Matthew Hill
Malcolm Lane
Date posted: 1 Apr 2021
1939 – 2021
Matthew
Hill
became
widely
known
as Home
Secretary
of
the
Spanish
Gospel
Mission
and
did
much
to
raise
the profile of
the
Mission
amongst
churches.
Born in the New Forest, he was converted
in his teenage years and his life was Christ-centred from that point onwards. It was not
long after leaving school that he was accepted
to study at Birmingham Bible Institute and
on leaving there, he (and Jean, who he had
known from their teenage years and who he
had recently married) left for the unknown
territory of Stockton-on-Tees to take over
the running of the Quayside Mission. This
was a place of refuge for the homeless and
a gospel ministry was also carried on there.
‘I think it’s all true, I’m a Christian now!’
This term has marked the beginning of the annual mission week season for the Christian Unions: weeks of high-profile events designed to reach the wider university with the gospel. In the absence of marquees and lecture halls, they used a range of tools to speak of Jesus: social media, Zoom, podcasts, post and even radio. But this year, it was their most unassuming and understated tool that proved to be the most powerful: friendship. Milla Ling reports:
After a CU member arrives at university, they have a three- or four-year window to witness to the students they meet. During these years of friendship they can demonstrate the reality of what is spoken about at evangelistic events. And, in the context of loving relationship, can gently challenge where a visiting speaker may not be able to.
‘Man of character’ moves
to Langham Partnership
LCM / LP International
Date posted: 1 Apr 2021
Global mission
organisation Langham
Partnership International has a new leader.
Tayo Arikawe will move from his post as
Director of Ministries at London City Mission
(LCM)
to
the position of
International
Director with Langham in April.
news in brief
Abortion law change?
The Severe Foetal Impairment Abortion
(Amendment) Bill has passed
its second
stage at the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Disability
rights
campaigner, Heidi
Crowter, who has Down’s syndrome, had
told the Health Committee of the assembly:
‘The law … tells me and other people with
Down’s syndrome that we are worth
less
than those without disabilities. That is why I
want … the laws to be fairer.’
New leaders for CofE evangelicals
CEEC
Date posted: 1 Apr 2021
Lis Goddard and Ed Shaw have become Co-Chairs of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), it has been announced.
Ed Shaw is pastor of Emmanuel City Centre Church in Bristol, a congregation established in recent years via a Bishop’s Mission Order. He is also Director of Living Out – an organisation run by same-sex-attracted Christians setting out an orthodox, Biblical view of sexuality.
New vision for North West
The North West Gospel Partnership (NWGP) exists to help churches work together to reach the North West with the gospel. The region has a population of over 7 million people and so the task is great and complex. In recent months the Trustees have been revisiting and reviewing the Partnership’s purpose, aims and strategy. Mark Pickles tells us more:
To reach even 10% of the population (700,000 people) we would need 7,000 churches (assuming an average membership of 100); at present we have about 100. Put like that, the sheer size of the task is overwhelming. We are committed to the three-fold task of church planting, church revitalising and church strengthening.
40,000 view new video on Jesus
CEM
Date posted: 1 Apr 2021
More than 40,000 people have viewed a beautifully-illustrated presentation of Jesus in its first month of being released.
What is Christianity? was created by Christianity Explored Ministries (CEM). Using rich imagery and a voiceover from Thabiti Anyabwile, it tells the story of human history. It’s the story of our creation by God and our rebellion against Him; the story of salvation found only in Jesus.