From AI-generated worship songs to Gen Z transforming student ministry, 2025 has been a year of unforgettable moments in the Christian world. Premier Christian News takes a look back at the year, A to Z, highlighting the stories, people, and events that shaped faith this year.
A is for AI worship songs. Many people were made to believe Ed Sheeran was singing a testimony of God’s redemption in a false AI-generated song.
B is for Bishop. The Bishop of Fulham who appeared in his dressing gown at a church concert and told the choir to “leave his house” apologised for the “distress and offence” he caused.
C is for Charlie. US conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in September while speaking at Utah Valley University. He is remembered by many conservatives as a bold voice for Christ.
D is for Donald Trump. The US president had his inauguration for his second presidency. He’s said that he’s not sure if he’s going to make it into heaven, after joking that he could make it if he brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas.
E is for Eternal Wall of Prayer. The construction of the UK’s largest Christian monument began after the charity behind the project reached its £40m fundraising target.
F is for female. Dame Sarah Mullally was named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman ever to hold the office in the 1,400-year history of the Church of England.
G is for Giving God the glory. Oleksandr Usyk gave God the glory after once again becoming the undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion. The Ukrainian beat Britain's Daniel Dubois and told reporters that “Jesus is my life”.
H is for Hamas. The daughter of a Hamas founder shared how she discovered faith in Jesus after years of living under the ideology of the militant group.
I is for Imminent. Fears over the biblical event known as the Rapture went viral online, with some Christians claiming it should have happened on 23rd September. Online videos under the hashtag “RaptureTok” gained hundreds of thousands of views, with users sharing visions and even practical advice about being “lifted into the sky.”
J is for Jasmine Mitchell. The winner of this year’s Great British Bake Off told Premier that her faith in Jesus carried her through the UK’s most-watched cooking show.
K is for Keir Starmer. In an exclusive interview with Premier, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the importance of Christian values in the UK and the gap the Church fills in society where the government falls short.
L is for Living in Love and Faith. Rt Rev Martyn Snow stepped down from his role as lead bishop for the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process, which is the Church’s process to sort out matters of sexuality, relationships, and marriage. The Bishop of Leicester said he no longer believed agreement could be reached under his leadership.
M is for Mass baptisms. Almost 8,000 people were baptised in the Pacific Ocean on at Huntington Beach, California. Led by Pastor Mark Francey of Oceans Church, the Baptise California event brought together around 30,000 people from over 300 churches.
N is for Nigeria. President Donald Trump added pressure on Nigerian officials following ongoing reports of violent Christian persecution. Trump said he considered putting a halt to aid since the government has “done nothing” to stop the killings. His administration restored Nigeria to the “Countries of Particular Concern” list - a designation reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
O is for Ozzy Ozbourne. The frontman for heavy metal band Black Sabbath died at the age of 76. Two weeks before his passing, he was given the opportunity to hear the gospel message, according to a post from @celebrityevangelist on Instagram.
P is for Pope. US Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church, taking the name Leo XIV, and becoming the first American pontiff.
Q is for Quiet Revival. Churches in Britain are experiencing a ‘Quiet Revival’, according to new research by the Bible Society. New data reverses held beliefs that Christianity is declining in Britain. Instead, engagement with church is increasing, particularly amongst Gen Z.
R is for Rachael Maskell. The Christian MP suspended from the Labour Party for voting against cuts to welfare was welcomed back into the fold. Maskell said she prayed about her stance on the welfare vote but felt she had to stick to her core values.
S is for Split in Anglican Communion. GAFCON, the movement of conservative, biblically orthodox Anglicans, announced that it will no longer recognise the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Anglicans who hold traditional biblical views have long rallied against the Church’s stance on issues such as sexuality and gender. The announcement came 2 weeks after Dame Sarah Mullally was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury-designate.
T is for Tommy Robinson. Dozens of senior church leaders said they were deeply concerned about the use of Christian symbols at a far-right rally in London led by Tommy Robinson. Some Christian leaders believe the protest, which drew around 150,000, triggered a rise of Christian nationalism in the UK.
U is for underground. Police in China detained dozens of pastors in one of its largest underground churches. It was the biggest crackdown on Christians in the country since 2018.
V is for JD Vance. The US vice president said he hopes his Hindu wife Usha will one day embrace Christianity, though he insists her faith is a matter of “free will".
W is for Westminster Declaration. Christian leaders and theologians signed a declaration aimed at "re-Christianising" Britain. The 2025 Westminster Declaration hopes to protect debate around areas of concern including freedom of belief and conscience, biological sex, gender and the value of human life.
X is for Xenophobia. The BBC removed a Thought for the Day segment from the Today programme after it claimed Christian charity founder Krish Kandiah accused Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick of xenophobia over comments on illegal immigration.
Y is for YouVersion. More people are turning to the Bible, and the YouVersion Bible App has the proof. It announced that it hit one billion installs worldwide.
Z is for Gen Z. A report from the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) has revealed how Gen Z is transforming Christian student ministry around the world. It highlighted that the younger generation is digitally immersed, culturally aware, focused on wellbeing, and increasingly "spiritually open".
