UK & Ireland

Luke Randall

Date posted: 31 Dec 2025

Around 12.5 million people in the UK have been helped by a church or a Christian organisation, while almost two thirds of adults believe churches will play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable people over the next year, a new study has found.

New research undertaken by Christians Against Poverty (CAP) suggests that the church has never played a more vital role in supporting those in need as the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit hard.

Lydia Houghton

Date posted: 31 Dec 2025

A creative media organisation is hoping to reach Gen Z with a five-part evangelistic documentary series.

Fount Sessions has been created by UK-based Christian charity The Stream Collective. Jake Marthinet-Glover, Creative Lead, told en: “Reaching [UK young adults] with the gospel in a way that connects with their worldviews, and shows Jesus to be real, relevant and relatable when most have next-to-no understanding of the Bible, or a Christian worldview, is challenging.

Nicola Laver

Date posted: 28 Dec 2025

An international machine-learning expert has warned of the dangers of “anthropomorphising” artificial intelligence (AI) machines, saying guardrails must be built to prevent humans – particularly children and teens – from being deceived.

Lord Lionel Tarassenko, speaking at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion on whether artificial general intelligence (AGI) is compatible with a Christian worldview, stated: “[Humans] physically experience pain and joy. An AGI chatbot cannot, although some humans can be fooled into believing it can.”

The organisation that seeks to read the Bible with members of the Armed Forces says its work is growing significantly – and military personnel are coming to faith.

Just two years ago, the Soldiers’ and Aviators’ Scripture Readers Association (SASRA) employed 13 Scripture Readers, all committed to sharing the gospel with the Armed Forces. Today there are 21 of them, serving across the UK and overseas, reaping a harvest in what many are calling a quiet revival – this being within the military.

Lydia Houghton

Date posted: 26 Dec 2025

A church in Lancashire has been transformed into C.S. Lewis’ beloved land of Narnia with the hope of pointing visitors to Christ.

Finding Jesus in Narnia, at St Bartholomew’s Church in Colne, was made up of scenes from the stories – cut out of large sheets of plywood and painted. The exhibition included written guides and panels explaining both the story and its Christian elements.

Emily Pollok

Date posted: 23 Dec 2025

Christian charities that provide international aid are facing up to further cuts to the UK’s foreign aid budget planned for 2027.

After being reduced from 0.7% to 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI) in 2021, spending will further decrease to 0.3% of GNI in 2027 to fund increased defence spending. As such, foreign aid spending will be the lowest it has been since 1999.

Lydia Houghton

Date posted: 22 Dec 2025

Evangelism organisation Solas recently marked its 15th anniversary, commemorating the occasion with an online celebration, during which the team took the opportunity to thank its supporters, share stories of lives changed, and announce new initiatives.

Solas (the Scottish Gaelic word for “light”) was formed in 2010. Assistant Director for Operations and Communications, Simon Wenham, told en that the vision was to be a public voice for Christianity in Scotland. Fifteen years later, Solas, though based in Scotland, is now a UK-wide ministry.

Nicola Laver

Date posted: 21 Dec 2025

The ruling that the teaching of Christian religious education in Northern Ireland is unlawful marks a further “step away from the strong Christian foundations” that have shaped UK education, the Association of Christian Teachers (ACT) is warning.

In November, the Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that RE and collective worship is not “objective, critical, and pluralistic” and amounts to “indoctrination”. However, they reinforced the principle that “parents are primarily responsible for the education and teaching of their children”.

Emily Pollok

Date posted: 21 Dec 2025

Tyndale House, home to one of the world’s most extensive collections of Biblical scholarship, is building a new, state-of-the-art library three times its current size.

The evangelical Cambridge-based research centre, which was established 80 years ago, has long outgrown its current library, built in 1956. Tyndale House Principal Peter Williams, explained the need for expansion: “For at least three decades we have been running out of space for books in our library and having to come up with ever more creative ways of fitting more in.” Williams added: “We’ve now demolished that library and by God’s grace are building the largest building permitted in our central Cambridge location. This will enable us to continue to expand our physical collection of books, as well as provide increased desk space, an auditorium and space to run multiple events concurrently.”

Nicola Laver

Date posted: 20 Dec 2025

Girlguiding has dropped its trans-inclusive policy and only biological girls will be entitled to join the guides in future. It announced that it has updated its equality and diversity policy following the recent Supreme Court ruling that girls and women are defined in the Equality Act 2010 by their biological sex.

A joint statement from the trustees, CEO and Chief Guide said it was a “difficult decision” made with “a heavy heart” and that they are now looking at how the change affects existing members.

Nicola Laver

Date posted: 20 Dec 2025

The authorities are “frozen in indecision about whether they’re really expected to prosecute somebody’s silent prayers”, according to an Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International lawyer, a Christian legal advocacy group.

Jeremiah Igunnubole’s comments, reported by The Daily Telegraph, concern Isabel Vaughan-Spruce who has been under investigation for allegedly breaching an abortion buffer zone after silently praying. No charges have yet been brought.

Nicola Laver

Date posted: 19 Dec 2025

Labour has been accused of a “shadow policy-making process” to influence assisted dying legislation after a document was leaked, leading to accusations that the government misled Parliament and voters.

According to a Guardian report, a leaked policy document suggested that before the general election, Labour planned to introduce assisted suicide by a Private Members’ bill (PMB), similar to the bill going through parliament.

Nicola Laver

Date posted: 19 Dec 2025

Religious education in England and Wales should be brought into the national curriculum, a review has recommended. It also says the age limit for compulsory RE should be dropped to 16 rather than 18.

While report authors acknowledge the importance of Christianity in British culture, they say: “RE can be controversial and contentious” and should be moved to the national curriculum.

Nicola Laver

Date posted: 18 Dec 2025

A disciplinary hearing against Jennifer Melle, a Christian nurse who “misgendered” a biologically male paedophile, has been delayed. The hearing was due to begin on 9 December, nearly two years after the process began, but a panel member was reportedly unavailable.

No new date had been set at the time en went to press. The latest development follows news that the Equalities Shadow Minister has urged Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to drop its case against Jennifer, who was also suspended for an alleged data breach after speaking to the media.

en staff

Date posted: 18 Dec 2025

Evangelicals in the UK are reacting to the news that the launch of a Gospel Coalition in the UK is definitely going ahead. (See existing en coverage here and here.)

Plans for “TGC-UK” had previously been put forward for discussion and consultation, but have now been firmed up, with a launch planned sometime in 2026. The story was broken exclusively on the en website on 9 December 2025.