The national director of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), the Revd John Dunnett, has resigned as an honorary canon of Chelmsford Cathedral over the decision to use prayers of blessing for same-sex couples at cathedral services.

Mr Dunnett was one of more than 150 signatories to a letter sent last November, after the cathedral’s decision to use the Prayers of Love and Faith was announced. The decision, they wrote, left them “feeling disenfranchised from the life and worship of the Cathedral”.

The other signatories have not been made public, but Mr Dunnett said that they comprise priests, churchwardens, PCC members, and diocesan-synod members.

The letter called on the Dean, the Very Revd Dr Jessica Martin, and the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, to reconsider the decision — “and hopefully reverse it”. In a reply sent last month, the Bishop and Dean declined to do so, Mr Dunnett said.

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The national director of the #ChurchofEngland Evangelical Council (CEEC), the Revd John Dunnett, has resigned as an honorary canon of #ChelmsfordCathedral over the decision to use prayers of blessing for #samesex couples at #cathedral services#churchnewshttps://t.co/U4zeRkVKn0

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) February 4, 2026

European security officials believe two Russian space vehicles have intercepted the communications of at least a dozen key satellites over the continent.

Officials believe that the likely interceptions, which have not previously been reported, risk not only compromising sensitive information transmitted by the satellites but could also allow Moscow to manipulate their trajectories or even crash them.

Russian space vehicles have shadowed European satellites more intensively over the past three years, at a time of high tension between the Kremlin and the west following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

For several years, military and civilian space authorities in the west have been tracking the activities of Luch-1 and Luch-2 — two Russian objects that have carried out repeated suspicious manoeuvres in orbit.

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European security officials expressed concern that the likely interceptions risk compromising sensitive information and could allow Moscow to manipulate their trajectories or even crash them. https://t.co/LLZBrsTe5V pic.twitter.com/YOVTYH7ezK

— Financial Times (@FT) February 4, 2026

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst kindle the flame of thy love in the heart of thy faithful martyr Manche Masemola; Grant unto us thy servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in her triumph may profit by her example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

4 Feb 1928, teenager Manche Masemola killed by parents in Transvaal, South Africa. She had refused to abandon Christianity, worshipping in Anglican Church at every opportunity. In 1998, she was one of 10 modern martyrs honoured with statue at @wabbey. Photo © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas pic.twitter.com/86nEXtfOJj

— Revd Nicholas Pye (@RevdPye) February 4, 2026

O God, who by thy Spirit didst call Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles: Grant to thy Church, we beseech thee, such a ready will to go where thou dost send and to do what thou dost command, that under thy guidance it may welcome all who turn to thee in love and faith, and proclaim the Gospel to all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Dramatic play of light and shadow was the great lesson Gerbrand van den Eeckhout absorbed from his teacher Rembrandt. Here, an angel appears to the Roman centurion Cornelius (Acts of the Apostles). The angel tells him to seek out St. Peter who will then teach him about Christ. pic.twitter.com/L46bFxcdih

— MaaikeDx 🖌 (@RembrandtsRoom) August 21, 2025

O Lord, who alone canst cast out the evil passions and desires of the soul: Come among us, we pray thee, and by thy mighty power subdue our spiritual enemies, and set us free from the tyranny of sin.  We ask it in thy name and for thy glory.

Frühe

Im Osten grauts, der Nebel fällt,
Wer weiß, wie bald sichs rühret!
Doch schwer im Schlaf noch ruht die Welt,
Von allem nichts verspüret.

Nur eine frühe Lerche steigt,
Es hat ihr was geträumet
Vom Lichte, wenn noch alles schweigt,
Das kaum die Höhen säumet.

(Joseph von… pic.twitter.com/ByIaX7yeZi

— Thomas Stiegler (@StieglerThomas) February 4, 2026

After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Mori′ah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the ass; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

–Genesis 22:1-14

Sunrise swim vibes! Good morning World! 🌅#Cornwall #StormHour #Wednesdayvibe pic.twitter.com/IsET1Oa7NY

— Kate 🏄‍♀️🌊🤙〓〓 (@CornwallK8) February 4, 2026

The Archbishops’ Council is to award £600,000 to two national charities that provide well-being services to clergy, including counselling and financial grants, it was announced on Monday.

The Clergy Support Trust, which is independent of the Church of England, has been awarded £500,000 for work that supports clergy with their finances, health, and well-being. It is hoped that the new grant will support clergy with everyday expenses such as energy costs, unexpected car repairs, and school-related costs for clergy children, a statement from Church House, Westminster, said.

The Trust also provides other grants and services for clergy, including counselling, coaching, and occupational therapy. A year ago, it received a grant of £2 million from the Archbishops’ Council (News, 7 February 2025), through which more than 7000 grants were provided to more than 2900 households.

“The vast majority of applicants are from serving clergy households in the Church of England,” Church House said.

The Trust has supported more than one fifth of all serving C of E clergy for the past three years. 

Read it all.

The Archbishops’ Council is to award £600,000 to two national charities that provide well-being services to clergy, including counselling and financial grants, it was announced on Monday#churchofengland #clergywellbeing #churchnews #churchtimes https://t.co/zyu8RXD6YK

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) February 3, 2026

Amidst the vast scene of the world’s problems and tragedies you may feel that your own ministry seems so small, so insignificant, so concerned with the trivial. What a tiny difference it can make to the world that you should run a youth club, or preach to a few people in a church, or visit families with seemingly small result. But consider: the glory of Christianity is its claim that small things really matter and that the small company, the very few, the one man, the one woman, the one child are of infinite worth to God. Consider our Lord himself. Amidst a vast world with its vast empires and vast events and tragedies our Lord devoted himself to individual men and women, often giving hours and time to the very few or to the one man or woman. In a country where there were movements and causes which excited the allegiance of many – the Pharisees, the Zealots, the Essenes, and others – our Lord gives many hours to one woman of Samaria, one Nicodemus, one Martha, one Mary, one Lazarus, one Simon Peter, for the infinite worth of the one is the key to the Christian understanding of the many. 

It is to a ministry like that of our Lord himself that you are called. The gospel you preach affects the salvation of the world, and you may help your people to influence the world‘s problems. But you will never be nearer to Christ then in caring for the one man, the one woman, the one child. His authority will be given to you as you do this, and his joy will be yours as well.

—The Christian Priest Today (London: SPCK, Revised edition, 1985), p. 42

“The glory of Christianity is its ability to be utterly profound and yet utterly simple.”

Archbishop Michael Ramsey believed theology wasn’t about impressing—it was about revealing Christ to the world plainly and truthfully.⚓ pic.twitter.com/r3CaZw4hXe

— ⏳ (@TheJGutierrez_) June 17, 2025

Holy God, who didst inspire the Dorchester chaplains to be models of steadfast sacrificial love in a tragic and terrifying time: Help us to follow their example, that their courageous ministry may inspire chaplains and all who serve, to recognize thy presence in the midst of peril; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today, the U.S. Army commemorates Four Chaplains Day, in remembrance of the chaplains who gave their life in service to their Soldiers on the torpedoed Dorchester transport ship in 1943. Here's the true story of their heroism and sacrifice. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/lIRN8Pr3Pz

— U.S. Army (@USArmy) February 3, 2026

When one of Anskar’s followers suggested to him that he could work miracles he replied, ” Were I worthy of such a favour from my God, I would ask that He would grant to me this one miracle, that by His grace He would make of me a good man.” No one can read the “Life” written by Rimbert his disciple and successor which, after being lost for five hundred years, was fortunately rediscovered, without feeling moved to thank God for the accomplishment of the miracle for which Anskar had prayed. He was a good man in the best and truest sense of the term. In the character presented to us by his biographer we have a singularly attractive combination of transparent humility, unflinching courage, complete self devotion, and unwavering belief in a loving and overruling providence. The claim to the title Apostle of the North, which was early made on his behalf, rests not upon the immediate outcome of his labours, but upon the inspiring example which he bequeathed to those who were moved to follow in his steps. For whilst the Missions which lie planted in Denmark and Sweden during the thirty-three years of his episcopate were interrupted after his death by the desolating raids of the Northmen, those by whom the work was restarted gratefully recognised him as their pioneer.

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Tornøe Wenzel Ulrik – Anskar Converting the Vikings to Christianity, 826 AD (1895-96)

A group of Vikings from a Danish village have gathered to hear Priest Anskar preach his Christian faith. The French Benedictine missionary bravely stands in front of his pagan and heathen… pic.twitter.com/ad8DeWVCw0

— Spencer (@SpencerJulius_) July 2, 2023

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst send thy servant Anskar as an apostle to the people of Scandinavia, and dist enable him to lay a firm foundation for their conversion, though he did not see the results of his labors: Keep thy Church from discouragement in the day of small things, knowing that when thou hast begun a good work thou wilt bring it to a faithful conclusion; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Saint Ansgar, is known as the "Apostle of the North" for his missionary work in Scandinavia. His feast day is celebrated on February 3, the anniversary of his death. https://t.co/rl2B9kfxbW pic.twitter.com/PC1kCPbXFR

— Trivia Encyclopedia (@edpearce080759) February 3, 2026

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord our God, that in whatever dangers we are placed we may call upon thy name, and that when deliverance is given us from on high we may never cease from thy praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Verschillende lagen bewolking weten het zonnetje niet te stoppen. Fijne dinsdag😀 #zonsondergang pic.twitter.com/yVSVe2yiYN

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) February 3, 2026

The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

–John 6:41-54

Each morning we open a window to the Dales and share some of our favourite views. Like this one at Kilnsey Park.

📸 Wendy McDonnell | #YorkshireDales pic.twitter.com/BNcYlImKse

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) February 3, 2026

The impact of the Tudors on Wales, England, and Europe is known to every school pupil in Britain: King Henry VIII and his succession of wives, his part in the Reformation that spilt the continent, and the Church of England that emerged from and has somehow survived these turbulent beginnings.

Visitors will soon be able to see where it all began, in the 1400s: the family church of the Tudor dynasty. No need to book, queue, or register months in advance: the medieval St Gredifael’s, Penmynydd, on Anglesey, is to become the newest addition to the collection of buildings maintained by the Friends of Friendless Churches (FoFC). Yet this marks a big improvement in the church’s fortunes: it has been closed for more than ten years. The FoFC, with the help of an anonymous benefactor, are to carry out repairs and reopen it for visits and occasional acts of worship.

Wales’s religious heritage is disappearing, or being sold off, at possibly the fastest rate since the Reformation. According to the National Churches Trust (NCT), 25 per cent of historic churches and Nonconformist chapels in Wales have closed in the past decade. The National Churches Survey, published by the NCT in October, found that those who ran nearly ten per cent of places of Christian worship in Wales believed that they would “definitely” or “probably” not be open for worship in five years’ time.

Dwindling congregations and soaring maintenance bills have resulted in congregations’ merging, relocating, or closing their buildings, and the auctioning or demolition of churches. A handful, such as St Gredifael’s, are saved by heritage charities such as the FoFC.

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"Wales’s religious heritage is disappearing, or being sold off, at possibly the fastest rate since the Reformation."

Declining attendance means closure for churches in #Wales, but valuable history could be lost, reports Abigail Frymann Rouch https://t.co/7zLUeIUczJ

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) February 1, 2026

We’re abandoning our humanistic core. The elements of our civilization that lift the spirit, nurture empathy and orient the soul now play a diminished role in national life: religious devotion, theology, literature, art, history, philosophy. Many educators decided that because Western powers spawned colonialism — and they did — students in the West should learn nothing about the lineage of their civilization and should thereby be rendered cultural orphans. Activists decided persuasion is a myth and that life is a ruthless power competition between oppressors and oppressed groups. As a result of technological progress and humanistic decay, life has become objectively better but subjectively worse. We have widened personal freedom but utterly failed to help people answer the question of what that freedom is for.

The most grievous cultural wound has been the loss of a shared moral order. We told multiple generations to come up with their own individual values. This privatization of morality burdened people with a task they could not possibly do, leaving them morally inarticulate and unformed. It created a naked public square where there was no broad agreement about what was true, beautiful and good. Without shared standards of right and wrong, it’s impossible to settle disputes; it’s impossible to maintain social cohesion and trust. Every healthy society rests on some shared conception of the sacred — sacred heroes, sacred texts, sacred ideals — and when that goes away, anxiety, atomization and a slow descent toward barbarism are the natural results.

It shouldn’t surprise us that, according to one Harvard survey, 58 percent of college students say they experienced no sense of “purpose or meaning” in their life in the month before being polled. It shouldn’t surprise us that people are so distrusting and demoralized. I’m haunted by an observation that Albert Camus made about his continent 75 years ago: The men of Europe “no longer believe in the things that exist in the world and in living man; the secret of Europe is that it no longer loves life.”

We could use better political leadership, of course, but the crucial question facing America is: How can we reverse this pervasive loss of faith in one another, in our future and in our shared ideals? 

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The deepest cultural wound isn’t politics or economics.

It’s the loss of a shared moral order.

When nothing is sacred—no heroes, no texts, no ideals—anxiety rises, people atomize, and barbarism quietly returns.https://t.co/CryYvXJk5x#culture #meaning #morality #trust…

— Art Berman (@aeberman12) February 2, 2026

Everliving God, we rejoice today in the fellowship of thy blessed servant Brigid, and we give thee thanks for her life of devoted service. Inspire us with life and light, and give us perseverance to serve thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end (moved from yesterday).

Today's the feast of St Brigid of Kildare, 5th/6th Century Abbess and Mother Saint of Ireland. She stands with her wolfhound in glass of c1920 in Plymouth Cathedral that's credited to Hardman & Co (but could it be by someone more interesting?) pic.twitter.com/yG0XJ4y4At

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) February 1, 2026

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly beseech thee that, as thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Snowdrops are also known as ‘Candlemas Bells’, as they bloom around #Candlemas. This Christian celebration of light echoes the older pagan festival of #Imbolc, and is observed on 2nd February to mark the ritual purification of Mary after the birth of Jesus. pic.twitter.com/yXjtITpZsf

— VenetiaJane's Garden (@VenetiaJane) February 2, 2026

O thou who in the days of thy humiliation didst command the winds and waves, and they obeyed thee: Do thou so dwell within us, that we may be safe from all dangers, and steadfast in all temptations; and evermore keep us in thy peace, for thy holy name’s sake.

It was a very still, calm morning today in Glastonbury. Photo was taken about an hour before sunrise. pic.twitter.com/L5TVmdK30p

— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) February 2, 2026

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith he is still speaking. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

–Hebrews 11:1-6

The frozen three rivers of Pittsburgh. Was a beautiful day out there today. The 20° weather today actually didn’t feel as numbingly cold as it has the past few days. #pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/NcVA0zjDPw

— Dustin McGrew (@dmcgrew) February 2, 2026

O God, you know that we are set in the midst of many grave dangers, and because of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant that your strength and protection may support us in all dangers and carry us through every temptation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

#HelloFebruary just like that.. Skye Bridge, Kyle of Lochalsh #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @ThePhotoHour @StormHour @VisitScotland pic.twitter.com/vgs7g4of5N

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) February 1, 2026

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

–Galatians 5:22-24

O God, who dost satisfy the longing soul and fillest the hungry with good things: Grant that we, like thy servant Marcella, may hunger and thirst after thee above the vain pomp and glory of the world, and delight in thy word above all manner of riches; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen.

Saint Marcella of Rome: a woman of wealth who chose radical simplicity, turned her home into a monastery, and spent her life in prayer, study, and service to the poor. Quiet strength. Lasting holiness. ✨ pic.twitter.com/LHSg9bny5t

— Duncan Irvine (@DuncanIrvine1) January 31, 2026

O Thou, who searchest the hearts of men: Look with mercy upon our sins, especially our sins against the truth; forgive them and help us to walk this day in the light.  Deliver us from timid silence; give us courage to speak the truth with boldness, and grace to speak the truth with love; and save us in thought, word, and deed from the perils of self-deception; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

Sunrise across Sound of Sleat from Ardvasar, Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @ThePhotoHour @StormHour @VisitScotland pic.twitter.com/Hb4r4pw60y

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) January 31, 2026

And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on–since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

–Genesis 18:1-8

A quiet winter scene to close out the week. Stay safe and warm this weekend.

Photo by Christopher Ewing pic.twitter.com/UfazNFWkcW

— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) January 30, 2026

William Nicholson’s original script will barely be changed in the production at the Aldwych Theatre, which opens next week, apart from updating a story that a character reads from a newspaper. Raised as a Roman Catholic, Mr Nicholson initially had no time for C. S Lewis, sharing his mother’s view that the Narnia author was a “drippy Protty”. But, when his colleage in the BBC’s religious department Norman Stone — filmmaker, Lewis fan, and Christian — suggested creating a television drama about Lewis’s relationship and marriage to an American mother-of-two, Joy Davidman, Mr Nicholson was transfixed by their slow-burn love story.

“I personally connected, as a much younger person — I was 36 at the time — to the whole question of fear of commitment in love, which is maybe more of a male thing, but it was certainly something I was experiencing. I wanted to love and be loved, but was very afraid of committing myself to a full love affair, love relationship, marriage, children.”

Lewis’s loss of his mother at the age of ten probably affected the author’s ability to form close relationships, Mr Nicholson thinks. “When the person who is most central to your life, who gives you your sense of being loved, disappears and leaves you in pain, it’s reasonable to conclude that something closed off at that point, and had to be opened again. I responded to the fear of being made vulnerable by love. I made that one of the central themes, because that related strongly to me. I wasn’t married at the time; so I was able to channel a bit of myself into Lewis, and Lewis into myself.”

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"Shadowlands speaks to something deep in all of us about loss, love and loss, and the fear of loss."

The story of C. S. Lewis’s marriage, exploring love, loss, and faith, is back on stage, says @SusanGrayMeets #CSLewis #Shadowlands #grief #theatre https://t.co/ltrjwQftU9

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) January 31, 2026

President Trump announced on Friday that he was nominating Kevin M. Warsh to serve as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, positioning the former central bank governor to take a pivotal role in steering an institution that has faced a barrage of attacks from the administration over its reluctance to more aggressively lower interest rates.

In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump praised Mr. Warsh, saying, “He will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best.”

“On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting’ and will never let you down,” the president wrote.

Mr. Trump repeated that line during remarks at the White House and said that while he did not get a commitment from Mr. Warsh to cut rates, he expected that he would do so.

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President Trump picks a reinvented Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Fed. Warsh, who served on the US central bank's Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011, would succeed Jerome Powell when his term ends in May. As a Fed governor from 2006-11, Warsh called for higher rates even… pic.twitter.com/qtG5DGUtUv

— Holger Zschaepitz (@Schuldensuehner) January 30, 2026

The last few years have taken a real toll on pastors, causing many to consider quitting ministry. But new data from Barna Group suggests that fewer pastors are now thinking of walking away.

According to Barna’s latest findings, 24 percent of U.S. senior Protestant pastors say they have seriously considered leaving full-time ministry within the past year—a decline from the peak levels recorded during the height of the pandemic era. While still a substantial share of leaders, the decrease signals a meaningful shift after several years marked by intense vocational strain.

For much of the past five years, Barna’s research has documented rising pressure on pastors. Early in the pandemic, pastors were forced to navigate church closures, rapid shifts in ministry models, health concerns and political division—often all at once and with limited support. Emotional exhaustion intensified during the COVID-19 years, ministry demands multiplied and leaders faced heightened conflict and polarization within their congregations.

By 2022, those overlapping pressures culminated in an alarming reality: roughly two in five pastors said they had seriously considered quitting ministry altogether.

Since 2022, the share of pastors considering quitting has steadily declined.

Read it all.

(Barna Group) 'By 2022, those overlapping pressures culminated in an alarming reality: roughly two in five pastors said they had seriously considered quitting ministry altogether.

Since 2022, the share of pastors considering quitting has steadily declined. The drop to 24 percent…

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) January 31, 2026

ames Edward Lesslie Newbigin was born on December 8, 1909 in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England to Annie Affleck and Edward R. Newbigin, a shipping merchant. His earliest memories were happy ones, with a caring mother and a devout and politically radical father. He attended a Quaker boarding school called Leighton Park in Reding, Berkshire. By the time he headed to Queen’s College, Cambridge in 1928 he had left his religious upbringing but not dismissed it as irrational. In the summer of 1929, at age 19, while serving the unemployed of South Wales, Lesslie’s sleep was blessed with a vision of the Cross that touched the depths of human misery and offered hope. He was quickly drawn into evangelistic and ecumenical relationships and in 1930, at a Student Christian Movement (SCM) gathering in Stanwick, experienced a call to ordained ministry. On completion of his degree, he moved to Glasgow to work as staff secretary for the SCM. He returned to Cambridge in 1933 to train for ministry at Westminster College and in July 1936 he was ordained by the Presbytery of Edinburgh to work as a Church of Scotland missionary stationed in Madras, India. One month later, he married SCM colleague Helen Henderson, and together they set off for India where they lived for decades and together had one son and three daughters.

Newbigin took quickly to the native Tamil language, and began his work as a village evangelist. He became troubled by the competing denominational missions that often resulted in a separation of converts by caste. He saw this as a public contradiction to the gospel of reconciliation, and a primary obstacle to missionary work. In response, Newbigin became one of the key architects seeking the local organic reunion of the church. On August 15, 1947, India gained its independence from Britain. A month later, on September 27, 1947 the Church of South India was founded, which brought Congregational, Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian denominations into organic union. That same year, at age 37, Newbigin was elected and consecrated one of the new Church’s first bishops, over Madurai and Ramnad. He served there for 12 years, during which he read what he called the “seminal” works of Roland Allen, and thus became “anxious to win the local village congregations away from a wrong kind of dependence on the mission bungalow.”(1)

The “South India miracle” quickly made Newbigin a prominent figure in the growing international ecumenical scene. He was a consultant for the inaugural assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 1948. Between 1951 and 1953, Newbigin served on the “Committee of Twenty-Five” theologians in preparation for 1954. In fact, he was elected chair of the high-powered committee, which included Karl Barth, Emil Brunner and Reinhold Niebuhr. It was during this decade that Barth wrote the three ecclesiological paragraphs in his Church Dogmatics and that Newbigin published The Household of God—his most systematic book on ecclesiology. An insider (peritus) at Vatican II claimed Newbigin’s Household of God influenced the writing of Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic statement of the church which stressed its missiological and eschatological nature as a pilgrim people.

Read it all.

An absolutely essential Newbigin text, but often overlooked. This is one of the first I tend to recommend. It's later Newbigin, lecture form, clear and pointed. pic.twitter.com/SQnvOt84Xv

— Cody Whittington (@_cwhittington) December 10, 2023

Almighty God, we give you thanks for the ministry of Lesslie Newbigin, who labored that the Church of Jesus Christ might be one: Grant that we, instructed by his teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

We can all use a Barthian Bishop in our life.

1.29

Feast of Leslie Newbigin pic.twitter.com/X30DHb91Uo

— David Szomor (@curiouscurate) January 29, 2026