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.
6,000 young people in London mobilised for mission
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 9 Sep 2024
This summer, the stands of Wembley Arena, normally filled with fans singing football chants, were instead filled with 6,000 young people singing the praises of God.
This was the launch event of The Send UK & Ireland - a new collaboration between churches and mission agencies for the purpose of inspiring teenagers and young adults to live missionally in five key areas: secondary school, university, family life, workplaces and the nations.
Gospel shared in Manchester Christmas market
The sounds and smells of the Manchester Christmas market wafted their way through the city centre. As people rushed to and fro on their way to keep appointments or get in some Christmas shopping, a sound was heard – the message of the season – good news on the streets: the Saviour has been born!
Amongst the hustle and bustle, a team from The Open-Air Mission had set up and was busy sharing the message of God’s love. A few people paused to listen, others took tracts and spoke with team members. Also set up was a ‘Free Bible and Literature’ table, which proved to be a magnet for people. As people walked by, they stopped at the table to browse the literature, then they would take a booklet or Bible.
1,100 attend Pentecostal rally in Bradford
Luke Randall
Date posted: 2 Sep 2024
In a show of unity 'not seen for over 20 years', 1,100 people attended a Pentecostal rally in what was the culmination of a 10-day mission event in Bradford.
The event, run by Sharing of Ministries Abroad, (SOMA) saw missioners descend on the West Yorkshire city, specifically focusing on reaching people within the BD7 postcode, with various outreach events staged with the help of St John’s Great Horton, St Wilfrid’s and St Columba’s churches.
Faith in the ring: Wrestling fans hear the gospel
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 23 Dec 2024
Certain things just make sense together. Batman and Robin. Tea and biscuits. But, church and wrestling?
‘Wrestling and faith evolved alongside each other for me,’ explains Gareth ‘Angel’ Thompson, founder of Kingdom Wrestling, a ministry that combines throwing down in the ring with sharing the gospel – all for the glory of God.
CU mission encouragements
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
Christian Unions (CUs) have seen an increase in the number of students professing faith during their mission weeks.
In February, as they do each Spring, nearly 100 CUs across the UK held mission weeks on university campuses – a series of themed evangelistic events spread out over five days. While CUs have often seen students profess faith in the days and months following mission weeks, this year they saw many make a commitment during the weeks themselves.
Anglican Mission in England to establish Diaconate
AMiE
Date posted: 10 Sep 2024
The latest Synod of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) has seen its three bishops present a detailed paper on why they have Anglican bishops, presbyters and deacons.
Lee McMunn writes: ‘Their substantial report traced the Biblical and historical roots for why we do what we do. We concluded that Anglican orders are very much fit for purpose, are for the blessing of the Church and should be joyfully embraced. As a result of our discussions, we resolved to establish a vocational Diaconate for godly and gifted men and women who have been properly identified and trained.’
Tolworth: A new Hope
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 20 Dec 2024
This autumn, a group of around 100 adults and children came together to launch a new church on an estate in Tolworth, south west London.
Hope Church Tolworth is an initiative between members of Cornerstone Church, Kingston (who are a part of church-planting network Co-Mission) and others who have come from Emmanuel Church, Tolworth (who are Anglican). They met for the first time on Sunday 24 November in a local Primary School building, following months of gathering for prayer, picnics and meals. The pastor is Bart Erlebach, who was formerly the minister of Emmanuel, Tolworth.
‘God speaks my language’
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 4 Dec 2024
‘God speaks my language’ – the theme and testimony of many at Grace Baptist Mission’s Annual Mission Day.
At Friends House on London’s Euston Road, many GBM missionaries shared stories on the last Saturday in October of how people all over the world are hearing God’s word in their own heart language – through preaching, teaching, Bible translation, personal evangelism, literature and radio programmes.
Manchester: Vision for 30 new churches by 2030
Ralph Cunnington
Date posted: 30 Dec 2024
The Northern Gospel Project is seeking to see 30 gospel churches planted in Greater Manchester by 2030, through training, funding, and providing care for church planters and their teams.
So far, we have trained 15 church planters through the Incubator training course, cared for seven church planters through Planters Collectives, and raised £63,000 to seed fund church plants across the city.
Makin Report: Key findings and conclusions
en staff
Date posted: 7 Nov 2024
Key findings of the Makin Report
The 'key findings' of the Makin Report (see news item here) are as follows and readers should be aware that some of the details are deeply distressing:
'John Smyth was an appalling abuser of children and young men. His abuse was prolific, brutal and horrific. His victims were subjected to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks. The impact of that abuse is impossible to overstate and has permanently marked the lives of his victims. John Smyth’s own family are victims of his abuse.
The Westminster Conference 2024: creeds, confessions and controversies
Jeremy Walker
Date posted: 10 Dec 2024
The Westminster Conference gathered for 2024 in St Giles Mission Hall, Islington. Though it has changed its place, it has changed neither its name nor its nature, for it remains an opportunity to consider theology through the lens of church history and so learn powerful lessons for the church of today.
The conference spans two days, each having three sessions, with questions and discussion following all but the closing session. The first two sessions on the Tuesday were given over to questions of the Trinity and Christology, as Stéphane Simonnin and Gary Brady walked us through the Council of Nicaea and the Salter’s Hall debates, showing us that both in the fourth and eighteenth century, men were wrestling with the doctrine of the Trinity, the relations of the persons, and the two natures in the one person of Christ — leaving us both with rich blessings to inherit and ongoing questions to answer in the face of continued drifting from truth.
New Director for European Mission Fellowship
Rev Scott Moore has been appointed as the new European Mission Fellowship (EMF) Director.
Scott will take up his role in early 2024, replacing current Director Andrew Birch, who will remain with EMF in a new role of Field Director. In a message on the EMF website, Andrew shares: ‘I am looking forward to working closely with Scott… We would appreciate your ongoing prayers that, with the Lord’s help, we would work together for the building of Christ’s Church all over our needy continent.’
news in brief
New rural ministry focus in Scotland
The Free Church of Scotland has launched a Centre for Rural Ministry in a bid to boost rural congregations and modernise rural ministry across Scotland.
The denomination revealed that more than £8,200 has been raised since the start of August, enough to see the project spearheaded by the Skye and Wester Ross Presbytery come to fruition. Twenty per cent of Scotland’s population is based in rural areas and, while the centre will be based on the Isle of Skye, it will support rural ministry across the whole country. Ivor MacDonald, minister of Hope Church, Coatbridge, has been appointed as the Free Church Director for Rural Ministry. He has previously served as a minister in rural congregations on Skye and is a graduate in agriculture and theology.
Assisted suicide vote – evangelical reactions
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 29 Nov 2024
Evangelicals are processing the news that assisted suicide is a significant step closer to being legalised in the UK.
Following its second reading, MPs voted 330 to 275 today in favour of Kim Leadbeater’s bill –The draft Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – to legalise assisted suicide for people who have six months left to live, and who have mental capacity to make the choice.
'Dynamic' Gospel Coalition UK could help 'Reformed complementarians', says Nicholls
en staff
Date posted: 24 Oct 2024
A new Gospel Coalition for the UK and Ireland could help those with ‘broadly Reformed and complementarian convictions’ develop ‘new and dynamic partnerships,’ Affinity’s Graham Nicholls says.
Speaking to en, and in the wake of the most recent meeting of the advisory council of Affinity – an evangelical umbrella group uniting 1,200 evangelical churches and organisations which succeeded the old British Evangelical Council founded by Martyn Lloyd-Jones – Nicholls said no other organisation was quite filling that gap at the moment.
Sex 'only for heterosexual marriage,' says possible Welby successor
en staff
Date posted: 21 Nov 2024
The Church of England’s lead bishop for the controversial ‘Living in Love and Faith’ (LLF) sexuality discussions – tipped by some as the next Archbishop of Canterbury – says he continues to believe sex is only for heterosexual marriage.
Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester, who is being touted as a possible successor to Justin Welby, answered ‘yes’ when pressed on the point in an interview with en. And he said Church of England evangelicals in the Alliance (the umbrella group of orthodox believers in the denomination) should not yet despair about their wishes for alternative structural provision being met.
Evangelicals react to Welby resignation
en staff
Date posted: 12 Nov 2024
Evangelicals are reacting to the news that Justin Welby has resigned.
In an unprecedented move, the Archbishop of Canterbury submitted his resignation to the King following an increasing clamour in recent days for him to go after last week's publication of the Makin Review.
380 CofE evangelicals discuss gospel growth
Chris Tufnell
Date posted: 27 Oct 2024
Amid great uncertainty in the Church of England, 380 delegates from over 170 churches have gathered at the national ReNew conference in Leeds.
ReNew is a united movement of Anglican evangelicals, both inside and outside of the Church of England, with a positive vision for the growth of the gospel through pioneering, establishing and securing healthy local churches.
Amazing Grace: John Newton exemplified 'the great doctrine of love'
Ruth Eardley
Date posted: 25 Oct 2024
According to theologian Jim Packer, John Newton was ‘the friendliest, wisest, humblest and least pushy of the 18th -century evangelical leaders’. At a recent church history lecture by Dr Lesley Rowe, Leicestershire folk were also pleased to learn that Newton had a special place in his heart for the county and visited on several occasions.
Newton was motherless from the age of six, boarded at a harsh school from the age of eight, taken to sea at 11 and an accomplished blasphemer by age 12. He was press-ganged into the Navy, flogged, enslaved and, famously, became captain of a slave-trading ship.
Four new churches on the same day
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 14 Oct 2024
Four new church plants were launched on a single Sunday, three within the growing International Presbyterian Church (IPC) - bringing the total to 20 churches.
On 1 September, Grace Church Coventry, Christ Church, Headington and All Saints, Exeter were launched. The IPC denomination has, under its ‘2030 vision’, an ambition for 20 new churches by 2030. Jonty Rhodes, elder at Christ Church Derby and chair of the denomination’s church-planting committee said: ‘It’s been an encouraging few years.’ Also on 1 September, a new AMiE (Anglican Mission in England) congregation, Christ Church Hessle, held its commissioning service.
Three churches unite to launch new plant in Kidderminster
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 30 Sep 2024
In a display of unity, three churches in Worcestershire have overcome stylistic and theological differences to form a new church plant, recognised by the FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches).
Set to officially launch in January 2025, the formation of the new Grace Church Kidderminster occurred after two churches in the Wyre Forest each approached the lead pastor of nearby Woodgreen Church, Richard Lacey, for help. With small and aging congregations, both Kidderminster Evangelical Church (KEC) and Christ Church Wyre Forest, (CCWF) had recognised a need for external assistance – they contacted Lacey within weeks of each other.
Aber 2024: the power of revival
James Allan
Date posted: 24 Sep 2024
The annual conference of the Evangelical Movement of Wales (EMW) took place as usual in Aberystwyth during the second week of August.
The highlight of the conference each year is the preaching of God’s Word in the Great Hall of the university campus. This year’s speaker was David Meredith, Mission Director for the Free Church of Scotland.
