Sam Solomon, Christian Concern co-founder, dies
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 26 Oct 2025
Sam Solomon, Christian scholar, apologist and a co-founder of Christian Concern (CC), died on 3 October.
A statement on the CC website says: “Sam was more than just a scholar. He prayed intensely, laughed freely, and brought the grace of God to countless people and situations in the United Kingdom and around the globe.
New Equipping Pastors Worldwide role
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 25 Oct 2025
Equipping Pastors Worldwide has welcomed David Bhadreshwar as its new Head of Resourcing and Partnerships.
Bhadreshwar and his wife, Naomi, spent almost 20 years in Peru as missionaries – serving indigenous churches through preaching, teaching, discipleship, and pastoral ministry in villages and cities across the jungles, highlands, and coast. Registered with Global Training Network (GTN), Bhadreshwar has remained actively involved in overseas missions training since returning to the UK in 2023.
Steven Bartlett's spiritual curiosity
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 20 Oct 2025
Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett has said he’s “almost back to being curious” when it comes to matters of faith.
On an episode of his popular podcast “The Diary of a CEO,” Bartlett hosted an extended discussion between a “spiritual thinker,” an atheist and Christian Greg Koukl.
J.K. Rowling filled with a 'God-shaped vacuum'
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 19 Oct 2025
Joanne Kathleen “J.K.” Rowling has said she has a “God-shaped vacuum” inside her.
In a post on X, the Harry Potter author wrote: “I've struggled with religious faith since my mid-teens. I appear to have a God-shaped vacuum inside me but I never seem quite able to make up my mind what to do about it.”
WEA appoints new Secretary General and CEO
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 5 Oct 2025
Botrus Mansour is the new Secretary General and CEO of the World Evangelical Alliance. From Nazareth, Mansour is an Arab-Israeli with Palestinian heritage. He will step into his new role in October at the WEA’s General Assembly in Seoul.
Council Chair Dr Goodwill Shana, who has held the position during the six-month search for a new leader by WEA’s International Council, said Mansour would provide “servant leadership and strengthen collaborative efforts” of the alliance, which stands for 600 million evangelical Christians in 148 countries around the world.
The new UK CEO of Operation Mobilisation
en staff
Date posted: 4 Oct 2025
Richard Langmead is the new Chief Executive Officer of Operation Mobilisation (OM) in the UK. He will start his new position on 1 October.
Writing on social media, OM said: “Richard is from Poole on the South coast, but grew up on OM’s ship Doulos (Brazil, Mexico, Caribbean), where he developed a deep passion for justice, international outreach, and a lasting sense that life with Jesus is an incredible adventure.” Over the years, he has served as a church pastor, and as CEO with Urban Saints, among other roles.
New National Director for OMF International UK
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 3 Oct 2025
OMF International UK has appointed Irene McMahon as its new National Director. Irene and her husband, Wilson, have served with OMF since 1989, both in the Philippines and the UK.
In the Philippines, McMahon worked on a church-planting team, trained Sunday School teachers, served as Chief Operations Officer at Koinonia Theological Seminary in Davao, and was Director of Transition for the OMF Philippines Centre. In the UK, she has worked at Belfast School of Theology, All Nations Christian College, and been Regional Co-Director for OMF in Ireland.
Evangelical Alliance NI's new Public Policy Officer
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 2 Oct 2025
Amy Scott has been appointed as the new Public Policy Officer for the Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland.
“We’re so excited to welcome Amy Scott as our new Public Policy Officer,” Evangelical Alliance NI posted online. “We can’t wait to see how God will use her gifts and experience to serve our members and engage with local representatives here in Northern Ireland.” “I’m delighted to be part of the Evangelical Alliance NI team,” said Scott. “I look forward to representing our members in the public sphere and equipping them to engage with the issues that matter most in Northern Ireland.”
The Church Mission Society's new CEO
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 1 Oct 2025
Andy Roberts has been appointed as the new CEO of the Church Mission Society (CMS).
Roberts – a former mission partner and CMS director of mission – is originally from York and has lived much of his life in Brazil. There, he spent several years serving vulnerable children and young people, alongside his wife, Rose. The couple launched ReVive – a charity providing shelter and holistic support for girls affected by abuse, exploitation and neglect. In 2021, Roberts was awarded an MBE for his work with vulnerable children in Brazil.
Themelios welcomes new editorial board members
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 30 Sep 2025
Themelios – an international, evangelical, peer-reviewed, theological journal that “expounds and defends the historic Christian faith” – has welcomed two new members to its editorial board.
Greg Lanier is Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) Orlando, and N. Gray Sutanto is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at RTS Washington, D.C. Themelios began in 1975 and ran initially as a print journal in the UK, before becoming a digital journal operated by the Gospel Coalition in 2008.
EEA has a new president
en staff
Date posted: 27 Sep 2025
Andreas Wenzel is the new president of the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA). He succeeds Frank Hinkelmann, who held the post for 12 years.
Wenzel was elected at a “hybrid Members Meeting Bar” in Montenegro, which gathered some EEA leaders in person and others online. The event also included a meeting with local pastors in Montenegro to discuss unity and mission, and support for the growing evangelical community in the country. The EEA seeks to represent 23 million evangelicals in Europe.
OM's new International Director
Operation Mobilisation
Date posted: 26 Sep 2025
Operation Mobilisation (OM) has appointed a new International Director to lead its work in more than 147 countries worldwide.
Dr Iain Pickett (UK) took over the role from Lawrence Tong (Singapore) on 1 September. Tong has completed three terms, having led the movement since 2013. Tong was the third to do so since it began in the late 1950s. His predecessors were Peter Maiden and OM’s founder, George Verwer. They died in 2020 and 2023 respectively.
Martin Smyth dies aged 94
en staff
Date posted: 25 Sep 2025
Martin Smyth, former Presbyterian minister, Orangeman and Unionist politician, has died aged 94.
The Evangelical Protestant Society reports: “Mr Smyth served as minister of Raffrey Presbyterian Church from 1957 to 1963 and Alexandra Presbyterian Church from 1963 to 1982. He was Grand Master of the Orange Order for 26 years and was Unionist MP for South Belfast from 1982 until 2005. Above all, however, Mr Smyth was a committed evangelical Christian who faithfully proclaimed the gospel.”
Evangelist Eric Delve dies
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 23 Sep 2025
Prominent evangelist Eric Delve has died.
In the 1960s and 70s, Delve became a widespread and popular itinerant [travelling] evangelist. Eventually, he decided to "settle down" and trained as a minister - at Trinity College, Bristol - being ordained in 1990.
TikTok vicar faces huge demand for free Bibles
en staff
Date posted: 22 Sep 2025
An evangelical vicar with a significant TikTok audience has reported that hundreds of people requested a Bible in just 24 hours earlier this month - and he is struggling to keep up with demand.
David Sims, vicar at St Thomas’ Church in Aldridge, Walsall, has more than 23,000 followers on TikTok (@TikTok_Vicar). He has used the platform since the Covid-19 lockdown to run virtual church services, read the Bible and discuss controversial topics.
Retiring EA leader reflects on two decades of work
James Patterson
Date posted: 21 Sep 2025
Leader of the Evangelical Alliance (EA) Scotland, Fred Drummond, is leaving his role after nearly two decades. In a piece about his leadership, he reflected on his time at EA.
Drummond said it was odd to leave his local church nearly 20 years ago to join Evangelical Alliance Scotland, but that he can now “see the Lord’s plan and faithfulness".
Australian doctor suspended over online posts
en staff
Date posted: 20 Sep 2025
An Australian doctor, who lost his medical licence after voicing anti-abortion views online, engaged in professional misconduct, the Victorian Civil and Administration Tribunal has ruled.
Jereth Kok, an Evangelical Christian, had 11 years’ unblemished experience as a GP before the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) suspended him in 2019 for professional misconduct. Between 20 May 2010 and 15 October 2021, he made numerous posts on Facebook and Christians websites, included describing abortion doctors as “butchers” and “contract killers”; being transgender was a mental health issue; and doctors treating gender dysphoria was “medical butchery”.
Faith and family are Scheffler's 'greatest priorities'
Luke Randall
Date posted: 11 Sep 2025
Christian golfer Scottie Scheffler, who won The Open championship at Royal Portrush, says even the biggest wins of his career do not give him true satisfaction or meaning.
The world number one, who is well-known to be a devoted Christian, shot 17-under-par to win a first Open title, collecting his second major triumph of the year and fourth overall.
