A life faithfully given: The funeral of Richard Turnbull
Chris Sugden
Date posted: 5 Jan 2026
A packed and full-throated congregation of family, colleagues and friends of Rev Dr Richard Turnbull (who died on 26 November 2025) gathered at his funeral service at St Mary Magdalene, Woodstock on a very wet Friday 18 December.
Richard had known for some weeks that the recurrence of his breast cancer was terminal. His mother had died from the same condition when he was 18. He had carefully planned the details of the service.
everyday theology
A melting heart
Michael Reeves
Date posted: 7 Feb 2026
Today, many rightly bemoan the lovelessness, superficiality, and spiritual hollowness they see spread all too widely across the church. Yet in our longing for a cure, we must not be seduced into thinking that superficial, pragmatic answers are the solution. A moral campaign for better Christian behaviour will not touch the roots of the problem.
The church today is surely in great need of reformation, but reformation of lives happens from the inside out as the Spirit heals hearts with the balm of the gospel. The gospel of Christ’s redemption and the Spirit’s regeneration is not just a message for outsiders: it is our only hope if we are to see the renewal and reformation of the church in our day.
Ukrainian soldiers reached with the gospel
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 3 Feb 2026
A day after I wrote this article, en was informed that Andrew Killick had died. This article has been amended accordingly. It is a great privilege to tell the story of his desire for Ukrainian soldiers to hear of God’s love. (Written by Lydia Houghton.)
What began as a quiet conversation over church coffee has ended with 1,000 Christian books being distributed to Ukrainian soldiers.
Nick Williams
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 3 Feb 2026
Anglican evangelical mission agency CPAS (Church Pastoral Aid Society) has appointed Nick Williams as its Patronage Development Officer. His work in CPAS’ Patronage Team will commence in April.
Williams has been the vicar of Christ Church, Guildford, since 2011. He is “passionate about helping people discover who Jesus is and the difference He makes to their lives,” CPAS said. “He will bring his wealth of experience in church leadership and ministry to the role.”
the Bible in action
Death and money
Martin Horton
Date posted: 1 Feb 2026
“When he’d died, I didn’t like people saying ‘Oh, he’s passed’. Or ‘You’ve lost your dad,’ as though I’d let go of his hand in the supermarket.”
That was Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, speaking on Radio 4 about the sudden death of his father.
FIEC and Wycliffe partner for vital African initiative
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 28 Jan 2026
The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) is partnering with Wycliffe Bible Translators to support an Africa Bible translation project.
The country in question can’t be named, to protect the Bible translators and church leaders involved, but it’s a war-torn country in Africa where new church leaders don’t have a Bible in their language. FIEC got involved at its November leaders’ conference, where £7,000 was raised for the project; Wycliffe speakers got invited to 120 churches to share about the need for Bible translation. The goal is to raise £70,000 – with matched funding – to help unlock the Scriptures in 11 languages spoken by 850,000 people.
Jamie Grant
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 28 Jan 2026
Highland Theological College (HTC), Dingwall, Scotland, has welcomed Dr Jamie Grant as its new Principal.
“With decades of experience in [Biblical] studies – particularly his renowned work on the Psalms – Dr Grant is well placed to lead HTC into its next chapter while keeping our mission at the centre: providing high-quality theological education rooted in the life of the church and engaged with the world,” HTC writes. His main teaching responsibilities are in the OT poetic texts, Biblical languages and hermeneutics.
Learning from Martyn Lloyd-Jones: a Biblical synthesis of Reformed and Charismatic faith for today?
Adam Ramsey
Date posted: 26 Jan 2026
Over the next few months, en will be running a series of articles written by Adam Ramsey, of Liberti Church, Gold Coast, Australia, exploring what we can learn from Martyn Lloyd-Jones today about the questions set out in the headline. The essays, of which there are five in total, need to be taken together. They are taken from original, yet-to-be published research undertaken by Ramsey for his Doctor of Philosophy thesis. They also, we hope, represent something of the generous-hearted, thoughtful, Biblical approach that en was founded 40 years ago in 1986 to embody.
Introduction
During the 20th century, it was no secret that Calvinists and Charismatics frequently viewed one another with mutual suspicion. Rarely would those who affirmed a high view of God’s sovereignty in salvation in the Reformed tradition, and those with a high experiential expectation of the Holy Spirit’s direct and supernatural activity, find themselves worshipping in the same church. Or, for that matter, even cooperating outside of their respective churches.
news in brief
‘Turn the Battle’
A number of Christian organisations in the UK have been seeking to mobilise people to pray and fast for three days.
The “Turn the Battle” campaign has been aiming to see “the whole body humbling itself under God’s mighty hand and a committing to three days of contending prayer and fasting” from 21 to 23 January.
Review: 'Blue Letter Bible' versus 'Logos'
Paul Jackson
Date posted: 12 Jan 2026
I was inspired by Jordan Brown’s round-up of Bible apps (see en article here) and wanted to make a further, more specific, contribution to the debate in terms of Logos and Blue Letter Bible.
As a middle-aged Christian, I have been using Bible software since the days of CD-ROMs! Bible software has helped me craft numerous Bible studies and sermons.
Reading the Bible, with no fuss, bells or whistles
Jordan Brown
Date posted: 7 Jan 2026
Website Review
Zero Bible is a refreshingly simple, no-fuss online Bible website that’s perfect for anyone wanting quick access to Scripture. The website feels clean and minimalist: you pick a book, chapter and verse, then dive straight into the text. It doesn’t overwhelm you with flashy features or ads – just the Bible, plain and clear.
Read review
Venezuela's evangelicals: 'It's time to fast and pray'
en staff
Date posted: 5 Jan 2026
Venezuelan evangelical leaders are calling believers in the country to a week of fasting and prayer after President Trump's dramatic intervention in their nation's life.
In a statement issued by the Evangelical Council of Venezuela (known by its Spanish abbreviation, CEV), its directors state: "The Church is called to be a community and a space of hope, comfort, and spiritual strength. In the midst of uncertainty, gathering to pray, sing, affirm the faith, and proclaim the Word of God is an act of trust in God and a source of encouragement for many.
AI and faith converge in Silicon Valley
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 4 Jan 2026
Christianity and tech appear to be converging alongside the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the questions it’s raising for developers in Silicon Valley.
Prominent figures in the tech world like Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, and former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, have both spoken out recently about their Christian beliefs, particularly in the context of technological breakthroughs such as AI.
Church: Is big really beautiful?
Adrian Reynolds
Date posted: 2 Jan 2026
When it comes to church, is big really beautiful?
It rather depends on what you mean by that. There are some great things that larger churches can do that smaller churches only dream of. On the other hand, those of us who serve in smaller congregations – and I include myself – know the value of intimacy and connection that you have to fight for amongst greater numbers.
Smartphones, social media and parental responsibility
It seems that the topic of smartphones and social media for children is now part of the cultural conversation.
The UK government recently announced a consultation on banning social media for all children under 16 – something already happening in Australia.