This month marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of Evangelicals Now (en).
What has changed during these 40 years for us as evangelicals, and in the wider cultures we inhabit? We asked a selection of evangelical leaders for their reflections on these past four decades. Specifically, we asked what they thought “the main changes, challenges and encouragements over that time span have been for (a) the Reformed evangelical constituency nationally, and, (b) evangelism both nationally and indeed globally” had been. Not all responded, but here are those who did (in the order they appeared in my inbox, just in case you wonder!).
Iver Martin, Principal of Edinburgh Theological Seminary, said: “For one thing, 40 years ago it was still possible to fill large stadiums for an evangelistic crusade, be it Luis Palau or Billy Graham. These events attracted thousands and consisted of song and strong evangelistic preaching followed by the ‘altar call’, to which sizeable numbers would respond.
“Since then, evangelistic method has shifted much more towards a church-based, personal contact, small-group approach. Evangelism is more educational, with few ecclesiastic assumptions. Whatever the changes, human need remains the same and there are important opportunities to ‘reason’ the gospel.”
Ellelein Kirk, Operations Manager of evangelical think-tank Latimer Trust, said: “There are a variety of changes in evangelicalism here and around the world, but I think three of the biggest ones are as follows: Firstly, the shift of Christianity from the Western world to the Global South. Although once we were seen as the Christian centre of gravity sending missionaries overseas, the role has reversed and we benefit from the influx of African, Asian and Latin American missionaries to our increasingly secular shores.
“Secondly, the world and the church to a certain extent has become digital. The growing trend of AI could become either a great asset or a real headache for the church. In a world of information or misinformation overload, the evangelical church needs to be prepared to prevent and counteract the consumeristic and false explanation of the gospel with the real Bible message. This could be done by engaging in deep and close discipleships, but also in learning to use the variety of solid digital resources. Those who totally react against the digital formats are [at] risk of not being able to reach the younger generations.
“Lastly, there is now a real and problematic tendency of the alignment of faith and political power. Evangelicalism that aligns with a political agenda risks making our faith appear less credible to many and enable false indoctrination to follow, in contrast by holding fast to a genuine evangelical ethos the true message of our faith could be articulated."
James Burnett, Principal and CEO of Belfast School of Theology, said: “Scripture Union school friends led me to Christ when Evangelicals Now was but a toddler. Today’s younger generations, their hunger and desire for God and church planting, imbibe expectations of revival. I recall the ‘Decade of Evangelism’ campaign following fissures in church attendance and the fading light of Christian influence.
“Subsequent evangelism courses quarried spiritual seams that beg the question: Should evangelicals unite under a new missional banner? Evangelicals Now certainly has a rallying role. Future challenges include the opposite temptations of either improvising Scripture to culture, or withdrawing the gospel from culture altogether, seeking doctrinal purity expressed in services as obsequious as museums. Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones said: ‘It is a terrible thing to substitute even true doctrines for a living realisation of the person … Dead orthodoxy, in practice, is as bad as heterodoxy, because it is quite useless (Revival, pp.58-59)’.
“The Gospel without holiness loses its power; the Gospel without evangelism is unsown and ineffectual; but the Gospel with the power to transform society (see The Resurrection of the Moral Order by Prof. Oliver O’Donovan), and a church with a heart for evangelism: this Gospel-Church fills my heart with dauntless optimism!”
Bill James, Principal of London Seminary, said: “As mainline denominations have declined, and the culture has become more hostile, conservative evangelical churches have united. Former boundaries of charismatic / cessationist and Anglican / non-conformist are now less prominent, and there is greater unity based on gospel issues. In this more challenging environment, there is amongst some a reluctance about engagement in the public square on moral issues, a superficial grasp of ethical issues, and a move to more privatised faith with exclusive focus on the gospel and evangelism.
“There has been positive progress in development of clear Bible teaching ministries, although not always matched by powerful preaching. Ministries of women have developed, but the understanding and application of complementarianism remains controversial. There have been positive initiatives in church planting and revitalisation, and churches want to engage with their communities and more ethnically diverse congregations. Many evangelicals are drawn to larger, busy ‘hub’ churches. But there has not always been a growing desire for holiness, and respect for the Lord’s Day has declined.
“Preaching on judgement and hell is now less common. Concern about prayer for revival has diminished. While there continues to be resistance to the gospel amongst an older generation of white British communities, there is more promise amongst ethnic minorities and signs of hope in the younger generation.”
Andrew King, Association Secretary of the Grace Baptist Association, said: “Firstly, the growing secularisation of our nation. Back 40 years ago evangelicals would have been viewed by wider society as rather quaint but harmless, but now we are increasingly seen as bad and dangerous. However, in recent years we have witnessed younger generations who are disillusioned with secularism becoming more open to our evangelical faith. This means we have a wonderful opportunity to grasp. Perhaps rather than merely focusing on the truthfulness of the gospel, we also need to show both its goodness and beauty. We need our neighbours to be captured by a much grander vision of life and meaning.
“Secondly, the change of demographics through immigration into our nation. Back 40 years ago only our largest cities would have had multi-ethnic communities but this has changed dramatically. And whilst it has brought challenges, we evangelicals should celebrate both the gospel opportunities and the real displays of unity in diversity in many of our churches. Perhaps in this way the UK better reflects heaven than it did in the past? But we do need to rise to the challenge posed by Christian nationalism and robustly reject the claims of mere cultural Christianity wrapped in our national flag.
“Thirdly, the need to maintain evangelical cohesion. Perhaps this aspect has remained a constant challenge. Whilst we can be thankful for the efforts to build an evangelical generosity and catholicity, we remain in need of clarity and charity within the UK evangelical constituency. Perhaps in the past the focus was on protecting on the left against the influence of liberalism. Yet, perhaps today there also needs to be a focus on protecting on the right against the influence of fundamentalism? In a deeply divided political world, we must ensure our evangelical world stays [focused] on gospel priorities.”
Sophie Killingley, illustrator and author, said: “Reformed theology certainly has had a renaissance during the past 40 years. Has that been a good thing? Well, yes and no. A commitment to coherent, robust, theological thought beyond 'just vibes' is always welcome. Why do we believe the things we do? How does that fit into the context of the global, historic church? Marvellous.
“What hasn’t been welcome, is the self-righteous tone taken by some elements, the need for certain buzz words to be used to signify 'soundness' (which happens in any camp in fairness) and a calcification of the cerebral over the embodied and mysterious. We need to understand that HOW we believe is also important alongside the WHAT and WHY.”
Tim Farron MP said: “Over the last 40 years, the ease with which Christians are able to make the case for the gospel, and the appetite for hearing it, have ebbed and flowed. Perhaps the role of the new atheists has been to sharpen us in our apologetics and in making the intellectual case for Christ. Yet we also shouldn’t be afraid of simply pointing people to Jesus, to His deep love for them, to their deep need of Him – that the gospel is true, it is good, and it changes people’s lives for the better. It feels to me that today there is a greater desire amongst our population – especially younger people – to receive this. There is a great harvest out there!”
Kirsten Birkett, Director of Publications at Church Society, said: “I can remember 30-something years ago being asked to write an article on ‘how on earth do we evangelise Generation X? People at the time were thinking that the new postmoderns were so radical and anti-everything Christian they were just unreachable.
“My answer at the time was something like: they are still people created in the image of God who need the gospel; it’s the same Spirit who will open their eyes; Christ still redeems. I also added that sometimes Gen X would reject metanarratives because they’ve never heard one: so tell the whole story of salvation, creation to new creation, and how we can be part of it.
“Generation X now seem like Puritans compared to what is more normal today. But is anything actually different? Preaching the Word is miraculous. The Spirit really does change people through it. And that story of salvation is what the lost crave.”
Graham Nicholls, Director of Affinity, said: “The challenges: Fewer people identify as Christians, and attendance has dropped even for traditional 'life events'. Denominations have wrestled with debates over women in leadership and the acceptance of same-sex relationships. Externally, cultural perceptions of Christianity have shifted from benign to openly hostile, driven by rapid secularisation and the rise of a multicultural, multi-faith society. The digital age and AI have introduced new avenues for sin, alongside the obvious benefits of global connection.
“The encouragements: We have witnessed a vibrant resurgence in lively, Reformed, expository preaching and expressive worship. Also, while the emergence of 'new expressions of church' initially caused some division, these movements have matured to enrich the body of Christ. There has also been a thoughtful, intentional effort to navigate Biblical roles for men and women so that both can flourish.
“Furthermore, rigid denominational loyalty has changed to commitment to a local church community with gospel-centred preaching coupled with the growth of healthy relational networks like Affinity and gospel partnerships. The church has also produced excellent evangelistic tools that directly answer the shifting questions of our culture.
“Ultimately, my confidence remains unshakeable: Jesus is on the throne, and He will continue to work powerfully in the years ahead.”
Paul Yeulett, Pastor of Grove Chapel, Camberwell, chairman of the Affinity Theological Study Conference, and a trustee of Westminster Seminary UK, said: “Churches may be less full today than was the case 40 years ago but – praise God! – a full church today is more likely to be a gospel church than would have been the case a generation ago.
"The major change during this time has been the technological and communication revolution, which has made churches, and Christians, far more sophisticated than their parents and grandparents were. Sophisticated, though not necessarily wiser.
"There is a wealth of resources available to us that would have seemed incredible in the 1980s. Church services tend to be slicker, and on a merely human level, more ‘accessible’ than was once the case. But the danger is that we become more like the devices – of all kinds – that now play such a dominant part in our lives. The great need is for consistent godly character to be developed among worshippers of all generations and backgrounds, especially as the environment around us becomes more lawless.”
Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance, said: “Over the past 40 years, Reformed evangelicalism has grown in confidence in the gospel, with a renewed commitment to expository preaching, a growing network of church planting and access to world-class teaching through the digital revolution. These developments are particularly encouraging given the backdrop they took place in front of, [including] increasing secularisation, declining cultural Christianity, and moral shifts that moved beyond historic Christian teaching. There is much reason for hope – the emergence of gifted younger leaders, growing ethnic diversity within churches, and a continuing commitment to Biblical authority and gospel mission.
“When it comes to the story of evangelism in this time period, it is somewhat different globally and nationally. Globally, the church has seen remarkable growth, particularly across the Global South. Despite challenges such as persecution, opportunities for gospel advance have been extraordinary. Nationally, much of this period has been marked by decline and an increasingly pluralistic, post-Christian culture. However, recent years have brought signs of renewed spiritual openness. It no longer feels like winter for the church in the UK; there are indications that spring may be here. The challenge now is to recognise this opportunity and make the most of the season before us in the years that lie ahead.”
Layo Obembe, who works in Parliament as an Organisational Development Consultant, and for her church part-time, said: “Reformed evangelicalism in the UK is lately opened to a more ethnically diverse group, owing to the integration of immigrant populations of Christians over the years. It’s exciting to see more churches that have different people worshipping together, reflecting the global nature of the church of Jesus. This is powerful and attractive to the watching world.
“We still have a long way to go to grow leaders of diverse ethnicities and cultures into church leadership, which I think will be a powerful witness of the glory of God. For that to happen we’ll need to persevere in deeper partnerships with people different to us, having bold and humbling and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about our cultural differences and being determined to move forward together in love.
“What a joy it will be to see mixed ethnicities within church staff teams, and more pastors of different cultural backgrounds serving together, learning from one another for the glory of Jesus!”
Joel Morris, Executive Director for Union School of Theology, and en’s Chair of Trustees, said: “In my lifetime, which now slightly outstrips en’s, there has been a significant shift within evangelicalism, both geographically and culturally. The centre of gravity has moved from the UK to the US, and increasingly from the US to the Global South. That shift has brought both challenge and freshness.
“Closer to home in Wales, we’ve seen a move from managed decline towards a more hopeful season of church planting and replanting. It’s been encouraging to witness renewed confidence in the gospel and a growing sense of global connectedness across the church. Overall, there is real cause for gratitude, the Lord is clearly at work in new and encouraging ways.”
Ros Clarke, Acting Director of Church Society, said: “When I was a student and very young Christian, I heard N.T. Wright give a series of four talks on Isaiah 40-55 which changed my life. Here was someone who knew what it meant to love the Lord with all his very able mind.
“The anti-intellectualism of the evangelical movement in the earlier 20th century (save for a handful of notable exceptions) is well-documented. And while the simple gospel is indeed enough to save anyone, the gospel is not simplistic. The Scriptures cannot adequately be reduced to six boxes scrawled on the back of a napkin.
“I am so encouraged by the way that there has been a slow and steady resurgence in serious evangelical theological study over the past 40 years. Tyndale House in Cambridge is going from strength to strength, nurturing scholars and students, and producing their own world-class research. Tyndale Fellowship, now its own independent charity, is growing, with its annual conference becoming a must for evangelicals working in academia. And, anecdotally, I think there are more ministers taking time for their own studies, perhaps by taking part-time research degrees, writing papers for journals, or attending scholarly conferences.”
Ian Hamilton, who teaches historical theology at Westminster Seminary UK and at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in South Carolina, and is President of The Paton Society, whose vision is to challenge Reformed churches to plant Biblical churches among the unreached language groups, said: “Changes: A lack of heart commitment to evening worship and congregational prayer. Challenges: A non-negotiable commitment to worship shaped by Scripture and not by culture. Encouragements: A greater commitment to church planting and reaching the thousands of unreached language groups.”
Adrian Reynolds, one of the Associate National Directors for the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), and a former en board chair, said: “A precious mentor first drew my attention to en. That was 30 years ago (not quite as long as en has been around, but long enough). I’ve been a regular subscriber ever since. Over that time, I observe that nothing has changed and everything has changed. The gospel is, of course, unchanging. Attacks against the Lord’s people, both from without and (sadly) within, are ever present. People are being saved. Books are being written. We face the daily challenge of applying the gospel to every area of life. Yet what I value about en is that it speaks into the changing nature of these unchanging realities. Who had heard of AI back then? Who imagined the pain and sadness that wholesale leadership failures bring? Who could have foreseen the explosion in Iranian believers? Did anyone know what a podcast was? We’ve always needed help in joining these dots so that what is always true is connected to what changes day to day, context to context, and culture to culture.”
Joseph Steinberg, CEO of International Mission to Jewish People, said: “Over the past 40 years, the greatest challenge for Reformed evangelicalism has been the combined effect of secularisation, Biblical illiteracy and thus a resulting loss of confidence in the gospel. As our culture has drifted further from its Christian roots, many believers have become less familiar with Scripture and less confident in the gospel’s power to save.
“Yet my greatest encouragement is that God has not changed. Throughout Scripture, God’s people often drifted, but whenever they humbled themselves, repented and returned to Him, he restored what had been lost. The answer to our present challenges is not novelty but renewed faith, repentance, and a return to our first love.
“People’s deepest needs remain exactly the same. What has changed is not the gospel, nor humanity, but our confidence in proclaiming that Jesus saves sinners. But God does still save, and that should give us confidence, hope and urgency in making Jesus known.”
Krish Kandiah, Director of the Sanctuary Foundation, which seeks to provide compassionate service to vulnerable people, said: “Congratulations to Evangelicals Now on your 40th anniversary! Sustaining a magazine through the chaos of the attention economy is no small feat. I for one am appreciative of your long-standing witness to the Lordship of Christ, the grace of God, and the renewing work of the Spirit.
“While anniversaries are an opportunity for celebration, they also invite reflection. Sometimes I wonder whether those who shaped evangelicalism 40 years ago, or those game-changing evangelicals of old such as Wilberforce and Shaftesbury, would recognise the movement today. What was once held together by a shared commitment to Biblical authority, the ultimacy of the cross of Christ, social responsibility, and confident public witness, has in too many places fractured and given way to competing tribes, political alignments and cultural anxieties.
“I have met people who believe the gospel is not for everyone, who say to my face that children in Gaza are beyond redemption, who mock Muslims, scapegoat immigrants, spread disinformation to fundraise, cover up abuse, excuse in their allies what they condemn in their opponents, minimise the role and value of women and swap the grace of the gospel for the grab of influence – all in the name of evangelicalism.
“What we need most to counter these dark trends is evangelicalism at its best – faithful expository preaching that proclaims the whole counsel of God even when it is awkward and costly, churches planted that serve the poor, and share the gospel to the far corners of the globe, welcome for the outcast, vulnerable and needy. When I meet evangelical brothers and sisters who are doing this, that’s when I dare to believe that there is hope for the next 40 years.”
Jim Sayers, of Grace Church, Didcot, and chairman of the Praise Trust, said: “When I picked up the first (free!) copy of en in the summer of 1986, Reformed evangelicals were less confident, unsettled by the charismatic movement, and many churches were unsure how to negotiate huge cultural change. en ensured that open dialogue remained possible between Christians who disagreed but who loved God’s Word. We needed to listen to each other as we sought to express the gospel for a new century.
“Perhaps over 40 years we have been too ready to follow the big names, and some of them have sadly been found wanting. en is at its best when giving a voice to ordinary Christians and unremarkable churches, and I praise God that, 40 years later, it is so often in those places that we are seeing the turning of the tide for good by the power of God.”
Glen Scrivener, evangelist with Speak Life, said: “I’ve been an evangelist in one way or another for two decades and I’ve never seen such openness to the gospel as we’re seeing right now. Christianity used to be the last spiritual option that secular Britons would consider, now it’s among the first. And they are considering it by falling down YouTube rabbit holes, purchasing Bibles and showing up to church, seeking spiritual answers that are deep, ancient, challenging, embodied and ‘live-able’.
“This isn’t about multitudes beating down our church doors, but it is about small but significant numbers of people seeking a higher truth than anything secularism could ever offer. There’s never been a better time to reach out with the good news of Jesus.”
