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.
The crossroads of evangelism
Jason Roach
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
The most powerful information we hold as Christians is the good news of Jesus. But how can we be confident in sharing the gospel?
Picture the scene: a busy day, rushing to your local corner shop to quickly get something you have run out of at home. In the chaotic moment, you start observing the other people there, hearing the echoes of their steps and catching snippets of various conversations. Amidst the bustle, your attention is drawn to the woman behind the till. Your heart is prompted to remember that she's an image-bearer of God, precious and treasured. As your focus shifts towards her, you find yourself curious about who she is, her expression and her story - does she know Jesus? As you approach her to pay, you see the opportunity. An opportunity to reach out, spark up a conversation and find a way to talk to her about Jesus. You find yourself conflicted because you're in a hurry and there's a chance you might be misunderstood, or she might not be interested.
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.
letter from America
‘In wrath, remember mercy’
Josh Moody
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
It was an unusual Sunday. A group of Ukrainian pastors had been in conversation with the missions leadership of the church to see if we might be able to partner with them.
Their ministry in Ukraine was very active. Church planting. Training pastors. Fruitful evangelism. Baptisms. As they were meeting that weekend with the church, news emerged of war breaking out in Ukraine. The Ukrainian pastors were prayed for in a new context, and they bravely made the hard decision to return to their homeland to shepherd their people.
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.’
letter from Mongolia
Gospel opportunities in the land of Genghis Khan
Mark & Gillian Newham
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
We are privileged that God called us to live and minister amongst the Mongolians in Mongolia. We first moved to Ulaanbaatar in April 1993. Then, we were young naïve Christians with a heart to be involved in what God was doing, although we weren’t exactly sure what that was.
We arrived to find a country in transition. Seventy years of Soviet Socialism had ended in 1991 and people were hopeful that the nation would pass through the lean times and grow into a robust democracy. The church, which had been very small, was growing at an amazing rate as God brought gospel seed, planted years earlier, to fruition.
Haiti: missionary evacuation plan
en staff
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
Missionaries trapped amid escalating violence in Haiti are to be evacuated under a plan by Florida Governor Ron De Santis.
Speaking on television, DeSantis said: ‘I have authorised rescue flights like we did in Israel after the 7 October (Hamas attacks) because we’ve got a lot of folks who are part of Christian missionary groups and they do things to try to actually help a very troubled 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.
The gospel was preached – then a bomb exploded: this is what happened afterwards in Ukraine
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Feb 2024
A Russian bomb exploded near a Christian mission worker sharing the gospel in Kherson, causing him to dive for cover, en has been told.
Daniel Rus is a Romanian working with the Global Network of Evangelists (part of the Luis Palau Association), who has organised and led 24 humanitarian trips to Ukraine. In December 2023, on day two of his most recent visit, he and his team visited five villages surrounding Kherson. While distributing food parcels at the third, a mortar bomb exploded 40 metres away, in the garden of the house they were in front of, and the team were forced to run to their cars.
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.
Javier Milei: Do cry for me, Argentina?
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 1 Jan 2024
The Church Mission Society (CMS), which absorbed the South American Mission Society (SAMS) in 2009, has responded to the election of far-right populist outsider Javier Milei as the new President of Argentina.
Speaking exclusively to Evangelicals Now, CMS spokesperson Naomi Steinberg commented: ‘From a mission point of view, we can see that the political, economic and environmental situation in Argentina is precarious and needs much prayer. Our people in mission in the region are praying that the new President will be surrounded by a leadership team that is wise, compassionate and full of integrity’.
‘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.’
‘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.
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.
Orthodox Jew wants Gazans to ‘get a little Jesus’
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024
An Orthodox Jewish writer Jonathan Feldstein is currently ‘praying for Gazans to get a little Jesus in 2024’.
Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation, whose declared mission is to ‘build bridges between Jews and Christians with Israel in ways that are new, unique, and meaningful’. He made the call as he believes ‘the best and safest way to change the situation and bring peace [in Gaza] is for the masses of Gazans, and Palestinian Arabs in general, to convert to Christianity’.
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.
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.
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.’
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.
PNG: Mission in one of the remotest schools on earth
Gary Clayton
Date posted: 1 Jun 2023
Deep in the heart of the jungle lies Nomad Mougulu High School (NMHS), one of the remotest schools on earth.
Mougulu lies in the heart of a rainforest in Papua New Guinea’s (PNG’s) Western Province. The nearest secondary school is a week’s walk away.
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.