Megan Franklin 1981–2019
Lena King
Date posted: 1 Feb 2019
On Sunday 16 December at the end of a Christmas service, Megan Franklin, wife of the pastor of St Giles Christian Mission, Islington, eight-months pregnant, slipped on a step and cut her knee.
It seemed so minor that my husband, along with the others present, heard nothing of it. However, it soon turned everything upside down. After suffering headaches Megan visited hospital on Christmas Day and their intensity with resultant loss of sight soon caused alarm. On Friday 28 she phoned to cancel our family visit, yet the following day she permanently lost consciousness. She died as a result of a Strep-A bacterial infection on Sunday 6 January. Mercifully, the doctors were able to deliver the little boy successfully by Caesarean, to become the seventh child in the family.
Keith Small 1959–2018
Julia Cameron
Date posted: 1 Feb 2019
Keith Small was one of the foremost Qur’an scholars of our time. His work on early manuscripts was to provoke new questions among secular and Islamic scholars alike.
While at Dallas Theological Seminary, Keith read of Henry Martyn, and resolved to give his life to work among Muslims. He married Celeste Gardner in 1985, equally committed to the Muslim world, and they moved to the UK in 1989, settling in Dewsbury.
news in brief
Algeria: closure
The official notice that a village pastor in Algeria received on 30 December confirmed that his church had been ordered to close.
Pastor Rabah Messaoudi had won a legal battle in 2017 after local officials in the Muslim country tried to close his church. Those acting for the pastor have said they will appeal again, as the church is affiliated to an organisation of 45 churches through which the national commission confirms their authenticity.
Sharm El Sheikh church
Langham Partnership
Date posted: 1 Feb 2019
In December, the Revd Dr Andrea Zaki joined
the South Sinai Governor to lay the foundation stone for the first evangelical church in
the Red Sea city of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Dr Zaki, President of
the Protestant
Churches in Egypt, said the church will seek
a holistic mission by serving everyone equally.
‘Sad... but never surprised’
Esther Smith
Date posted: 1 Feb 2019
Esther Smith reminds us of the work of the charity Caring for Life
‘We’re never surprised by what we find behind closed doors; sad, but never surprised.’
Zambesi Mission: enabling not patronising
Mike Beresford Mission Director – Zambesi Mission
Date posted: 1 Dec 2017
Zambesi Mission (ZM) celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2017.
It was established in 1892 as a self-supporting, self-propagating mission in Malawi (formerly Nyasaland), a place then described as ‘beyond the habitation of white men’.
EFAC reorganises & renews its mission
Chris Sugden
Date posted: 1 Feb 2018
At a meeting of Trustees in October, the
Evangelical Fellowship
in
the Anglican
Communion (EFAC) restated its vision and
appointed new leadership.
EFAC’s purpose remains to encourage and
develop biblically
faithful
fellowship and
mission throughout the Anglican world. It
is adjusting its goals and strategies to best
serve its constituency, which has seen tremendous change since John Stott founded
the Fellowship in 1961.
The urban priority
Dave Williams
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
Dave Williams reminds us of some uncomfortable facts about the evangelical church
‘The UK is a mission field and the church needs to step out of maintenance mode and into mission mode.’
Field of dreams
Teaming up with church
Sarah Righetti
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
How well do you know your local area?
I’m pretty confident that wherever your church is based, there will be sportspeople and sports clubs on your doorstep. And there will probably be sportspeople in your church family too.
Independent but together
Mark Herbert
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
A story of church revitalisation
Mark Herbert is one of the pastors at Long Crendon Baptist Church.
GBM: ‘Be of good cheer.’
Matt Benton
Date posted: 1 Dec 2018
‘When the servant’s wish and the master’s call coalesce, it will happen.’ This was the glorious and timely assurance ministered by David Campbell to the 600 or so who attended this year’s Grace Baptist Mission Annual Mission Day on 27 October.
David’s message, which closed the day conference at the Renewal Centre, Solihull, was not one of triumphalism. Rather, skilfully and gently, taking Acts 23.11 as his text against the backdrop of Paul’s desire to preach the gospel in Rome and the journey there, David reminded us that God’s plans always come to fruition and yet so often happen very differently from how we expect.
Christianity Explored’s growing global impact
Christianity Explored Ministries
Date posted: 1 Dec 2018
Many churches in the UK have been using the various evangelistic courses developed by Christianity Explored Ministries for several years. There are an increasing number of countries who now have access to them in their native languages.
Following the launch of Christianity Explored (CE) in Albania in May, the evangelistic course has had a major impact across the nation.
20/20 vision for 2020?
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
As we look back on 2018 and forward to 2019 – and beyond – where are Anglican evangelicals in relation to the wider CofE ?
Here are some things I think we can be thankful for and encouraged by from 2018.
Holding on to power
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
The Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC) has re-emerged after being somewhat dormant over the last decade.
That it is re-emerging with global participation and recognition among clergy and lay leaders in national groups indicates where apostolic succession truly lies – in the faith deposit entrusted to the people of God. For the news that EFAC was starting up again was met with instant brand recognition and welcome from evangelical Anglicans around the world.
Reaching the loneliest older people at Christmas
Louise Morse
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
Louise Morse offers a timely challenge to the churches
Christmas is a great time to show the love of God and to tell the salvation story.
Cardiff: hungry students
Hayley Marchant
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
In November, the Christian Unions of Cardiff
held their annual city-wide events week.
Christian students on six different campuses across three different universities, as
well as an
international outreach
team,
stepped out to ask questions of their peers,
illustrated stories, answered questions and
proclaimed the good news.
Milestones 2019
Joy Horn
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
Joy Horn flags up Christian anniversaries worth noting in the coming year
EVENTS
Morgan Llwyd, said to be the first non-conformist minister in Wales, was born in 1619. Converted under Walter Cradock, he served as a chaplain in Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army and became minister in Wrexham. His books have influenced Welsh national consciousness and literature to the present day.
Jesus for Jewish people
Christian Witness to Israel
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
With anti-Semitism on the rise, Christian Witness to Israel reminds us of their work
Kyle was a homeless Jewish drug addict.
Prayer – the youth key
Scripture Union
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
A report in late September identified prayer and responding to local needs as two of the most important factors in seeing youth mis-sional objectives met.
The study found that prayer makes a significant difference to a mission’s success, identifying clear links between teams that met their mission objectives and those who dedicated time to prayer for the work. Alongside the obvious benefits of God answering prayers, respondents also reported the positive psychological impact of knowing others were supportive of the work. Prayer was also cited as an effective way of increasing support for the mission, providing involvement opportunities for those who couldn’t help practically.
Ewart Helyar 1920 – 2018
Tony Thompson
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
Ewart Frederick Bertram Helyar was called
into the presence of the Lord just five days
short of his 80th ‘spiritual birthday’.
Born in 1920 in South East London and
unable to continue his schooling following
the sudden death of his mother when he was
14, he went to live with his grandparents in
East Coker, near Yeovil. His grandmother
was a Christian and encouraged him to attend
the local church. He started going to a boys’
Crusader Class and in 1938 he accepted the
Lord Jesus Christ, under the preaching of
Captain Reginald Wallis. During World War
II he served in Yeovil in the bomb disposal
unit of the Home Guard, being in a reserved
occupation with Westland Aircraft.
Brave men
Ernest Shackleton’s advert for volunteers for his Antarctic expedition may be mythical.
Nevertheless, it truly reflects the brave spirit of the men who went. ‘Men wanted for a hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, constant danger, safe return doubtful…’ But such ‘foolhardy’ courage is desperately needed today by evangelicalism in the West. This relates to two particular areas.