipped at spring training sessions
UCCF
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
Each Spring, the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) runs nine regional weekend conferences, known as Regional Forums, to equip new student leaders. Christian Unions across Great Britain hand over their leadership to new committees of students at this time of year, and many have never served in this way before.
This training helps new student leaders to grow into their specific roles, and to work well together as they lead their CUs to the glory of God.
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.
Tony Baker: ‘Evangelical statesman’ 1938–2023
James Dudley-Smith
Date posted: 1 Feb 2024
James Dudley-Smith writes: Tony was an evangelical statesman in the Church of England, a lifelong preacher and lecturer, pastor and servant of Christ.
After Oxford University and then Clifton Theological College, Bristol, he served curacies at St Ebbe’s in Oxford, and Welling near Bexleyheath. He was vicar of Redland in Bristol 1970–1979 during which time he was part of the lecturing staff at Tyndale Hall and then Trinity College Bristol, where he was Director of Ministry and Mission. He was vicar of Christ Church Beckenham 1979–93, and vicar of Bishop Hannington Hove 1994– 2003 before retirement to Eastbourne.
Inter-cultural commission marks ten years
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Feb 2024
More than 100 delegates have gathered at the London City Mission headquarters to celebrate ten years of the Evangelical Alliance’s ‘One People Commission’ (OPC).
Anchored by Titilola Babarinde, the co-ordinator of the OPC, the celebration began with a time of collective worship.
Fred Drummond
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
Fred Drummond, the director of the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland, is leaving his role this summer, it has been announced.
Gavin Calver, CEO of EAUK, said: ‘Fred has been instrumental in leading the team in Scotland and has played an invaluable role on the leadership team; providing support for the leadership and wider team, engaging with our members, and inspiring us with his prayerfulness, wisdom and prophetic insight during his 17 and a half years on the staff team.’
‘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.
Gospel beauty parlour offers inner transformation
Agnes Wilson
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
It’s not often you hear of churches being taken over by beauty salons. But that’s exactly what happened at one East London church recently, all to reach those on the margins of society.
On a rainy day, London City Missionaries Marlen and Amanda-Lee, alongside volunteers from LCM Church Partner, The Liberty Church, came early in the morning to transform a modest church space into somewhere that women could get their hair cut, enjoy beauty treatments for their hands and feet, and hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
‘We ruined good people’ – Dawson
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
A former staff member at the Universities of Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) has apologised for the part she played in an ‘unhealthy and damaging’ UCCF culture, saying she has kept quiet for 20 years out of fear.
Nay Dawson worked for UCCF for 18 years, becoming a team leader in 2006. Writing in Premier Christianity, she reflected: ‘The urgency of our mission and the significance of our role led to an arrogance in my heart. I’d lost my humility… So when I started to notice that things weren’t quite right, I was in so deep. I felt I couldn’t – and so didn’t – ask questions.’
The answer to an 11-year prayer: new church opens
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
On Saturday 6 January 2024, Dan James had an encouraging answer to the prayer he’d been praying for 11 years: a church was planted on his council estate in South Leicester.
In 2013, primary school teacher Dan and his wife Jamie moved into Eyres Monsell council estate and their hearts were gripped by both its physical and spiritual needs – there was no gospel church there. ‘Convinced that God’s primary mission strategy is a healthy local church, we started praying for one to begin,’ Dan shared with en. Just over a decade on from those first prayers, after plans, bold initiatives and setbacks, 100 people gathered on the estate this January to commission Eyres Monsell Community Church and Dan as its pastor.
Two new ministers for two new churches
Tom Hutton
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
Two new AMiE churches have two newly ordained ministers.
One of the congregations is in Wolverhampton, and began in summer 2020, while the other is on the Isle of Wight, and started in 2023.
Mission groups come to UK for first time
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Jun 2023
Two mission organisations are planting a
foothold in Britain for the first time.
HeartCry Missionary Society
is now
supporting missionaries in England; while
the New Anglican Mission Society (NAMS)
is preparing
to establish a UK base
for
church planters.
First pastor for 50-year-old church
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Jan 2024
Ferniehill Evangelical Church in Edinburgh finished the year praising God for two big encouragements in 2023 – they moved back into their renovated building and employed their first pastor, Alistair Chalmers.
For over 50 years, Ferniehill Evangelical Church has been faithfully witnessing to the local community in Gilmerton, Edinburgh.
OMF welcomes new General Director
OMF UK
Date posted: 1 Jan 2024
At a special gathering in Thailand on 27 November, Dr Patrick Fung handed over the role of General Director of OMF International to Dr Joseph Chang.
Joseph is OMF International’s 11th General Director in the organisation’s almost 160-year history. Originally from Taiwan, Joseph and his wife Lori have relocated to OMF’s International Centre in Singapore for the role.
Covid: government exceeded mandate – evangelicals
Affinity
Date posted: 1 Feb 2024
The government did overreach itself during the pandemic, delegates at an Affinity event have broadly concluded.
With the backdrop of the government’s Covid Inquiry, the organisation, which represents 1,200 evangelical churches and groups, recently held a symposium bringing various partners together to reflect on how Christians and churches responded to the pandemic.
‘Almost as monumental as the moon landing’
Adam Thomas
Date posted: 1 Feb 2024
Do you ever find yourself counting the endorsements at the start of Christian books? Probably not – but someone has to do it!
Which is why the ‘Christian Book Endorsement Awards’ was founded in 2021, to quantify the phenomenon of excessive book endorsements.
C of E evangelicals grapple with uncertain way ahead
Diocesan Evangelical Fellowships (DEFs) around the Church of England are grappling with what to do following the introduction of ‘Prayers of Love and Faith’ (PLF).
en contacted local groups in each part of the country following the CofE’s move in a more liberal direction in the run-up to Christmas.
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.