UK & Ireland

Latest news in brief
Bible-based evangelical CofE fund backed

Bible-based evangelical CofE fund backed

Helen Catt
Helen Catt
Date posted: 2 Dec 2025

The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) has released four short films promoting the Ephesian Fund, featuring vicars from churches across the country who have chosen to channel their financial giving through the initiative.

Launched in November 2023, the Ephesian Fund was created in response to the House of Bishops’ decision to depart from the Church’s historic and Biblical teaching on marriage and sexual ethics, and to commend the Prayers of Love and Faith. The fund enables churches and individuals to direct their giving, including parish share, towards ministries that affirm an orthodox evangelical understanding of Christian doctrine.  

Drug education charity gives thanks for 170 years

Drug education charity gives thanks for 170 years

Hope UK
Date posted: 2 Dec 2025

Christian drug education charity Hope UK gave thanks to God for 170 years of service since its beginnings as the UK Band of Hope Union in 1855.

The thanksgiving service took place at the end of October in London and brought together current staff and voluntary drug educators, former staff members, volunteers, friends, and older members of the Band of Hope itself.


Go boldly: From world mission to out-of-this-world mission...

Go boldly: From world mission to out-of-this-world mission...

Lydia Houghton
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 1 Dec 2025

With billionaires racing to colonise Mars and build orbital resorts, one theologian is asking: “Who will bring the gospel to outer space?”

Stephen Stallard is author of “The Final Frontier of Mission: Space Tourism, Lunar Colonies, and the Future of Interplanetary Mission” – a chapter in the book New Frontiers in Missiology (2025).

From London to Edinburgh - PfL & evangelism

From London to Edinburgh - PfL & evangelism

“We must speak of Jesus. He is the heart of the gospel, the substance of the gospel… He is the gospel!”

The theme of the 2025 Passion for Life Evangelism Conference was "Convinced, Compelled, Confident". The focus was on: mission-dependence (depending on God to do the work of change in people's hearts and understanding that it is Him at work); and mission-heat (the fire and fuel that motivate us to share the gospel).

John Newton at 300 Conference

John Newton at 300 Conference

Gordon Frame
Date posted: 30 Nov 2025

About 80 people of varied ages and from a range of church groupings – including Independents, Anglicans, Brethren, Presbyterians and Baptists – rose to sing, unaccompanied, Amazing Grace, and so ended the John Newton at 300 Conference, which was organised by York Evangelical Church and hosted by City Church, York.

The conference included Dr Graham Beynon, Head of Local Ministries, FIEC, giving an engaging and thoughtful biographical sketch of the main events in Newton’s life, interspersed helpfully with lessons that we could learn from them, including our need to appreciate the sometimes complex nature of conversion, and the recognition of how we may all have blind spots as we are influenced by our pervading culture.

The Aylesbury church building and training for the future

The Aylesbury church building and training for the future

Jim Sayers
Jim Sayers
Date posted: 29 Nov 2025

This year has seen major changes for Limes Avenue Baptist Church in Aylesbury, Bucks.

Building project

First, the church has been living in exile in a local school because of a £1.3 million building project which is due to be completed by the end of this year. Matt Benton, senior pastor since 2017, says the church has been amazed by how the money has been provided.

Thousands march for Jesus in Dublin
letter from Dublin

Thousands march for Jesus in Dublin

Lois McCrea
Lois McCrea
Date posted: 29 Nov 2025

The Republic of Ireland has seen thousands of people from across the country attend the March for Jesus, which took place recently in Dublin City Centre.

Christian free-speech cases ‘ballooning’ says FSU boss

Christian free-speech cases ‘ballooning’ says FSU boss

Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 29 Nov 2025

The Free Speech Union (FSU) has dealt with more than 100 cases involving Christian free speech since its 2020 launch, and the number is rising. Sam Armstrong, an evangelical Christian, is the FSU’s legislative affairs director.

He says its membership more than doubled to about 35,000 since the 2024 election, followed by further uptick after Charlie Kirk’s death. en spoke to Sam about the erosion of free speech in the UK and challenges for Christians today.

New report examines whether smacking harms children

New report examines whether smacking harms children

The Christian Institute / en staff
Date posted: 28 Nov 2025

A new report by the Christian Institute claims the evidence does not support the view that mild smacking causes harm to children, particularly when delivered in the context of warm and loving parenting.

The narrative review, Does Smacking Contribute to Negative Outcomes for Children?, examines 37 peer-reviewed studies.

Richard Turnbull dies

Richard Turnbull dies

en staff
en staff
Date posted: 27 Nov 2025

A well-known evangelical theologian and leader, Richard Turnbull, has died.

Among other roles in a varied life of ministry and service, Turnbull had been the Chair of Trustees of campaigning organisation the Christian Institute; Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, an Anglican evangelical college; and was Director of the Centre for Enterprise, Markets and Ethics, which aims to “bridge the interface of theology, economics and business”.

Autumn Budget: Christian charity reacts

Autumn Budget: Christian charity reacts

Christians Against Poverty
Date posted: 27 Nov 2025

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has recognised the importance of the government's decision to remove the two-child limit, while highlighting that without the removal of the overall cap on the payment of benefits for families, children may still face poverty. 

The national debt help charity recognises the benefits of supporting children to grow up with sufficient income to access the essentials, which many currently cannot. CAP has highlighted that by ensuring the social security system supports every child in a household, the Chancellor is actively addressing the barriers to a thriving childhood and future opportunities to fulfil their potential.

Oak Hill issues new statement on its 'culture'

Oak Hill issues new statement on its 'culture'

en staff
en staff
Date posted: 26 Nov 2025

Conservative evangelical college Oak Hill in London has issued a new statement on its "culture" and organisational health.

The move follows recent stories about the institution in a variety of Christian publications, including en, the Church Times and Premier Christian News.

Makin Review:  New action sought

Makin Review: New action sought

Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 26 Nov 2025

Warning: the following content relates to crimes of abuse and could be both upsetting and triggering.

The Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST) has confirmed it is seeking disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) against retired minister Iain Broomfield in the light of the Makin Review.

Sculpture will ‘shout to future generations’ about prayer

Sculpture will ‘shout to future generations’ about prayer

Emily Pollok
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 25 Nov 2025

A massive new Christian monument under construction near Birmingham is a living declaration that Jesus is alive today, the man behind it says.

After reaching its initial £40 million fundraising target, the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer broke ground on its Coleshill site in November, kicking off a multi-year process which should see the structure completed in 2028.

Christ's authority over all - including politics

Christ's authority over all - including politics

Paul Huxley
Paul Huxley
Date posted: 23 Nov 2025

With questions about "Christian Nationalism" swirling around evangelical circles, around 200 people gathered in Tamworth at the annual Mission of God conference to consider the timely topic of the Bible and politics, writes Paul Huxley.

The day of teaching, worship, and networking was jointly hosted by Christian Concern and the Ezra Centre for Christian Thought.

Mission Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: GBM day

Mission Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: GBM day

Naresh Mistry
Date posted: 23 Nov 2025

Grace Baptist Mission’s (GBM) Annual Mission Day had as its theme “Mission Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.

Attendees gathered to celebrate 164 years of dedicated service by missionaries supported by the churches. Missionaries from diverse regions shared stories of encouragement and challenges. Ray Evans from Grace Community Church, Bedford delivered a compelling closing message drawing from Acts 16.

World Vision UK rejects allegations as ‘false’

World Vision UK rejects allegations as ‘false’

Emily Pollok
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 21 Nov 2025

Christian charity World Vision UK has hit back following allegations of an allegedly “toxic” workplace culture.

The allegations were initially reported by website Third Sector, a publication for the voluntary, charity, and non-profit sector, which said it had spoken to 11 current and former members of staff.

Blackpool: FIEC leaders meet

Blackpool: FIEC leaders meet

John Woods
John Woods
Date posted: 20 Nov 2025

More than 1,100 church leaders, missionaries, and gospel workers gathered in Blackpool for the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches' (FIEC) Leaders’ Conference to consider mission in the UK and to the ends of the earth.

While the church can sometimes pay only lip service to mission, this conference provided a substantial rather than perfunctory engagement with the theme. The main plenary sessions were rooted in a proclamation of the first two chapters of Acts. There was a welcome emphasis on the fact that the mission is God’s mission, that it has the gospel at its core, has the local church at its heart, and flows out of our weakness, enabled by the power of the Spirit.

Safeguarding provider  responds to ‘Private Eye’

Safeguarding provider responds to ‘Private Eye’

Emily Pollok
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 20 Nov 2025

Warning: the following content relates to crimes of abuse and could be both upsetting and triggering.

A Christian safeguarding provider has responded to an article printed in Private Eye magazine which focused on its involvement in a sexual abuse case.

Scottish outreach: 'Hope for the Hebrides'

Scottish outreach: 'Hope for the Hebrides'

Free Church of Scotland
Date posted: 19 Nov 2025

A village at the end of the road, on an island at the edge of the Atlantic, facing a week of door-to-door visits in driving rain and winds of almost 85-mph. On paper, it was far from the ideal setting for a week of gospel outreach.

However, for a hardy international team from Operation Mobilisation (OM), this was nothing out of the ordinary; they had faced such conditions before and were more than happy to do so again.