David Baker

How did we ever make Holy Communion so complicated?
How did we ever make Holy Communion so complicated?

Sometimes when as a church leader I contemplate everything connected with this thing we call 'church' I ask myself: 'Did Jesus ever really intend all this to be as complex as we often seem to make it?' I am 99.9 per cent sure the answer to that question is 'no'!

I wish Andy Lines well, though I have a few questions about GAFCON
I wish Andy Lines well, though I have a few questions about GAFCON

A former tank commander, Andy Lines spoke with passion, clarity and thoughtfulness about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

How the whole Bible hangs together – in one easy lesson
How the whole Bible hangs together – in one easy lesson

In our fortnightly pilgrimage through Mark's gospel we are now getting close to Jesus' execution. And as we do we shall see not only what it means for us today but how it ties up and explains so much of the rest of the Bible.

Is Justin Welby playing \'rock, paper, scissors\' with church unity? Does he know that \'Rock\' wins?
Is Justin Welby playing 'rock, paper, scissors' with church unity? Does he know that 'Rock' wins?

We have to be candid: unless something unexpected happens, the 'scissors' option will unfold in the Church of England, just as it has in north America, and ultimately globally. But in the church, it's 'rock' that always comes out on top

Leadership and the election: Does Jeremy Corbyn know something that Theresa May doesn't?

The British General Election has been full of surprises, and the outcome of this Thursday's vote seems less predictable as each day passes.

If \'the poor will always be with you\' as Jesus says, why bother helping them?
If 'the poor will always be with you' as Jesus says, why bother helping them?

It's one of Jesus' many shocking sayings: 'The poor,' he declares in Mark's gospel, 'will always be with you.' So why put in the effort to help them?

Six tips for Christians as Brits prepare to vote in the general election
Six tips for Christians as Brits prepare to vote in the general election

Read the Bible, Pray. With today being the last chance for Brits to register to vote, David Baker looks at how Christians can prepare to vote with integrity.

How can we be sure Jesus will return and how should we prepare?
How can we be sure Jesus will return and how should we prepare?

If Jesus was able to predict with unnerving precision what would take place several decades later in relation to the temple, we can be sure that one day the New Testament promises about his return will also be fulfilled

The Jesmond crisis: My shocking suggestion for the Bishop of Newcastle
The Jesmond crisis: My shocking suggestion for the Bishop of Newcastle

The consecration of a 'rogue' bishop on her patch presents a bit of a conundrum for the Bishop of Newcastle, Christine Hardman. For what, if anything, should she do about this unexpected episcopal presence?

3 spiritual lessons from the world\'s fastest zip-wire
3 spiritual lessons from the world's fastest zip-wire

So there I am, suspended horizontally face down in a harness, swaying in the wind several hundred feet above a precipitate cliff drop, as a voice behind me says, 'Three, two, one – go!'

GAFCON\'s \'missionary bishop\' – the spark to blow up Anglicanism?
GAFCON's 'missionary bishop' – the spark to blow up Anglicanism?

Let's avoid silly Twitter tirades and pointless Facebook fisticuffs. We are followers of Jesus Christ.

Who is the greatest Christian alive today?
Who is the greatest Christian alive today?

If you were asked to suggest the greatest Christian people alive today, who would you put into your 'top five'?

Can we avoid Holy Week hypocrisy?
Can we avoid Holy Week hypocrisy?

Last week I found myself doing exactly the sort of thing I decry in others, and which seems to me to go against the gospel Jesus taught – and which I claim to preach – in so many ways.

You can transform the world through love: here\'s how
You can transform the world through love: here's how

The teaching of Jesus about love makes a transformative difference, both to individuals and society.

Philip North and Jeffrey John: A Church that is more \'via muddle\' than \'via media\'
Philip North and Jeffrey John: A Church that is more 'via muddle' than 'via media'

The Church of England and Church in Wales need to decide what they believe. It has become easier to appoint people who are slightly less clear on contentious issues, appeasers of different views, rather than teachers of truth – for in today's Anglicanism, it turns out the truth is unclear.

Fake news and Good News: how Jesus helps us tell the difference
Fake news and Good News: how Jesus helps us tell the difference

In many walks of life, getting the genuine article is important – and no more so than when it comes to matters of God and faith.