London calling
London City Mission
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
People from more than 20 churches across London were welcomed to London City Mission (LCM) at the end of January for a conference on reaching young people with the gospel. Sharing inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking testimonies, the two-day LCM Winter Conference offered practical ways to share the love of Jesus with youth and children growing up in London.
'We want people to be inspired to see the opportunity we have as a church to reach out to the young people in their communities with the gospel and leave here, ready for action,' explains LCM Field Director for Children, Youth and Schools, and one of the organisers of the event, Gareth Jones. 'Our aim is to equip churches and help them find opportunities to work alongside us to reach young people in this city.'
Cambridge to Madagascar
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Julian Hardyman has ended his ministry as pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge and is heading unexpectedly to Madagascar.
He had become Associate Pastor in 1996 and then Senior Pastor in 2002. To their surprise, Julian and wife Debbie (see photo) discovered the Lord was calling them in a sudden and dramatic way in a single weekend in September 2021 to leave Eden and Cambridge, to serve as missionaries in Northern Madagascar. The church joined in the discernment process and so their pastor and his wife will become Eden Mission Partners and members of evangelical mission organisation SIM.
Mike Jourdain
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
The head of Brighton City Mission has
died. Mike
Jourdain was described as
someone with
‘great
faith, passion and
ability’ by Nick McQuaker of the Sussex
Gospel Partnership.
Will Cockram,
pastor
of Cuckfield
Baptist Church wrote:
‘Mike was treated
for oesophageal cancer three years ago, but
around Christmas
it
reappeared. Whilst
given
initial confidence
from
the medics
over Christmas that it was treatable, Mike’s
health declined very steeply, and the family
were given the news that it was very possible
that it might not be treatable and that he
had months –possibly weeks – to live. He
died six days later (17 January) in a hospice,
aged 58. He
leaves his wife Wendy, his
daughter Clio, and a church family that is
rejoicing for him, but grieving very deeply.
We would covet your prayers.’
C of E evangelicals in watershed fight for own bishops, structures and training
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Evangelicals in the Church of England are facing a battle of historic Reformation-era significance as they fight to secure guarantees that might enable them to continue in the denomination.
After February’s General Synod vote, which approved in principle giving clergy the option of using marriage-style ‘prayers of blessing’ for same-sex couples, with only four bishops opposing the idea, the focus now moves to key Synod decisions this July. Speaking exclusively to en, Ed Shaw, co-chair of the Church of England Council (CEEC), said strong safeguards would be needed.
Rob and staff
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Rob Munro has become the new Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Church of England bishop with delegated oversight of 147 complementarian evangelical parishes.
Previously Rector of Cheadle, Cheshire, Rob trained for ministry at Oak Hill College and studied for his doctorate at Reformed Theological Seminary in the USA. He has also served on General Synod, is a member of the Dioceses’ Commission, chairs the House of Clergy for Chester Diocese, is the Chair of the Fellowship of Word & Spirit, and is on the Councils of Latimer Trust and Church Society.
Wallsend: hope
AMiE
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
A church launched last year in Wallsend has a newly-ordained minister.
Hope Church Tyneside was launched in May 2022 after a local Church of England congregation voted to leave the denomination and join the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE). A significant number of the members chose to join them in this endeavour, following the spiritual course which had been set years previously.
And now Baptists face same-sex marriage battle too
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
The Baptist Union (BU) could change its rules to allow the ordination of practicing homosexuals as early as October 2023 – but evangelical ministers within the union are making moves to defend the orthodox position.
In January, an in-person meeting of the newly-formed Evangelical Baptist Ministers for Marriage was held, against the background of increasing division over the issue of allowing the accreditation of practicing gay ministers. More than 220 orthodox evangelical baptists attended the meeting.
Tony Thiselton: theologian
www.durham.ac.uk
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
The death has been announced of evangelical theologian, Biblical scholar and college principal Professor Anthony Thiselton. He was Principal of St John’s, Durham, from 1988 to 1992.
Tony Thiselton was one of the leading Biblical scholars of his generation, where his main contribution was in the area of hermeneutics but he had a wide range of interests with contributions in systematics, philosophical theology and ethics. He was ordained in 1961, and served the Church England in both parish ministry and at General Synod. In addition to being Principal of St John’s Durham, he had also been Principal of St John’s Nottingham and head of theology at the University of Nottingham. As well as a number of honorary degrees, he was a Fellow of the British Academy.