A church in Shipley is offering a unique blend of WWE-style wrestling alongside prayer and worship in an innovative effort to draw in new members.

St Peter’s Church now hosts Kingdom Wrestling, a Christian professional wrestling charity that merges faith with entertainment, featuring prayer, worship, and personal testimonies.

Kingdom Wrestling, founded by Gareth 'Angel' Thompson, first began at Fountains Church in Bradford in 2021.

Thompson, who also established a wrestling training school, has since built a loyal following, baptised over 30 people, and held numerous events.

In an interview with Premier Christian News, he said: "We've got all the production that you'd expect from a WWE-style show and that's peppered with live worship and prayer and it's an incredible and engaging way for people to come into contact with the church and to hear about Jesus".

In addition to hosting wrestling matches featuring both male and female athletes, the events also include a prayer before the action begins.

Kingdom Wrestling goes beyond just entertainment—it also offers community outreach through school programs, training classes, women's self-defense courses, and a men’s mental health group.

According to The Mail Online, Thompson is in discussions with other churches across England and Wales about replicating this model.

One of the wrestlers, 26-year-old Kiara, has been part of Kingdom Wrestling for two years.

Having studied natural sciences at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, she says the programme has helped her reconnect with her Catholic faith.

She shared with the outelt that, even though not all the wrestlers are religious, they all take time to pray together before each match.