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.
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.
Missionary who survived massacre dies age 99
Brian Davis
Date posted: 23 Nov 2024
A missionary who survived a massacre at a mission station where she was working, many years ago, has died.
Margaret Hayes MBE had to take to the jungle with others where she survived for many weeks before being rescued, having been presumed dead – with a funeral and thanksgiving service being held for her.
Alex Hawke appointed
SIM UK
Date posted: 10 Sep 2024
Alex Hawke has been appointed as the new UK Director for Serving in Mission (SIM).
Alex has previously served as a mission worker in West Africa, Mozambique and Cambodia, where he was the team leader of a large mission team.
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”.
Tributes paid for Daniel Bourdanné
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Nov 2024
Daniel Bourdanné, former General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), has died from cancer, aged 64.
Born in Chad, Bourdanné moved to Oxford in 2007 to lead IFES for 12 years – and from then to his death he worked with charity Africa Speaks to promote publishing Christian books across the continent. IFES Chair Michel Kenmogne said: ‘The history of the advance of the gospel throughout the world over the last four decades cannot be written without mentioning Daniel Bourdanné.’
Ben Stansfield to lead Global Connections
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
Ben Stansfield has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Global Connections, (GC) replacing Chris Wigram who had served in an interim capacity in recent months.
GC exists to equip the UK church and mission community in the world. Ben has spent over 25 years working for international charities, church ministries and discipleship ministries, so has helpful experience ahead of taking on the role.
Graham Rowles
Paul Eddy / en staff
Date posted: 30 Nov 2025
One of Bristol's most loved and respect Baptist Lay Pastors has died, aged 89. Graham Rowles played a pivotal role in churches and mission for over 50 years.
Among other things, he arranged for satellite broadcasts of Billy Graham missions elsewhere in the UK to be beamed live to audiences in Bristol. He was also greatly involved with a Luis Palau mission. Rowles was instrumental in bringing into being the South Bristol Christian Centre, was a lay preacher at East Street Baptist Church, and Lay Pastor at Dundry Baptist Chapel.
Terry Puttick
en staff
Date posted: 9 Dec 2025
Tributes have been paid to Terry Puttick, a London City Missioner, who has died.
Writing on X, Graham Miller, LCM CEO, wrote: “Loyalty, love, selflessness, good news, humour and perseverance were visible in all that Terry did.
Church Mission Society CEO resigns after six years
en staff
Date posted: 29 May 2025
Alastair Bateman, CEO of Church Mission Society (CMS), has resigned from his post and announced he will step down at the end of July 2025 after six years, saying: “I believe the time is right.”
Reflecting on his time at CMS, Alastair said: “Serving in this community – so deeply committed to following Jesus, rooted in prayer, and bearing the fruits of the Spirit – has been the privilege of a lifetime.”
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.
‘Mother of modern Bible translation’ dies
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 29 Oct 2025
Wycliffe Bible Translators has paid tribute to one of its long-serving missionaries who has died at 87.
Dr Katharine “Katy” Barnwell served with Wycliffe for over 60 years. Barnwell pioneered locally-led Bible translation: after helping to see the New Testament published in the Mbembe language in 1985, she found that the Mbembe people wanted more translation – the Old Testament as well as translation into other Mbembe dialects – and so concluded that the best way to do this was to get some Mbembe speakers trained. “And so began the revolution in training local Bible translators that has led to the huge growth in Bible translation today,” says Wycliffe Bible Translators. Barnwell’s textbook Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles – first published in 1975 and now in its fourth edition – is the primary training resource for Bible translators worldwide.
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.
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.
Pop star Mike Posner is a 'new man'
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 30 Aug 2025
In a recent Facebook post, musician Mike Posner expressed his desire to serve God.
The 37-year-old pop star wrote: “I’m a professional recording artist and my mission is to serve God and my fellow man.”
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.
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.
Leading theologian Samuel Escobar dies
en staff
Date posted: 1 Jun 2025
Samuel Escobar, an influential theologian and missiologist from Peru, has died aged 90.
Escobar was a leading figure in evangelical theology in the second half of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century, website Evangelical Focus reports.
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.
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.
Reformed scholar Gordon Wenham dies
en staff
Date posted: 25 May 2025
Tributes are being paid to renowned Biblical scholar Gordon Wenham, who has died.
Wenham, born in 1943, was a Reformed British Old Testament theologian and writer, and was once described by US academic Tremper Longman as “one of the finest evangelical commentators today”.
Rachel Cocksedge appointed
en staff
Date posted: 6 May 2025
Rachel Cocksedge has been appointed as new Executive Assistant at Faith in Later Life.
“She’ll be playing a key role in supporting our mission to equip and inspire churches to reach and empower older people. Please pray for wisdom, joy and God’s guidance as she serves with us,” the organisation reports.
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?’
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.