In Depth:  Lydia Houghton

Lydia Houghton

Ros Clarke, acting Director of evangelical Anglican organisation the Church Society, speaks to en's Lydia Houghton about the upcoming July General Synod session and Helen King's Private Members Motion titled, Same-sex relationships compatibility with Christian discipleship: "Professor Helen King (Oxford) to move: 'That this Synod affirm that there are no fundamental objections to being in a committed, faithful, intimate same-sex relationship, and that such a relationship can be entirely compatible with Christian discipleship.'"

LH: How likely do you think it is that Helen King's Private Members Motion will go through?

Lydia Houghton

The day before Pentecost Sunday, thousands of Christians gathered to publicly celebrate faith, to worship God and to pray.

The "Jesus March" took place on Saturday 23 May and saw participants assemble "in an atmosphere of joy and expectation before singing and dancing through the capital". Around 7,000 Christians gathered for the event in central London which began on Park Lane and concluded in Trafalgar Square.

Lydia Houghton

Evangelicals Now (en) is hosting "Any Questions?" with a "panel of experts" at the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches' (FIEC's) Rising Lights event this week.

Glen Scrivener (Speak Life), Sharon James (The Christian Institute), John Stevens (the FIEC) and Rick Raja (All Nations Church Barkingside) will form the "Any Questions?" panel hosted by en's Vice-Chair of Trustees Tim Thornborough (The Good Book Company).

Lydia Houghton

The Free Church of Scotland is encouraging Christians to each pray for ten people in their lives, throughout this year and beyond, as part of a new nationwide prayer initiative.

Engage 2026 plans to see believers across Scotland praying daily for friends, family, colleagues, neighbours and others God has placed in their lives - including those they may find it difficult to connect with.

Lydia Houghton

The assisted suicide bill looks set to fail at Westminster, news reports indicate.

According to Sky News, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will "almost certainly... fail" because – according to the news outlet – the Government will not be giving the Bill more time in the House of Lords.

Lydia Houghton

Evangelicals are responding to the news that the Church of England's contentious Living in Love and Faith discussions (LLF) about gender and sexuality will conclude by July.

However, discussions on the subject will continue, but under new structures and not the label of LLF. Evangelicals, while celebrating that revisionism has not currently advanced as much as its supporters had hoped, are nonetheless wary that liberals will continue to push for more change.

Lydia Houghton

A former soldier who gave his life to the Lord after narrowly escaping death is now training for ministry.

Kevin Stewart (pictured) and his squad were in a Land Rover on the streets of Bagram, Afghanistan, when a lorry filled with explosives smashed into the vehicle. “It was filled to the brim with enough explosives to flatten the whole area, my whole squad, and all the civilians nearby,” Stewart told The Telegraph.

Lydia Houghton

The number of abortions in England and Wales has reached "staggering" levels, a Christian pro-life and pro-women leader says.

Dawn McAvoy of Both Lives UK was commenting on the Government's 2023 "Abortion statistics commentary" for England and Wales, released earlier this month. A total of 277,970 abortions are reported to have taken place.

Lydia Houghton

The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) is partnering with Wycliffe Bible Translators to support an Africa Bible translation project.

The country in question can’t be named, to protect the Bible translators and church leaders involved, but it’s a war-torn country in Africa where new church leaders don’t have a Bible in their language. FIEC got involved at its November leaders’ conference, where £7,000 was raised for the project; Wycliffe speakers got invited to 120 churches to share about the need for Bible translation. The goal is to raise £70,000 – with matched funding – to help unlock the Scriptures in 11 languages spoken by 850,000 people.

Lydia Houghton

One in three UK adults feel that their lives lack purpose.

This finding comes from a survey commissioned by evangelism organisation A Passion for Life (APFL) in which more than 2,000 adults (a representative group) were asked to reflect on what they felt was missing from their lives, from a “long” list of options.

Lydia Houghton

An anonymous donor with a generous spirit has helped five people buy their first Bible.

An envelope was left on Swansea Christian Bookshop’s counter, with a note asking for the money to be used to help those who were buying a Bible for the first time. Bookshop Manager, Rosemary Cole, told en: “My first thought when I opened the envelope and read the note was what a lovely, generous idea it was, and I was also really moved by the fact that the donor clearly wanted all of the praise and thanks to go to the Lord.”

Lydia Houghton

A Greenwich church, with help from The Christian Institute, has successfully defended its right to book a stall at a university freshers’ fair in response to a ban on religious groups.

While attempting to reserve a spot at Goldsmiths University freshers’ fair, Grace Church Greenwich was told by Native.fm – the organisation to which the university had outsourced the booking process – that “due to a recent update in our company policy, we are no longer able to facilitate bookings for religious groups at these events.”

Lydia Houghton

A group of Darlington nurses had their dignity "violated" by an NHS trust, a tribunal said today.

Newcastle Employment Tribunal said that "complaints of indirect sex discrimination" against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust "are well founded and succeed" after the nurses were required to share a female-only changing room with a biological male who identifies as a woman.

Lydia Houghton

Christian charity Home for Good and Safe Families (created in 2024 after being two separate organisations) is urging Christians to prayerfully consider fostering following the Children’s Commissioner for England’s latest report exposing the ongoing use of illegal and unsuitable accommodation for children in care.

Sam Lomas, head of advocacy for the charity, said: "This report makes it clear that change will not come through policy alone. It will come through people stepping forward to offer homes with care and commitment."

Lydia Houghton

Peter Meadows, who helped establish Christian festival Spring Harvest, has died at the age of 84.

Writing on Facebook, Spring Harvest said: "Pete was a pioneer, and a faithful servant of Jesus. We give thanks to God for his life, his faith, and the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind, a legacy that has shaped individuals, churches, and generations."

Lydia Houghton

Thirty-two days of continuous prayer, interceding for the UK and Ireland, are planned to take place over the next month, organised by the National Day of Prayer & Worship (NDOPW).

The initiative involves an online prayer vigil which began at midnight on Sunday 4 January and will end at midnight on Thursday 5 February, with the goal being that "unceasing prayer will rise day and night across the nation."

Lydia Houghton

Believers should be concerned because the internet "harbours dangers that disproportionately target girls and young women," says a Christian women's organisation.

Girls' Brigade England and Wales - an organisation that helps women and girls explore the Christian faith - says online platforms "expose girls to relentless pressures, toxic role models, and gender-based abuse that corrodes self-worth and mental health." These are not Kingdom values, says the organisation, and so this issue should concern Christians "deeply."

Lydia Houghton

Street preachers in Birmingham have adjusted their evangelistic strategies to comply with a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) that came into force earlier this year (see this en article).

The PSPO focuses on the amplification of noise. Evangelists have ceased using PA systems or have chosen to operate outside of the area protected by the order.

Lydia Houghton

A well-known evangelical organisation has joined its voice with others in expressing concern at King Charles praying with the Pope.

Edward J. Malcolm, on behalf of The Protestant Truth Society (PTS), writes of "their grave concern, as faithful and loyal Protestants" at His Majesty's visit to the Vatican, which took place last week.

Lydia Houghton

Up, down and across the country, university students have been welcoming fresh faces to campuses, with the Christian Unions (CUs) seizing what has been coined as “Welcome Week” to invite young adults to CU and church.

Elly Lane is Co-President at the University of Manchester (UoM) CU and told en: “We were out on the street every single day doing evangelism, with fun and interesting activities and did some worship in the street joint with some local churches. Someone even gave their life to the Lord while one of our members was telling them about God one of the afternoons – praise God! We saw a high intake of freshers who are all very keen to get stuck into CU, as well as meeting many other people in different years who were also interested in being part of the Christian Union.

Lydia Houghton

A leading conservative evangelical in the CofE says Sarah Mullally has led the way in an attempt to “institutionally gaslight the entire church.”

In an article published by the Gospel Coalition in the USA, Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society, writes: “The biggest challenge for the new Archbishop is the crisis of trust and credibility she faces. She has led the way in an attempt to institutionally gaslight the entire church, claiming that she and other revisionist bishops are not changing the doctrine of the church on marriage and sexuality, even while they attempt the most radical change to Church of England teaching and practice for 500 years.

Lydia Houghton

An evangelical church in Hertfordshire has saved a historic building from destruction by securing it as the congregation’s new home.

ChristChurch Harpenden saw off competition from commercial developers as it sought to obtain a town-centre building – once a theatre – that had fallen into disrepair after years of underuse. The council’s plans to redevelop the site into housing were rejected, forcing them to sell. ChristChurch’s Lauren Cox shared with en: “Had the property become available even a year earlier, the church would not have been in as good a position to bid. This timing wasn’t accidental, for God had been quietly preparing the way.”

Lydia Houghton

“See for yourself” – that’s been the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship’s (UCCF’s) invitation through its Uncover publication series. The first Uncover, released in 2011, explored Luke’s Gospel and was followed by Uncover John (2015) and Uncover Mark (2018). This year marks the next release in the family – a new version of Uncover Luke.

“How much do your friends know about the most famous Person in world history?” UCCF writes. Designed to help students and their friends discover more about Jesus and the life He offers, Uncover Luke (2025) was launched at this year’s national Forum conference where more than 1,000 students gathered to encourage one another, share Christian Union mission ideas, and pray together.

Lydia Houghton

In the heart of a “sleepy” corner of Shropshire sits The Quinta Christian Centre – a country house on 50 acres of estate, offering meeting spaces, accommodation and camping for Christians. But 2025 isn’t just any year for The Quinta – it’s its 40th, and you’d best believe celebrations have been taking place.

On a Saturday afternoon, as a long, sunny summer drew to a close, around 150 people from local churches gathered at The Quinta for coffee, cake, and an opportunity to reflect on the Centre’s heritage – giving thanks for all that has happened over the last four decades and praying for what lies ahead. But what has happened in the past 40 years? Well, Centre Manager Alistair Nurden spoke with en from the depths of Quinta Hall: “Thomas Barnes [a Christian MP] is the man who built this building that we’re in. He built it partly as a country retreat for him, his wife, and children. But he also wanted it to be somewhere where pastors could come on retreat. For [over 150 years], Christians have been coming to this very spot, on retreat, to rest, relax, and meet with God.”

Lydia Houghton

Hundreds of shoes were placed outside Parliament, as a representation of lives that would be lost to assisted suicide if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is made law.

The government's impact assessment of Kim Leadbeater's bill estimates that between 164 and 647 people will have assisted deaths in the first year after legalisation, rising quickly thereafter. This is based on the percentages of deaths in jurisdictions with comparable eligibility criteria for allowing assisted suicide.

Lydia Houghton

Kingdom Bank - a UK Christian bank whose mission is to help churches grow - has welcomed a proposal to raise savings protection, saying it'll help churches.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) exists to protect people's money if a financial firm fails. The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has proposed an increase to the FSCS standard deposit protection limit, from £85,000 to £110,000 per eligible depositor, per authorised firm.

Lydia Houghton

“Hear God’s Word, become like God’s Son, and serve God’s mission.” That’s what Keswick Ministries is hoping to have achieved with its three-week 2025 convention.

This year, the event celebrated 150 years since its first gathering. An estimated 14,000 people, including 3,500 children and teenagers, took part in a programme spread across three weeks (14 July to 1 August).

Lydia Houghton

Orthodox Anglicans around the world are reacting with dismay after the election of the new Archbishop of Wales, Cherry Vann, who is openly in a same-sex relationship.

The Biblically orthodox Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) called Vann’s election “another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy.”