Current Landscape

Background

A consultation of conservative evangelical training stakeholders at Yarnton Manor in May 2024, convened by 9:38, marked a turning point.  Facing up to the urgent need for gospel workers, the group left convinced that ministry is a noble task, convicted to pray to the Lord for workers, and committed to work together as training stakeholders, believing much more can be achieved together than apart.    

In autumn 2024 a working group of training stakeholders was formed.  The group was tasked with understanding the current landscape across England and Wales and building collaboration and consensus among training stakeholders around training vision, culture and strategy. That work was completed in February 2026.  That work is now complete.

Gospel Need

Across the whole of the UK, there are approximately 150,000 people in conservative or complementarian evangelical churches, 0.2% of the population.  The figure for all evangelicals is around 3%. 

That means 97% of the population are not hearing the gospel proclaimed, with a massive number facing eternal judgement.   

The gospel need is massive. 

The need for gospel workers is massive. 

Challenge of recruiting gospel workers

There are many contributing factors:

• Uncertain future for evangelicals in the Church of England

• Gospel partnership and collaboration among evangelicals

• Understanding that a movement, for example to multiply gospel workers, will be an ecosystem of many movements of different sizes, built on strong relationships, connections and shared ministry convictions, often centred on a geographical area

• Fear of leadership – scandal, failure, pressure, criticism

• Fear of intentional mentoring or encouragement into set apart ministry being perceived as exerting undue pressure

• Lack of understanding of the importance of gospel work and appreciation of its worth

• Lack of consensus among training stakeholders on vision and strategy for training

• Lack of training culture

• Relatively few local churches are training and sending out gospel workers

• Lack of funding for training
  
  

Opportunity

This is a defining moment in history. And a moment of opportunity.

Across the UK there is increasing evidence of people turning back to God, or turning to God for the first time.

We pray for revival.

Gospel workers will be a pressing need.

Moreover, the crisis in the Church of England, and a strong FIEC, create the potential to bring Anglicans, Independents and Others together, behind a centrist movement that galvanizes the training and sending of gospel workers.

The Lord Jesus promises to build His Church. And in this light, the Lord Jesus urges us to pray for workers because the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9:35-38)