There’s been much fanfare over the screening of a new film based on Wuthering Heights, the Emily Brontë novel that has sent romantic hearts racing over nearly two centuries.
One result has been a fresh boost for tourism to Brontë country, focused on the village of Haworth in West Yorkshire. But for some, visits to these windswept moors are more akin to a pilgrimage celebrating their rich spiritual heritage.
As I look back on five years since the official launch of the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE), it has been fascinating to reflect on the way our ministry has developed under the Lord’s guidance. In particular I’ve been able to discern two complementary models of mission through church planting.
In 2017 I was appointed as “Missionary Bishop to Europe” by GAFCON, to promote a Biblically-faithful Anglican movement in our region as an alternative to alignment with Canterbury. What is a “missionary bishop”? To summarise, we could say that it is a leader who gathers faithful individuals and emerging congregations into an Anglican fellowship and polity in a designated area. And it is to actively instigate the establishment of the church, ordaining and pastoring clergy, linking the new local movement with orthodox Anglicans globally, under the leadership of the GAFCON senior archbishops.
Christian Just War theory represents one of the most influential ethical traditions for evaluating the moral legitimacy of warfare.
Developed within Christian theology but later influencing secular international ethics and law, the theory attempts to reconcile two competing commitments: the Christian call to peace; and the moral responsibility of political authorities to protect the innocent and oppose those threatening harm to others.
A few years ago, I would rarely hear the concept of “Christian nationalism” discussed in a British context.
Aside from a passing mention by a speaker I heard in 2023 whilst at Forum - the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) summer gathering of students - the term's use was confined to American discourse on American phenomena, such as the 6 January Capitol riots and the theonomic propositions of Presbyterian pastor Doug Wilson.
This week, 347 Anglican bishops and 121 lay and clergy Anglican leaders from 27 provinces met in Abuja, hosted by the Church of Nigeria, to “confer and celebrate the Global Anglican Communion”.
The meeting was trailed as a “kairos moment” by Bishop Paul Donison, Gafcon’s General Secretary, a Communion re-ordering. In late October he had set out that the Conference would include the Council of Primates electing a primus inter pares, a "first among equals", to lead the Communion. Yet, in a surprise move mid-way through the gathering, a communique confirmed that the Council of Primates is to be reconstituted as a new leadership body, the Global Anglican Council, with a mix of members including primates, advisors, and guarantors (see en news article here).
What springs to mind when you hear the word “theology”?
Bookshelves full of weighty and dusty tomes that, if not for reading, would make excellent doorstops or draught excluders? Thoughts of long-dead philosophers of religion from centuries past? Earnest young “TheoBros” ever eager for a feisty argument about the logical sequence of the eternal decrees of God or some such esoteric doctrinal debate? Or perhaps you’ve decided that theology is for other Christians; yours is a simple faith, it’s just not your jam. (Isn’t that what we have preachers for? After all, you don’t buy a dog and bark yourself!)
We are in a battle! We see that in a literal and physical way with the recent brutality of the Iranian regime, and other places of the world, like Nigeria, where Christians are in the front line of persecution.
We see it in the “culture wars” when as Christians we feel under attack because of our views about gender and sexuality, amongst other things. We see it in the political realm, as our Government seeks to legislate the liberalisation of abortion, and assisted suicide.
en does not support any one particular party. However, we are interested in evangelicalswithin each of our political parties. Following the recent Green Party by-election win,en invited Andrew Mellen to set out why, as an evangelical, he has chosen the party as his political home.
Last weekend, the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior leaders.
Iran has retaliated by striking Israel and other countries in the Middle East with US bases, such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
If you’ve heard of Bethel, Redding, California then chances are that you associate them first with their music - a lot of churches sing worship songs composed and produced by Bethel or associated organisations like Jesus Culture.
Secondly, you may think of their reputation as a hyper-charismatic church with a commitment to revivalism.
The assisted suicide bill at Westminster is now highly likely to fall after the government refused to give it any more parliamentary time.
This is a wholly welcome outcome because the assisted suicide bill is deeply divisive and dangerous. At CARE, we do not think it is appropriate to grant the state the legal power to help some people kill themselves.
Is Britain now ungovernable? It seems hard to believe now that one Prime Minister who was in charge for 11 years (Margaret Thatcher) was succeeded by one in power for seven years (John Major) and another who lasted a decade (Tony Blair). By contrast, in the last decade, there have been six PMs.
Various reasons have been suggested and adduced. One is the 2008 financial crisis, which was not only significant in itself but also resulted in a long-term fall in productivity and growth. Another is the long-term structural issue of an ageing population relying on relatively fewer working-age people, creating pressure on public services. Then there are challenges resulting from significant immigration.
Much has happened over the past year to expand imagination, expectations and hope around what the Lord may be doing in the UK at this moment.
For more than 25 years I have travelled the length and breadth of the nation preaching the gospel and encouraging Christians and churches to reach out to those around them. For much of that time, it’s often felt like swimming against the cultural tide. But in 2025, something changed.
March is the month when flocks of overwintering birds begin to leave the UK. Bird migration is an incredible natural phenomenon that occurs around us, yet many of us do not notice it.
But each year, as many birds leave our relatively mild winters behind to breed further north, birders and conservationists wonder how many will return. Those who dedicate their lives to this work are acutely aware that all is not well. The decline in numbers of once-common garden birds, such as sparrows and starlings, is drastic. It is easy to miss until someone tells you: “House sparrow populations in the UK have declined by approximately 60 –70% since the 1970s, with nearly 30 million vanishing from the countryside and cities.” The biggest problems most declining species face are habitat destruction, food availability, and disease.
The essence of the case against Christian social worker Felix Ngole is that his Christian beliefs make him unemployable.
Felix applied for his "dream job" as a Mental Health Support Worker with Touchstone Leeds. Felix has experience supporting people with mental health issues from all walks of life in various settings, and the appropriate professional qualifications to boot. After going through a recruitment process, including interview, Felix was provisionally offered the job and told he was the best candidate in interview and that he gained the highest marks of any candidate on an equality and diversity assessment.
When speaking to Jewish and Gentile friends you might have heard the accusation that the Gospel accounts were written centuries after the life of Jesus. Or even that Jesus is a legend disconnected from the realities of first-century Israel.
Yet the evidence tells a different story: the overwhelming number of manuscripts, and very early manuscripts, and citations by church fathers like Clement (c. 95 AD), confirm that the Gospels were in circulation within decades of the events they describe.
Since Charles I, no British royal has ever been arrested. Until last week.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, spent his 66th birthday in police custody under suspicion for misconduct in public office. He was later released, but the investigation is ongoing.
Once more, this late winter, we have begun to hear and read about the observance of Lent.
In recent days, I have read three blog articles which were supportive (in varying degrees) of the practice. The religion pages of our weekend newspaper gave us much the same news: it’s time for Lent and thoughtful Christians will, ofcourse, be observing it.
Last December, as reported by The Sunday Times, the Shadow Home Office Minister Katie Lam and 26 other MPs co-signed a letter warning that the Church Commissioners’ slavery reparations plan (to make “a funding commitment of £100 million, to invest in a better future for all, working with and for communities affected by historic transatlantic slavery”) risked setting a “worrying precedent”.
The letter also explained that: “at a moment when churches across the country are struggling to keep their doors open – many even falling into disrepair – it’s wrong to try and justify diverting £100million to a project entirely separate from those core obligations.”
Comment
The Brontës and evangelicalism
There’s been much fanfare over the screening of a new film based on Wuthering Heights, the Emily Brontë novel that has sent romantic hearts racing over nearly two centuries.
One result has been a fresh boost for tourism to Brontë country, focused on the village of Haworth in West Yorkshire. But for some, visits to these windswept moors are more akin to a pilgrimage celebrating their rich spiritual heritage.
Two complementary models of planting
As I look back on five years since the official launch of the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE), it has been fascinating to reflect on the way our ministry has developed under the Lord’s guidance. In particular I’ve been able to discern two complementary models of mission through church planting.
In 2017 I was appointed as “Missionary Bishop to Europe” by GAFCON, to promote a Biblically-faithful Anglican movement in our region as an alternative to alignment with Canterbury. What is a “missionary bishop”? To summarise, we could say that it is a leader who gathers faithful individuals and emerging congregations into an Anglican fellowship and polity in a designated area. And it is to actively instigate the establishment of the church, ordaining and pastoring clergy, linking the new local movement with orthodox Anglicans globally, under the leadership of the GAFCON senior archbishops.
Are the US-Israel strikes on Iran a 'just war'?
Christian Just War theory represents one of the most influential ethical traditions for evaluating the moral legitimacy of warfare.
Developed within Christian theology but later influencing secular international ethics and law, the theory attempts to reconcile two competing commitments: the Christian call to peace; and the moral responsibility of political authorities to protect the innocent and oppose those threatening harm to others.
Why the 'Christian nationalism' discussion is so divisive
A few years ago, I would rarely hear the concept of “Christian nationalism” discussed in a British context.
Aside from a passing mention by a speaker I heard in 2023 whilst at Forum - the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) summer gathering of students - the term's use was confined to American discourse on American phenomena, such as the 6 January Capitol riots and the theonomic propositions of Presbyterian pastor Doug Wilson.
Ten Questions with Steffan Job
Steffan Job is the Ministry Director of the Evangelical Movement of Wales, and an elder at Capel y Ffynnon, Bangor.
1. How did you become a Christian?
Abuja analysis: Gafcon finds its next step
This week, 347 Anglican bishops and 121 lay and clergy Anglican leaders from 27 provinces met in Abuja, hosted by the Church of Nigeria, to “confer and celebrate the Global Anglican Communion”.
The meeting was trailed as a “kairos moment” by Bishop Paul Donison, Gafcon’s General Secretary, a Communion re-ordering. In late October he had set out that the Conference would include the Council of Primates electing a primus inter pares, a "first among equals", to lead the Communion. Yet, in a surprise move mid-way through the gathering, a communique confirmed that the Council of Primates is to be reconstituted as a new leadership body, the Global Anglican Council, with a mix of members including primates, advisors, and guarantors (see en news article here).
Theology and praise
What springs to mind when you hear the word “theology”?
Bookshelves full of weighty and dusty tomes that, if not for reading, would make excellent doorstops or draught excluders? Thoughts of long-dead philosophers of religion from centuries past? Earnest young “TheoBros” ever eager for a feisty argument about the logical sequence of the eternal decrees of God or some such esoteric doctrinal debate? Or perhaps you’ve decided that theology is for other Christians; yours is a simple faith, it’s just not your jam. (Isn’t that what we have preachers for? After all, you don’t buy a dog and bark yourself!)
We are in a battle
We are in a battle! We see that in a literal and physical way with the recent brutality of the Iranian regime, and other places of the world, like Nigeria, where Christians are in the front line of persecution.
We see it in the “culture wars” when as Christians we feel under attack because of our views about gender and sexuality, amongst other things. We see it in the political realm, as our Government seeks to legislate the liberalisation of abortion, and assisted suicide.
I'm a Christian, and I'm Green - here's why
en does not support any one particular party. However, we are interested in evangelicals within each of our political parties. Following the recent Green Party by-election win, en invited Andrew Mellen to set out why, as an evangelical, he has chosen the party as his political home.
Iran: War, fear and Biblical wisdom
Last weekend, the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior leaders.
Iran has retaliated by striking Israel and other countries in the Middle East with US bases, such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Bethel: A deep dive into the controversial California church
If you’ve heard of Bethel, Redding, California then chances are that you associate them first with their music - a lot of churches sing worship songs composed and produced by Bethel or associated organisations like Jesus Culture.
Secondly, you may think of their reputation as a hyper-charismatic church with a commitment to revivalism.
Palliative care is the way forward, not assisted suicide
The assisted suicide bill at Westminster is now highly likely to fall after the government refused to give it any more parliamentary time.
This is a wholly welcome outcome because the assisted suicide bill is deeply divisive and dangerous. At CARE, we do not think it is appropriate to grant the state the legal power to help some people kill themselves.
Ungovernable?
Is Britain now ungovernable? It seems hard to believe now that one Prime Minister who was in charge for 11 years (Margaret Thatcher) was succeeded by one in power for seven years (John Major) and another who lasted a decade (Tony Blair). By contrast, in the last decade, there have been six PMs.
Various reasons have been suggested and adduced. One is the 2008 financial crisis, which was not only significant in itself but also resulted in a long-term fall in productivity and growth. Another is the long-term structural issue of an ageing population relying on relatively fewer working-age people, creating pressure on public services. Then there are challenges resulting from significant immigration.
Are we living in a ‘new season’ in the UK?
Much has happened over the past year to expand imagination, expectations and hope around what the Lord may be doing in the UK at this moment.
For more than 25 years I have travelled the length and breadth of the nation preaching the gospel and encouraging Christians and churches to reach out to those around them. For much of that time, it’s often felt like swimming against the cultural tide. But in 2025, something changed.
From bird migration to Biblical mission
March is the month when flocks of overwintering birds begin to leave the UK. Bird migration is an incredible natural phenomenon that occurs around us, yet many of us do not notice it.
But each year, as many birds leave our relatively mild winters behind to breed further north, birders and conservationists wonder how many will return. Those who dedicate their lives to this work are acutely aware that all is not well. The decline in numbers of once-common garden birds, such as sparrows and starlings, is drastic. It is easy to miss until someone tells you: “House sparrow populations in the UK have declined by approximately 60 –70% since the 1970s, with nearly 30 million vanishing from the countryside and cities.” The biggest problems most declining species face are habitat destruction, food availability, and disease.
The vital case of Felix Ngole: Christian beliefs in the workplace
The essence of the case against Christian social worker Felix Ngole is that his Christian beliefs make him unemployable.
Felix applied for his "dream job" as a Mental Health Support Worker with Touchstone Leeds. Felix has experience supporting people with mental health issues from all walks of life in various settings, and the appropriate professional qualifications to boot. After going through a recruitment process, including interview, Felix was provisionally offered the job and told he was the best candidate in interview and that he gained the highest marks of any candidate on an equality and diversity assessment.
The Jewishness of the Gospels proves they're true
When speaking to Jewish and Gentile friends you might have heard the accusation that the Gospel accounts were written centuries after the life of Jesus. Or even that Jesus is a legend disconnected from the realities of first-century Israel.
Yet the evidence tells a different story: the overwhelming number of manuscripts, and very early manuscripts, and citations by church fathers like Clement (c. 95 AD), confirm that the Gospels were in circulation within decades of the events they describe.
Responding to the fall of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Since Charles I, no British royal has ever been arrested. Until last week.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, spent his 66th birthday in police custody under suspicion for misconduct in public office. He was later released, but the investigation is ongoing.
Should evangelicals promote Lenten practices?
Once more, this late winter, we have begun to hear and read about the observance of Lent.
In recent days, I have read three blog articles which were supportive (in varying degrees) of the practice. The religion pages of our weekend newspaper gave us much the same news: it’s time for Lent and thoughtful Christians will, of course, be observing it.
The moral case against slavery reparations
Last December, as reported by The Sunday Times, the Shadow Home Office Minister Katie Lam and 26 other MPs co-signed a letter warning that the Church Commissioners’ slavery reparations plan (to make “a funding commitment of £100 million, to invest in a better future for all, working with and for communities affected by historic transatlantic slavery”) risked setting a “worrying precedent”.
The letter also explained that: “at a moment when churches across the country are struggling to keep their doors open – many even falling into disrepair – it’s wrong to try and justify diverting £100million to a project entirely separate from those core obligations.”