Astronaut Jim Lovell dies at 97
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 21 Aug 2025
An American astronaut whose reading of Genesis 1 from space was broadcast to earth on Christmas Eve in 1968, has died at the age of 97.
Jim Lovell was one of the first three astronauts to orbit the moon in 1968 on the Apollo 8, along with Frank Borman and William Anders.
Evangelical leader responds to Kemi Badenoch comments
en staff
Date posted: 21 Aug 2025
John Stevens, the National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, has been among those responding to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s statement that she lost her faith because of the abuse that Josef Fritzl inflicted on his daughter Elisabeth.
Writing on Facebook he said: “[The] Christian's faith is not a leap in the dark, but the willingness to trust in the evidence we have been given, even though we do not, and cannot, fully understand.”
Entertainer boss hands business to workers
en staff
Date posted: 21 Aug 2025
The Christian entrepreneur Gary Grant, who established The Entertainer toy shop chain, has been widely praised for deciding to hand over ownership of his business to its 1,900 staff.
Writing in The Guardian, columnist Zoe Williams said it “shows that profit isn’t the only thing worth caring about”.
Silas Balraj takes top role at Tearfund
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 21 Aug 2025
Tearfund, a Christian charity that partners with churches in the poorest countries, has appointed its new Chief Executive.
Silas Balraj joins Tearfund with decades of experience from his time at Compassion International, where he held several senior roles including Country Director for India, Vice President for Asia, and Senior Principal in the charity’s global programme function.
Colin Smith helps us all to Open the Bible
Open the Bible
Date posted: 21 Aug 2025
Colin Smith is now serving full-time as President of Open the Bible, a ministry he founded in 1999 during his time as Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
Smith recently stepped back from his role as Senior Pastor, and from 1 September is serving full time with Open the Bible, seeking to expand the reach of Biblical resources around the globe.
Man with 'world’s highest IQ' announces faith in Jesus
James Patterson
Date posted: 29 Jul 2025
Dr YoungHoon Kim, a South Korean man who claims to have the highest IQ in the world, has taken to X to announce he is a Christian.
He posted on X: “As the world’s highest IQ record holder, I believe that Jesus Christ is God, the way and the truth and the life.” The post now has over 22 million views.
Journalist baptised in Eastbourne
James Patterson
Date posted: 28 Jul 2025
Alex Phillips, journalist and broadcaster on TV channel Talk, has been baptised in the sea at Eastbourne.
Interviewed live on Talk, Phillips said she had been going to church for four years, saying she had been wishing to be baptised for “so long”. She referred to God has her “vitamin G”. Phillips attends church in London. She was in tears after being baptised by Phil Harris, a vicar in the West Midlands.
Scottish minister Alistair Begg retires
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 26 Jul 2025
Scottish minister and writer, Alistair Begg, has retired after serving as Lead Pastor at Parkside Church in Ohio for more than 40 years.
Born in Glasgow, Begg went on to graduate from London School of Theology and entered pastoral ministry in 1975. He initially served in Scotland both at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh and Hamilton Baptist Church before moving to the US to join Parkside Church.
Ten years after the death of Elisabeth Elliot
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 23 Jul 2025
The Elisabeth Elliot Foundation is celebrating its fifth anniversary ten years after the death of the renowned Christian missionary and author.
The foundation exists to bring together the work of Elliot, her late husband Jim, and their daughter Valerie.
Questions after Newsboys singer’s admissions
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 22 Jul 2025
Note: This article contains references to sexual assault.
Former lead singer of Christian rock band Newsboys has apologised following reports of “reckless and destructive behaviour”.
Tim Davies appointed as new Diocesan Bishop
en staff
Date posted: 17 Jul 2025
Tim Davies is the new Diocesan Bishop for the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE), a GAFCON-aligned grouping outside the Church of England.
Andy Lines will continue in his roles as Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Convocation Europe (ACE) and Presiding Bishop of the emerging province of the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE), AMiE says. These are likewise not part of the CofE.
Keswick Convention's McQuoids moving to Canada
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 16 Jul 2025
Jeremy and Elizabeth McQuoid, who have been heavily involved with the Keswick Convention for many years, are set to move to Canada.
Jeremy has served as Teaching Pastor at Deeside Christian Fellowship Church in Aberdeen, Scotland for the past 21 years. He also serves as Chair of Trustees, Keswick Ministries. Elizabeth is Commissioning Editor at Keswick Ministries, and is behind the widely-acclaimed Food for the Journey daily Bible devotions.
Pastor and theologian John MacArthur dies at 86
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 15 Jul 2025
John MacArthur, influential pastor and theologian, has died aged 86 after being hospitalised with pneumonia, which he contracted last week.
MacArthur was pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles, California.
Liverpool's Alisson Becker shares his faith
James Patterson
Date posted: 3 Jul 2025
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker shared his faith on TV by wearing a shirt during Liverpool’s Premier League title celebrations last month.
Alisson wore an undershirt, which he uncovered at full time, with the message “Jesus, The Way, The Truth, The Life, John 14:6.”
Trevor Gribben appointed
Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Date posted: 2 Jul 2025
Trevor Gribben is the new Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), which has more than 500 congregations.
The Tandragee-born 64-year-old is the 13th minister to hold the office of Clerk of the General Assembly since the establishment of the Church in 1840, and is the eighth Clerk and 179th person to serve the Church in its highest office, the last being Dr Sam Hutchinson who was elected in 1997.
Dave Cormack's surprising admission of faith
Luke Randall
Date posted: 1 Jul 2025
Aberdeen FC chairman Dave Cormack gave the glory to God in a pitchside interview at Hampden Park after Aberdeen won the Scottish Cup.
The remarks came as a surprise to many, with no previous public knowledge of a faith held by the American-based businessman.
‘Adult content’ creator comes to faith
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 30 Jun 2025
A former OnlyFans “adult content” creator who reportedly made millions of dollars on the site has publicly declared her faith in Jesus.
Nala Ray grew up in church as a pastor’s daughter, and started her OnlyFans account “out of pure rebellion.” OnlyFans is an online subscription-based platform where creators can share content; it’s known for being popular with sex workers and the production of “adult” material for the site. Ray reportedly used the platform to share pornographic content with her paying subscribers.
Africa Inland Mission completes merger
James Patterson
Date posted: 29 Jun 2025
Africa Inland Mission (AIM), an evangelical missionary agency, has merged its South Africa Mobilizing Office and Southern Region receiving office, forming a new ministry called AIM Southern Africa Region.
Tshepang Basupi has been appointed Director of AIM Southern Africa Region, consolidating the processes of sending and receiving missionaries, training leaders and sharing the gospel. The merger is intended to “better reflect the current and future realities of global missions” and will “enhance efforts to minister to the unreached peoples of Southern Africa”.
