In Depth:  Graham Nicholls

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Political turbulence... How do we respond?

Political turbulence... How do we respond?
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Earlier this morning, Sir Keir Starmer gave his emotional resignation speech. At any time, this is big news. A few hours later, a newly elected member of parliament, Andy Burnham, was sworn in. Normally a low-key event that rarely makes the news, but today this was part of the breathless news coverage, as “our Andy” is highly likely to become the new leader of the Labour party and therefore the new Prime Minister of the UK.

Anyone watching today from a distance would find the whole thing rather baffling.

Smartphones, social media and parental responsibility

Smartphones, social media and parental responsibility
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

It seems that the topic of smartphones and social media for children is now part of the cultural conversation.

The UK government recently announced a consultation on banning social media for all children under 16 – something already happening in Australia.

Retirement: What should our approach be?

Retirement: What should our approach be?
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

As we entered 2026, I was watching Jools Holland’s Hootenanny. It’s a show welcoming in the new year with musicians performing songs, mostly with the backing of the vast and hugely talented band Jools has pulled together.

Along with the younger performers like Olivia Dean (26) and Jessie J (37), there were quite a few near or beyond what you might call "normal retirement" age. There was Ronnie Wood putting in a reasonable shift at 78 and there was Lulu bringing the house down with an energetic performance at 77. Even the host, Jools, and his regular singer Ruby Turner, are both 67. They could be claiming their state pensions, but they were showing no signs of retirement.

Loving country without losing the gospel

Loving country without losing the gospel
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Christmas decorations are now up everywhere. For some people, this is a welcome relief from the ongoing proliferation of the various UK flags in all those places and more.

When it comes to the flags, some of us find it tempting to make harsh and hasty judgements about those putting them up, perhaps condemning a caricature of Christian nationalism as we do so.

Does the Bible need trigger warnings?

Does the Bible need trigger warnings?
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

The University of Sheffield recently issued trigger warnings for English Literature students studying Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

It advised that these texts contained graphic bodily injury and sexual violence.

Keep praying now after the assisted suicide vote!

Keep praying now after the assisted suicide vote!
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

It is deeply disappointing that MP’s have today voted in favour of the bill to legalise assisted suicide.

This is another sad day for our country following closely the vote earlier in the week to decriminalise abortion for women up to the moment of birth. It is sign of the growing disregard for Christian ethics and a reformed pseudo-morality built around the idols of autonomy and utility and crowdsourced values.

Can you inherit faith?

Can you inherit faith?
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

We greatly appreciate the blessing of being brought up in a Christian home, but does this guarantee children from Christian families will all be converted?

A recent study by Pew Research Center conducted across the world showed that Christianity and Buddhism don’t have a very high success rate of passing on faith through the generations.

Worship, mortality, and hope in Springsteen’s ‘Road Diary’

Worship, mortality, and hope in Springsteen’s ‘Road Diary’
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Bruce Springsteen is a global phenomenon. His 'Best of' Album, reached No. 1 in the UK and USA album charts at the end of 2024. Last year his tour was No. 5 in the world for gross income. Not bad for a 75-year-old!

Being a lifelong fan (who can’t quite justify live ticket prices nowadays), I have to content myself with recordings, so I especially enjoyed the tour documentary Road Diary on the streaming platform Disney Plus.

Debate on AI in church 'urgently needed'

Debate on AI in church 'urgently needed'
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Towards the end of last year, Affinity organised a webinar to discuss important questions around artificial intelligence use in the church.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to feature prominently in the news, whether in discussions about replacing humans for practical or social tasks, medical diagnostic tools, or deepfake videos. There is no doubt about the benefits of some AI tools; only this week, I came across an AI service that offered to handle charitable grant applications. This immediately appealed to me, having found the process tedious and frustrating in the past.

Two lessons from the assisted suicide debate

Two lessons from the assisted suicide debate
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Like many Christians and indeed others across the nation, I was saddened to hear the news that the UK parliament voted in favour of legalising assisted suicide.

As Christians, we are not opposed to the withdrawal of life-extending care, but we are against the active murder of anyone. Fundamentally, we believe that every life is sacred and unconditionally valuable - human dignity is not something we assign to ourselves and can then take it away when faced with illness, poverty, or disability.

Opportunities for the gospel on social media

Opportunities for the gospel on social media
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

The average person in the UK spends at least five hours per day on the internet in addition to work-related access and a significant part of this is on social media.

Over 86 per cent of the United Kingdom’s total internet user base (regardless of age) uses at least one social media platform, obviously some more active than others.

Unbelievable ?

Unbelievable ?
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Book Review THE SURPRISING REBIRTH OF BELIEF IN GOD: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again

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What is evangelical unity? Does it even matter?

What is evangelical unity? Does it even matter?
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

What is evangelical unity and does it matter? And anyway, who’s to say what an evangelical actually is, and even then, what would visible evangelical unity look like?

That was part of our discussion at the autumn meeting of the Affinity Council – a group of leaders from churches and Christian organisations that help guide Affinity as we set our priorities.

Shaping a movement

Shaping a movement
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Book Review TIMOTHY KELLER: His Spiritual And Intellectual Formation

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UK in transition: A significant moment of change

UK in transition: A significant moment of change
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

And so begins the reign of our new monarch, King Charles III. This comes at a time of economic and political anxiety – worries about the cost of living, constitutional pressures within the devolved nations of the UK, a war in Europe, and a new Prime Minister in post.

Although history normally progresses over time, there are momentous moments of change which encapsulate the change, and this seems like one of those times.

Evangelical Futures: Gospel unity in the face of evangelical tribalism

Evangelical Futures: Gospel unity in the face of evangelical tribalism
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

When asked to write about ‘some of the issues we currently face as a constituency’ I could have picked a number of issues, like evangelism (we could do better) or discipleship (we could do much better), or the pressures from contemporary culture (massive).

But actually, my initial thought was: who is our constituency? What kind of churches, organisations and people are in it? Am I in it? Where are the boundary lines? If en readers are a constituency, then what unites them? It’s the gospel, right? Isn’t that what unites all Christians?

Affinity discusses Covid lessons

Affinity discusses Covid lessons
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

The newly-formed Affinity Advisory Council has met in London.

The organisation describes itself as ‘a fellowship of churches, evangelical agencies and Christians’.

Speaking up for Zoe

Speaking up for Zoe
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Book Review IF I COULD SPEAK: Letters from the womb

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Post-Christian holiness?
standing together

Post-Christian holiness?

Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

The Affinity Council sounds like a group of bureaucrats discussing obscure points of order of interest to no-one.

In reality it is a lively fellowship network of leaders representing over 1,000 churches and Christian organisations, encouraging one another, talking about issues facing the church today and praying together.

The yawning gap
standing together

The yawning gap
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

‘Sending missionaries abroad is boring.

‘It belongs to a bygone pioneering age. It’s part of cultural imperialism. It’s no longer necessary. It’s not a priority.’

Post-Christian Christianity
standing together

Post-Christian Christianity
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

How does the church operate in an increasingly hostile culture which no longer assumes Christianity is essentially good?

That was the topic when around 75 people, mostly church leaders and theological students from across the whole of the UK and from widely different denominational groups came together in March for the biennial Affinity Theological Study Conference.

What Affinity is all about
standing together

What Affinity is all about
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls

Over the coming months I want to explain some of the things happening at Affinity but a good question to start with is ‘Who are Affinity and what do we actually do?’

The British Evangelical Council (BEC, renamed Affinity since 2004) was founded in 1952 by George Collins and Murdoch Macrae from the Free Church of Scotland, and Theodore Bendor-Samuel and Edward Poole-Connor from the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. They wanted to express gospel unity across denominational divides, but also to be a defence against movements for unity based on sharing the name Christian, but not necessarily the same core beliefs. In the 1960s Affinity (BEC as it was then) gained the enthusiastic support of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones and many church groups joined.

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