Great Western Railway project manager: "My faith is central"
en staff
Date posted: 28 Apr 2025
The Railway Mission is appointing Mameri Ese as a new Trustee.
Mameri is a senior project manager at Great Western Railway (GWR), with extensive expertise in finance, project delivery, and strategic leadership.
New CEO for Global Christian Relief
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 26 Apr 2025
Global Christian Relief (GCR), the relief organisation for persecuted Christians, has appointed Brian Orme as its new chief executive officer.
Brian was promoted from his role as chief field operations officer and vice president of communications.
King Charles honours Christian mission organisation MAF
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 25 Apr 2025
The humanitarian work of Christian mission organisation Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has been honoured by King Charles.
Representing MAF, CEO Donovan Palmer (pictured left), Trustee Max Gove, Deputy Country Director in Uganda Sam Baguma, and Becky Waterman attended a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by the King, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne, where the “exceptional” work of approximately 100 humanitarian charities was recognised.
Andrew Cowan appointed as new Oak Hill Tutor
Oak Hill College
Date posted: 20 Apr 2025
Andrew Cowan has been appointed as Tutor in New Testament and Greek at Oak Hill Theological College from September.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Andrew studied at Cambridge before serving in various ministry roles in London and training for ordained ministry in Oxford.
The faith of the late George Foreman
en staff
Date posted: 19 Apr 2025
Famed American boxer George Foreman, who has died, was also a committed Christian.
Known for his famous bout against Muhammad Ali in the so-called “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974, he subsequently became a church minister - retiring from boxing at just age 28.
The witness of stranded astronaut Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore
Luke Randall
Date posted: 18 Apr 2025
Christian astronaut Barry Wilmore, known as “Butch”, has finally returned to earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after an unexpected nine-month stay due to problems with the spacecraft which transported them there.
The man from Texas spent almost 300 days on the ISS with fellow astronaut Sunni Williams despite having only expected to remain there for eight.
Cousins become ministers on same day
Free Church of Scotland
Date posted: 4 Apr 2025
Two cousins have accepted calls – on the same day – to serve as ministers in two Free Church of Scotland congregations.
Murdo Campbell, who has faithfully ministered at Barvas Free Church of Scotland on the Isle of Lewis, has accepted the call to serve at Knockbain Free Church.
New Dean for Bethlehem Bible College
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 31 Mar 2025
Bethlehem Bible College has appointed Dr Yousef Alkhouri as its new academic dean.
Gaza-born Yousef questioned his faith in his early years, having lived under Israeli occupation. In 2007 he enrolled at Bethlehem Bible College, then did a Master’s degree in Divinity in the US and a PhD in the Netherlands – returning to the College in 2018 as a faculty member.
FIEC appoints new Director for Essex
FIEC
Date posted: 30 Mar 2025
Simon Medcroft has been appointed to serve as Director for Essex with the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).
Simon has served as pastor at Danbury Mission for 20 years and will now be seconded to FIEC for one day a week to serve affiliated churches in Essex – one of the fastest growing but least churched counties in the UK.
New Bishop of North Africa announced
en staff
Date posted: 28 Mar 2025
Evangelical Ashley Null has become Bishop of North Africa.
He has studied at Yale and Cambridge and is regarded by many as a leading expert on Thomas Cranmer and the theology of the English Reformation. He has also worked as a sports chaplain, counselling Olympic and other elite athletes. He was a keynote speaker at the 2023 conservative Anglican movement GAFCON IV in Kigali. Since 2018, Null has been chairman of the board of the Alexandria School of Theology in Egypt.
John Wesson dies aged 86
Chris Sugden
Date posted: 27 Mar 2025
Influential evangelical minister John Graham Wesson died on 10 February at his home in Abingdon, aged 86.
As a student he was president of the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union and then became curate for students at St Ebbe’s Church, Oxford. Subsequently he joined the staff of All Souls Langham Place, and then held various posts including teaching at Trinity College, Bristol. He met his wife Jeanne while collecting tickets for a Billy Graham rally. They have a daughter, Carolyn.
'It's like a veil has lifted': former US VP candidate finds faith
en staff
Date posted: 26 Mar 2025
Former US vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan has converted from Judaism to Christianity.
Announcing her baptism on social media platform X, she wrote: “For over a decade, I identified as Jewish. But now, with the New Testament in my hands, I see the world’s spiritual pain in a way I never could before. It’s like a veil has been lifted, revealing a deeper understanding of the struggle between light and darkness. Today, I am a Jew for Jesus.” she wrote.
‘God can use you at any age,’ says musical matriarch
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 24 Mar 2025
Annie & The Caldwells, a family ensemble from Mississippi creating vibey disco soul music, are releasing their first album this Spring - and they have a message.
“Each song gives a testimony,” said matriarch Annie Caldwell, who heads up the band, which includes her daughters Deborah and Anjessica, goddaughter Toni Rivers, and sons and husband on drums, bass, and guitar. “I hope and pray to God that it bless somebody else like it been blessing me.”
Gordon Murray dies
en staff
Date posted: 22 Mar 2025
A leading figure in the Protestant Truth Society (PTS), Gordon Murray, has died.
After a ministry in the Church of England, he left it in 1966 in response to the preaching of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He joined the PTS Council and became chairman in 1998, stepping down in 2010.
Cornhill Scots
Free Church of Scotland
Date posted: 17 Mar 2025
Three Cornhill Scotland training course students have enjoyed a placement week at Kilmallie and Ardnamurchan Free Church of Scotland.
The church reported: “The trio [Tim Groves, Glen Glover and Michelle Tlhabologang] showed real enthusiasm and servant-heartedness throughout the placement.” Their activities included broadcasting a “thought for the day” on local radio station Nevis FM, helping with local ministries, and speaking at midweek events.
Thanksgiving service for evangelical leader Philip Hacking
Chris Sugden
Date posted: 13 Mar 2025
On 20 February, at Christ Church Fulwood, the time for mourning, funeral and obituaries was past. This was time for a celebration of how God had blessed his people through Philip Hacking, especially at Christ Church Fulwood but also in the wider Keswick Convention and Reform organisations.
Such an occasion was remarkable for not only had Philip been the vicar for 29 years (1968-1997) but this service was taking place 27 years after he had retired.
Arthur Blessitt’s pilgrimage ends
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 27 Feb 2025
Arthur Blessitt, the American evangelist who set a Guinness World Record for longest ongoing pilgrimage, has died aged 84.
Blessitt, who made his final journey on January 14, took Jesus’ command to ‘take up his cross and follow me’ seriously – taking his 45lb wooden cross all over the world with the message of the gospel.
Jack Hemmings, pioneer pilot, dies aged 103
Gary Clayton
Date posted: 23 Feb 2025
Jack Hemmings, who has died at the age of 103, was co-founder of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), the largest humanitarian airline in the world.
In 1945 Jack, an RAF Squadron Leader tasked with protecting the Bay of Bengal from Japanese invasion, read an article advocating the need to use planes to ‘carry messengers of peace and to unload cargoes of blessing’. As RAF Flight Lieutenant Murray Kendon wrote: ‘Instead of spreading destruction and death why should [aircraft] not now spread life and healing by that message wherein lie the seeds of peace and power?’
