Entrants to the competition submitted a 1,000-word essay or short video on the topic of ‘The Future of the Christian Church in the UK’. Applications were judged by representatives from Christianity magazine, the Evangelical Alliance and LST, and three finalists were selected to present their ideas to the crowds gathered at the LST in the Park event.
The three selected ? James Willis, Richard Betts and Matt Walmsley ? had just five minutes to summarise their thoughts in a TED-style talk on the day. The judges were unanimous in choosing Walmsley as the deserving recipient of the degree. He was delighted by his win. ‘Initiatives like this are a great way to profile the urgent need for the Church to get thinking about the Bible, culture, and how the two interact,’ he said.
Event organiser and director of communications at LST, Matt Adcock, said: ‘At LST we believe theology is the living, breathing engagement with God and his word. Congratulations to Matt ? I look forward to seeing how his studies take him forward.’
The top ten Rising Theologian entries will be printed in an e-publication entitled ‘The Future of the Christian Church in the UK’
