Christian nurse in fresh transgender battle
Christian Concern
Date posted: 24 Mar 2025
A senior Christian nurse is launching a case against a hospital trust in a row over a transgender patient.
Jennifer Melle, 40, from Croydon, is taking action against Epsom and St Helier University Hospital Trust, claiming harassment, discrimination and human rights’ breaches.
Further allegations emerge about the late David Fletcher
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 24 Mar 2025
Further allegations have been made against the late David Fletcher since three women accused him of sexual abuse over a period of many years. Fletcher was instrumental in the cover-up of the abuses perpetrated by the late John Smyth.
It looks likely an external body will be commissioned to undertake an independent investigation into Fletcher. He was a former rector at St Ebbe’s, Oxford and remained a congregant until his death in 2022.
Anti-Christian 'bias' delays appeal
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 23 Mar 2025
The social media behaviour of an anti-Christian atheist lay member of the employment tribunal has, for the second time in a matter of months, caused protracted litigation in two cases involving the dismissal of Christians. Another lay member has also been removed from a panel for apparent bias.
In early March, Bernard Randall won permission to appeal a 2022 employment tribunal decision upholding his dismissal from Trent College following a sermon on accepted church teachings on sexuality. He was granted permission after it was revealed that Jed Purkis, a member of the tribunal panel that heard Bernard’s case, had posted several anti-Christian comments on social media before and after the tribunal ruling.
Historic motto fires up new church
Free Church of Scotland
Date posted: 23 Mar 2025
A church plant in the Merchant City area of Glasgow is embracing the historic motto of the city: “Lord let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of thy word and the praising of thy name.”
Neil Longwe and David Trimble share a vision of building a church that engages Glasgow’s culture, reaching out to those in search of spiritual renewal in this dynamic city. They are building a core team while worshipping with their “mother church”, Christ Church Glasgow. Given Glasgow’s drug crisis, they are exploring partnerships with mercy ministries to bring hope to those struggling with addiction.
‘Why do so many gospel churches favour the rich?’
Jim Sayers
Date posted: 22 Mar 2025
“There is nothing inherently admirable about people with money. Why, then, do so many gospel churches favour the rich?” That was the challenge given by Steve Kneale at a recent conference, challenging leaders to a “religion that is pure and undefiled” (James 2:27).
Many ministries target the rich and successful for “strategic” reasons, but does that mean we have shown favouritism in our giving to mission? It is much harder to fund gospel work among the poor; there is no payback and lots of help is needed.
Unity is ‘necessary priority for all’
Andy Young
Date posted: 22 Mar 2025
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales has welcomed delegates from sister denominations to bring greetings, receive updates, and enjoy fellowship at its biennial Presbytery meeting.
Donald John MacLean, President of Westminster Seminary UK, began with a lecture on The Communion of the Saints. With passion and persuasion he outlined the basis and glory of unity among Christians, churches and denominations, arguing that this unity is a necessary priority for all.
‘Fully trans-inclusive’ bill set to be revealed
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 22 Mar 2025
A draft “fully trans-inclusive” conversion therapy bill is to be published, the Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson has announced, though no timescale has as yet been suggested.
But the Christian Institute (CI) says government should “ditch its plan” and instead “focus on enforcing existing legislation” and helping victims of genuine abuse to “access justice under the existing legal framework”.
Old Testament epic comes to small screen
Luke Randall
Date posted: 21 Mar 2025
A new TV series, House of David, charting the early life of King David has been released on Amazon Prime. The eight-episode series, produced by The Wonder project, charts David’s story from his anointing as God’s chosen king by Samuel through to his defeat of Goliath.
Forbes magazine reports that the series has “with zero social media chatter...quickly become a big hit” and was even at number two in the Amazon Prime streaming chart in the US on 10 March.
Concern mounts over assisted suicide bill as safeguards rejected
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 20 Mar 2025
The assisted suicide bill is becoming mired in confusion and growing fears as days of parliamentary scrutiny unfold, with Kim Leadbeater MP appearing muddled about her own proposals.
Leadbeater said from the start that her proposals for assisted dying will be “the safest in the world”. But days of debate at committee stage have prompted growing alarm that it could allow the terminally ill to choose to die because they feel a burden on their loved ones – financially or otherwise.
Biblical views on trauma aired
en staff
Date posted: 20 Mar 2025
Trauma was the topic at this year’s Biblical Counselling UK (BCUK) conference, attended by more than 300 people.
Ben Epps, Co-Pastor of Longmeadow Evangelical Church, Stevenage, told en that trauma is “deep, unprocessed pain caused by an overwhelming event.”
Affinity event is ‘lively and robust’
en staff
Date posted: 19 Mar 2025
The biennial Theological Study Conference of evangelical umbrella group Affinity featured “lively and robust” small group discussions.
This year’s theme, Great God of Wonders, focused on the doctrine of God – sometimes called “Theology Proper” – exploring the nature and attributes of the Lord we worship.
Bible sales soar in the UK
en staff
Date posted: 19 Mar 2025
Bible sales in the UK are soaring, thanks to increasing interest in spiritual matters from Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012.
The Christian publisher SPCK says there “was an increase of 87 percent between 2019 and 2024 – from £2.69 million to £5.02 million,” The Times reports. The newspaper added: “Bible Society said that its 2018 volume Good News Bible – The Youth Edition, was ‘by far our most popular’, with sales almost doubling since 2021.”
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.
Preacher 'not guilty' as case thrown out
Christian Concern
Date posted: 10 Mar 2025
A judge has thrown out the case against a Christian preacher after he was threatened with having his ‘throat cut’ for criticising Islam, Christian Concern reports.
CCTV footage revealed Christian preacher, Karandeep Mamman, 33, being assaulted, harassed and surrounded by people for critiquing the Quran.
From Russia to Wales: ‘The ministry is God’s, not mine’
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 10 Mar 2025
You almost couldn’t get two more different places than the bustling metropolis of Moscow and what Ricky Wilhelm describes as the ‘sleepy seaside town’ of Penarth, Wales. Yet, married missionaries Ricky and Brandy have seen the gospel powerfully at work in both.
Ricky and Brandy grew up in Oklahoma and were married at age 19. Inspired by a visit to their campus from missionaries in Russia, the couple decided to enter the mission field and spent the next eight years of their life working with the Udmurt people in the Volga region of Russia. ‘Love for the people came quite slowly,’ Ricky explained. ‘It was hard … Americans are admired in many ways but not necessarily loved by other cultures.’
Bank hits record church lending
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 7 Mar 2025
Kingdom Bank has announced record lending for 2024, having approved 99 mortgages with a total value of nearly £27million.
The Christian bank uses deposits from churches and individuals to make loans to churches, Christian charities and those in full-time ministry secured on property. Since 2020, it has granted £100 million in loans and aims to boost that number by 150% over the next five years, lending a further £250 million by 2030. Of the mortgages in 2024, 44 were for church buildings, 28 were for houses for church leaders, 20 were personal mortgages for Christian ministers and seven – for churches and charities – were secured on other types of buildings. The largest group applying for loans was independent evangelical churches.
Evangelicals voice concern over 'lack of transparency' in archbishop appointment process
CEEC
Date posted: 6 Mar 2025
A leading evangelical in the Church of England says the process by which the next Archbishop of Canterbury will be appointed is "confusing" and "lacking in transparency".
Andrew Goddard, a member of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), has raised major questions and concerns about the process by which the new archbishop will be appointed.
Renewed gospel hunger in UK sparks demand
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 5 Mar 2025
At their annual supporter evening in All Soul’s, Langham Place, Christianity Explored had a heartwarming message of renewed hunger for the gospel and announced several new CE resources coming on stream over the next year or so to cater for this demand.
In his keynote address, evangelist Rico Tice (pictured) said that he was more encouraged than he has been for 35 years by the current desire by many to learn more about Christianity. He pointed to the fact that large numbers of churches are now reporting people simply walking in off the streets to services and events. This trend he largely attributed to what he called the emerging ‘strange coalition of orthodoxy’, driven, for example, by the success of historian Tom Holland’s book Dominion as well as growing concerns about the impact of transgenderism and its attendant ideology, following the publication of the Cass Review last year.
