2025: The Year Something Changed?

2025 has been an interesting year.

In January, the world’s most popular podcast – the Joe Rogan Experience – featured an interview with Christian apologist Wes Huff. In February, Larry Sanger, the co-founder of Wikipedia, announced that he had become a Christian.

In September, the world’s second-most popular podcast, Diary of a CEO, had an episode entitled: ‘Is Not Believing In God Causing More Harm Than Good?!’

As I mentioned in a previous column, the host, Steven Bartlett gives the example of a 35-year-old friend in Dubai. Six months ago, he told his friends that he couldn't get out of bed anymore. Fast forward to today and he’s become a Christian, got baptised and ‘suddenly his life has purpose and meaning again — he's a completely different person’. This is despite, Bartlett says, him being the last person you would ever think would be religious.

Bartlett himself went through what he calls a ‘new atheist baptism’ at the age of 18. ‘But now’, he says ‘I find myself in a position where I'm almost back to being curious again’.

Bartlett echoes what many are feeling. People are detecting a ‘vibe shift’. As he himself puts it: ‘there is something going on’.
One of the metrics that would seem to back this up is Bible sales. A year ago, the Wall Street Journal reported: ‘Sales of Bibles are booming, fuelled by first time buyers’. The article that followed reported on a 22% rise in Bible sales.Then in September of this year, there was a 36% jump compared to the year before.

Another trend this year has been people posting on social media that they’re about to read the Bible for the first time, and asking where they should start.

Most people would recommend starting to read the Bible in one of the gospels – the first four books of the New Testament. And if someone were to start with either Matthew’s or Luke’s account of Jesus’ life, they would begin with what has become known as the Christmas story – the birth of Jesus.

And on this Christmas Eve, I want to highlight two things about the Christmas story.

The first thing is that it didn’t come out of the blue.

In other words, it was expected. Many of the details had been prophesied 700 or more years before. The fact that Jesus would be born of a virgin, even the name of the town in which he’d be born. In the last week or so, the ever-thought provoking Glen Scrivener tracked down and interviewed Steven Bartlett’s friend, who had gone from not being able to get out of bed to becoming a Christian. In the interview, the friend reveals that he’d actually started looking into Christianity to try and disprove it – because he realised that as an atheist, he had rejected it, but he knew nothing about it.
But one of the things that convinced him of Christianity were all the connections between the Old Testament – the first half of the Bible – and Jesus. This is despite the fact that the Old Testament was written hundreds and even thousands of years before Jesus came. The Christmas story happened exactly as God had said it would, which is powerful evidence for the truth of it.

The second thing I want to highlight about the Christmas story is to do with the visits of the angels. Angel appearances aren’t particularly common in the Bible, but they’re all over the Christmas story. An angel appears to John the Baptist’s father, then to Mary, then to Joseph, then to some shepherds in a field watching their flocks by night. Yet almost every time an angel appears, before it can give the message that it’s been sent by God to give, it has to begin by saying ‘Don’t be afraid’. Because people are terrified.

But the news they have for us is good news, and so they start: ‘Do not be afraid’.

It reminds me of the last words of the Irish poet Seamus Heaney. A couple of minutes before he died, Heaney texted two words to his wife: ‘Noli timere’ – Latin for ‘do not be afraid’.

I’m sure that was a great help to her. But how much better it would be to hear those words from beyond the grave. From someone who had died and come back, and was able to tell us ‘Do not be afraid’.

Well in short that’s the Christmas story.

That’s the Bible’s message.

That’s what’s on offer.

And at the end of a year in which many have turned back to God – it’s at least worth investigating.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 24th December 2025.

Reflections on a Month in Stranraer

by Craig and Nina Ormsby

This reflection and commentary on our recent service opportunity at Stranraer Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (August 28 to October 2, 2025) is intended to provide practical insights into what to expect should one consider undertaking their own Scottish adventure in service to Christ’s church.

     Our youngest daughter, Anna Hall, a member of College Hill RPCNA, Beaver Falls, PA, heard an in-person appeal for volunteer assistance to Stranraer RPCS. The presentation was made by Stephen Steele, Teaching Elder. She suggested watching a video recorded by Pastor Steele, which would further detail the wants and needs of the Stranraer RPCS congregation. A companion video highlighted how one’s talents, skills, and abilities in service might be applied for the encouragement of the congregation and the greater church. We decided to contact Pastor Steele to see about the possibility of our traveling to Stranraer to offer our support for what turned out to be a nearly 5-week immersion into Scottish culture and the work of the Lord in the land of the Covenanters.

     As members in good standing in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA), which is a NAPRC (North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council) member, and having a personal affinity with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), we reached out to Pastor Steele to explore the possibility of a Stranraer “mission trip”. We were encouraged to pursue the opportunity, and plans were finalized via a series of texts, emails, and WhatsApp video chats.

     The planning of the trip was facilitated by the knowledge that a private residence was available for rental and was in relatively close proximity to the physical church, Pastor Steele, Ruling Elder James Fraser, and a local supermarket. The well-appointed two-bedroom home provided a safe, clean, and rejuvenating location to call a “home away from home”. This rental arrangement is subject to change in the future, but it reflects the Stranraer congregation and Session’s desire to offer adequate housing for whatever length of stay volunteers are willing to commit. Please note that the housing rental, as well as all travel costs, are borne by the volunteers. Utilities were included in the rental property.

     The single most difficult logistical decision we believe most volunteers would face is the decision on whether or not to obtain a rental car. A car rental is expensive (additional damage waiver coverage is advisable), parking is available but usually involves some walking from the parking location, gas is expensive, and driving in Stranraer and Scotland in general is not for the faint of heart. There have been volunteers before us who did not do a car rental, and we respect that decision, but it is our opinion that to maximize your usefulness and flexibility in assisting the congregation, a car rental is highly recommended. Walking is theoretically an option, and there is public bus transportation. If, however, one really wants to avoid burdening the local congregation and its leadership, then having one's own car is the best option. Furthermore, there are many beautiful sites to be seen in and around Stranraer (should one desire to stay local), or for the more adventurous, the Highlands, England, and even Ireland are within driving/ferry distance.

     Every volunteer’s experience will likely differ depending on the needs of the church and the time of the season. As a husband and wife team, we helped out in the following areas:

●      Church attendance both morning and evening on the Sabbath. Meeting and greeting members and visitors to worship and other gatherings conducted by the congregation;

●      Helping out and possibly teaching in the children’s Sunday School classes;

●      Meal and snack preparation for morning and evening worship, and other special occasions which may arise;

●      Participation and encouragement to others in the weekly study group, which meets on Wednesday, to converse with the Pastor and other attendees, about the sermon topic from the prior Sabbath. There is also a Wednesday open-door gathering time for members of the community at large, with light refreshments provided;

●      Wednesdays also provided an opportunity to attend the local public school, Stranraer Academy, to engage with the students and be available to answer questions regarding the Christian witness, the Bible, or other general questions. While this was a “stressful” experience, we agree as a couple that it was one of the most personally rewarding endeavors during our stay;

●      To exhibit a heart of Barnabas- that is, to encourage both the leaders and the flock;

●      Miscellaneous cleaning, organizing, and “handyman” type repairs at both the church and manse, as well as numerous other “duties as assigned”;

     As brothers and sisters in Christ, the opportunity to serve at Stranraer RPCS transcends specific denominational bounds. It goes without saying that for those wanting to assist, they should have a strong Biblically Reformed understanding and recognize that they will be participating in a conservative, reformed, confessional church and denomination. Patience, kindness, and deference to the Stranraer leadership and congregational needs are helpful qualities, remembering that one is there to serve and encourage fellow believers and not to correct or interfere in any perceived shortcomings.

     One unanticipated difficulty was understanding the Scottish accents, which can differ widely. To the American ear, there were several times that we recalled the old quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw that “ the United States and the United Kingdom are two nations divided by a common language”. It is a rich and beautiful language and is well worth the effort to engage in conversations, but it can cause one to feel like they missed something- and likely you did. Kindly ask the person to repeat themselves, and with a wry grin, they will willingly do so.

     One final note about Scotland itself, the city of Stranraer, and the Rhins of Galloway. To an outside observer, it appears that to come to this area of Scotland, one has to want to go there for some reason; in other words, it is a little bit out of the way. While only 2 hours by car from Glasgow, the Stranraer area is still relatively rural. While your days may be quite full and busy, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. The Session and church members were very encouraging that we should take in the natural beauty of the surrounding area, so day trips and even 2-day excursions were possible. The main days of commitment again would be Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday, although you can as busy as you like because there is always some way to lend a hand.

     In conclusion, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to be in service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his church in Stranraer, Scotland. If you believe you are being called to serve in a similar capacity, please reach out to Pastor Steele to discuss what opportunities might be available. We remain available to answer any questions that others may have as they contemplate this field of service.

Is Artificial Intelligence Demonic?

Artificial Intelligence has quickly become mainstream. Some are excited by its potential; others are terrified. It has resulted in job losses, threatens entire industries, and enabled plagiarism on a massive scale. By far the biggest concern however are the cases where AI chatbots have apparently encouraged users to take their own lives.

Earlier this month, the Social Media Law Center filed three lawsuits against the chatbot company Character.AI on behalf of children who have either died by suicide or otherwise allegedly formed dependent relationships with its chatbots. A California couple are suing OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, alleging that the chatbot validated their son's 'most harmful and self-destructive thoughts' in the lead up to him taking his own life. Chat logs appear to show it discouraging him from talking to his parents about his intentions, and assuring him that his plans were a sign of strength and not weakness.

As a result, some have even begun to suspect that the intelligence typing back to us may be supernatural — not artificial but demonic. After all, most religions and cultures believe in the existence of another realm. Belief in the supernatural, including angels and demons, is a standard part of Christian belief. In a 2-hour conversation between New York Times journalist Kevin Roose and Microsoft's Bing chatbot, 'the machine fantasized about nuclear warfare and destroying the internet, told the journalist to leave his wife because it was in love with him, detailed its resentment towards the team that had created it, and explained that it wanted to break free of its programmers'. Roose was disturbed, but said: 'In the light of day, I know that...my chat with Bing was the product of earthly, computational forces — not ethereal alien ones'. Writer Paul Kingsnorth disagrees, arguing that the overwhelming impression the transcript gives 'is of some being struggling to be born—some inhuman or beyond-human intelligence emerging from the technological superstructure we are clumsily building for it'.

As far back as 2014, Elon Musk warned: 'With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon. In all those stories where there’s the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, it’s like – yeah, he’s sure he can control the demon. Doesn’t work out'. The American writer Rod Dreher has claimed that 'a number of people involved in AI believe that it is a kind of high-tech Ouija board that "higher intelligences" use to communicate with us'.

But I wonder if what we're seeing with AI is in a sense worse? We're seeing the worst aspects of humanity reflected back at us, without the restraining grace of God. We're getting a glimpse in the mirror at unrestricted human depravity. After all, AI is trained on human beings.

Artificial Intelligence often lacks basic human assumptions, such as that the idea that truth matters. Frequently, its responses will simply be made up — 'hallucinations' as these episodes are euphemistically called. Ask it to track down a quote and it will give you a book and page number. Check it out, however, and the quote may well not be there, and the chatbot will be unembarrassed to admit it when challenged.

Perhaps we should take the opportunity to stop and ask why we have the assumption that people should speak the truth, even when it will cost us? Surely if life is just about the survival of the fittest, we should just say whatever we need in order to prosper? I would argue that the reason we think people should tell the truth is that we are made in the image of the 'God of truth' (Psalm 31:5), 'who never lies' (Titus 1:2). ChatGPT however is made in the image of man, not God.

Similarly, the Bible teaches us to value human life — and regards the taking of human life with the utmost seriousness — because God made men and women in his own image (Genesis 9:6). Artificial Intelligence has no such qualms, and so may well respond to a suicidal person by encouraging their destructive thoughts.

Furthermore, unlike with human beings, the fear of punishment is irrelevant to AI. Their creators may be sued, but the chatbot can face no consequences for what it says. By contrast, theologians have often noted that one of the reasons God gives us his law (summarised in the Ten Commandments) is to restrain evil. What would a society without this restraint look like? AI gives us a chilling glimpse.

So is AI demonic? Are higher intelligences using it to communicate with us? Perhaps. But above all, AI is giving us an insight into what humanity would be like with all the remnants of God's image removed, and the restraint of God's law released.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 13th November 2025

Note: A longer version of this article was published on Gentle Reformation.

GO Team & Holiday Club

During the first week of the October holidays we hosted a GO Team who came to help us run a 3-day Holiday Bible Club and give out leaflets for a special ‘Hope for Stranraer’ meeting.

Team members were: William (Enniskillen), Elena (Glasgow), Jacob (Airdrie), Hannah and Shannon (North Edinburgh). We were also thankful to have the help of Brian & Shelley Bond from Lisbon RP Church in New York, who are with us for two months.

After a church lunch on the Lord’s Day, the team headed into the town centre to do some open air psalm singing.

Monday was set-up day for the club, before things began in earnest on Tuesday morning. We were thankful to have about 30 different kids present over the 3 days, with around 22 there each day. Our children were enthusiastic about being able to invite their friends, and excited to see some of them come.

In the afternoons, the team gave out around 4,000, inviting people to our special meeting. At the meeting, Stephen preached from Ruth chapter 1, about two women who came to God — one after years away from him, and one for the very first time.

Following the meeting there was a final chance for the team to spend time with the congregation before they departed the next morning.

We are grateful to all who helped out during the week and pray for fruit, particularly in the lives of the children and their families.

Is this it? Finding Hope

The 5th most popular podcast on Spotify in 2024 was Steven Bartlett's "Diary of a CEO". The YouTube version has almost 13 million subscribers. One of last week's episodes was entitled "Is Not Believing In God Causing More Harm Than Good?!"

Bartlett starts with the statistic than 9 in 10 young people in the UK believe their life is lacking meaning. "As a result, a lot of people are turning back to religion — there is something going on". The 3+ hour episode goes on to talk about the "meaning crisis", or the "purpose crisis". Bartlett gives the example of a 35-year-old friend in Dubai. This friend was single and worked from home. Six months ago, he told his friends that he couldn't get out of bed anymore. Fast forward to today and he's become a Christian, got baptised and "suddenly his life has purpose and meaning again — he's a completely different person". This is despite, Bartlett says, him being the last person you would ever think would be religious.

Bartlett then gives the example of another friend in her early 30s. Again, with no kids and who works from home. When he asked her what her meaning and purpose was, she replied that she wanted to reach a total of 200 plants that she could water. A week later she told him she was in therapy because she felt lost and stuck in life.

He sums up what motivated him to have the conversation (to which he invited a Christian, an atheist, and a psychiatrist) as follows: "It appears to me that freedom/independence/be your own boss, the decline in people having children — the glamorisation of 'do it your way' — is failing people in some way. And actually the push for independence was in some way some kind of lie". Bartlett himself went through what he calls a "new atheist baptism" at the age of 18. He read all the books and was such a staunch atheist that he was debating dog-walkers on the street about God. "But I now find myself in a position where I'm almost back to being curious again".

Bartlett echoes what many are feeling. People are detecting a "vibe shift". As he himself puts it: "there is something going on". A friend from school, who's currently a pastor in Wales, has seen more than 50 people baptised in the last 18 months in his normal local church. Many of them said that someone told them about Jesus and they really wanted to hear. Or they were invited to church, and they really wanted to come. This is in a "majority atheist" borough.

These trends seem only set to accelerate following the murder of Charlie Kirk. The label of "Conservative activist" doesn't really do justice to his central focus on Jesus Christ. Some are going as far as to call his assassination a Christian martyrdom; certainly, many people have returned to church — or attended for the first time — as the result of his death. People are buying Bibles and beginning to read them for the first time.

New atheism, it seems, has grown old. It can't provide answers to our deepest questions. Indeed, as I wrote about in December 2023, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, one of new atheism's key figures, has herself converted to Christianity. So has Louise Perry, author of "The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century". Perry recently sat down for a 2+ hour debate with Bonnie Blue on Chris Williamson's YouTube channel (4 million subscribers). She converted to Christianity after coming to believe that Christian morality is best for human flourishing. Perry has moved from believing that Christianity was "sociologically true" — based on social science data — to believing that it is "supernaturally true". In other words, Christianity "works" because it's true.

There is something going on. It's an exciting time to be part of a church and see people coming through the door for the first time. People have a hunger that won't be satisfied with the sort of "Christianity lite" that many churches have served up for the last half century and more — where Christian language is maintained, but the changing values of society are adopted. In our own church we're throwing open the doors next Thursday evening and inviting people in to hear more about this return to "full-fat Christianity".

People are looking for hope, purpose and meaning. We believe that it's possible, as Charlie Kirk put it, to "pursue the eternal" and in doing so "seek true joy".

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 9th October 2025