The Church of England is sitting on an £11.6 billion endowment — yet parish churches are being closed, merged, and left without clergy or cash.

In this hard-hitting episode, Jamie Franklin interviews the Rev. Marcus Walker, rector of St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London and one of the key voices behind the Save the Parish movement.

They dig into:

• 🔥 The extraordinary growth at St Bartholomew’s (from ~50 to 250+) and why young adults are flocking to traditional high-church worship
• 💰 How historic parish money has been redirected while poorer churches struggle
• ⛪ The controversial push for 10,000 new lay-led church plants
• 📖 The Quiet Revival, the King James Bible, beauty, and why “relevance” often means the opposite of what people actually want
• ⚔️ What ordinary Anglicans can do to fight back

This is one of the most important conversations about the future of the Church of England right now.

Get involved:
🔥 Join Save the Parish → https://www.savetheparish.com/join/
🔥 Stand for General Synod → https://www.savetheparish.com/general-synod-manifesto-2026/#

Support the show:
🔥 Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
🔥 Substack → https://www.patreon.com/c/irreverend
📧 Donate → irreverendpod@gmail.com

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and share if this episode hit home.

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Jamie shares encouragement from listener feedback and reflects on the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price — the Kingdom of Heaven is worth selling everything for.

This week’s topics:
- World Cup wrap-up: Why true unity comes from Christ, not global sporting events
- Andy Burnham’s speech as new Prime Minister — a return to 1970s economics?
- The Assisted Suicide bill returns to Parliament. (Write to your MP: https://righttolife.org.uk/jnmv).
- General Synod approves new “Festival of Creation in Christ” — theological renewal or net zero propaganda?
- Church decline and the state of theological education
- Free speech debate after a university employee’s arrest over vile posts celebrating Anne Widdecombe’s murder

Raw, honest, and unflinching. Subscribe and support the show if this content matters to you.

Support Irreverend:
🔥 Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
🔥 Substack → https://irreverendpod.substack.com
🔥 Buy Me a Coffee → https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend

Email: irreverendpod@gmail.com

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In this week's episode of Irreverend: Faith and Current Affairs, Jamie Franklin opens with the Lord's Prayer and Jesus' Parable of the Weeds, reflecting on judgment, patience, and hope in dark times.

Jamie addresses:
- The murder of Anne Widdecombe and grim reactions from some public figures, including Peter Tatchell
- England’s World Cup progress and the heated debate around nationalism and Jude Bellingham
- Bernard Randall’s legal victory after years of being targeted for orthodox Christian teaching
- The Church of England’s continued push for £100 million in slavery reparations (Project Spire) amid parish struggles
- General Synod’s engagement with a controversial Palestinian Christian document on Israel
- A narrow defeat of a motion undermining traditional marriage teaching

Hymn of the Week: "Just As I Am" by Charlotte Elliott.

Raw, honest, and unflinching. Subscribe and support the show if this content matters to you.

Support Irreverend:
🔥 Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
🔥 Substack → https://irreverendpod.substack.com
🔥 Buy Me a Coffee → https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend

Email: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Share this episode with friends who need it. Come on England! ⚽

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In this hard-hitting interview, Daniel speaks with investigative journalist Sonia Elijah about her new book 3:11 Viral Takeover.

Sonia breaks down:

• The overwhelming evidence for a COVID lab leak and how top scientists knew it but pushed the natural origin story
• How fear was weaponised to enforce compliance and crush dissent
• The deeply flawed PCR testing regime and rushed mRNA rollout
• Coordinated censorship between governments, Big Tech, and legacy media
• The shift from temporary emergency powers to permanent digital authoritarianism

With over 940 citations, this is a meticulously researched account of one of the most consequential events of our lifetime.

If you want the truth behind the official COVID narrative — and what it means for the future — this episode is essential listening.

Get Sonia’s book: 3:11 Viral Takeover https://amzn.to/4w2cHxg

What do you believe really happened in 2020? Leave a comment or review!

Support Irreverend:
🔥 Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
🔥 Substack → https://irreverendpod.substack.com

Email: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Thanks for listening — please subscribe, rate, and share if you found this valuable.

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The Church of England has released yet another howler — their official “Prayer for the World Cup.”

In this episode Revd Dr Jamie Franklin dissects the theologically shallow, barely comprehensible prayer, its widespread mockery, the questions raised at General Synod, and the woeful response from the Bishop of Lichfield and the Liturgical Commission.

Why is the institution doubling down instead of apologising? And who on earth signed this off?

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and write a quick review — it really helps us reach more people!

Support Irreverend:
🔥 Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
🔥 Substack → https://irreverendpod.substack.com
🔥 Buy Me a Coffee → https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend

Email: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Share this episode with friends who need it. Come on England! ⚽

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In this week’s Irreverend, Jamie, Tom, and Daniel tackle the biggest stories with their usual mix of wit and insight.

Trump personally intervenes with FIFA to delay a red card for the US team — genius gamesmanship or outright interference? The lads break down his hilarious press conference and what it says about “fair play.”

Nigel Farage dramatically resigns his seat and forces a by-election in Clacton… but the major parties refuse to stand, leaving him facing Count Binface. Bold move or massive miscalculation?

Plus:

• Jeremy Clarkson’s provocative plan to save the Church of England by deconsecrating empty churches
• Latest developments in the Church of England’s LLF saga
• Kemi Badenoch, Andy Burnham, and the state of British politics
• Medieval chainmail barbecues, Erling Haaland the Viking, hot weather rants, and a stirring hymn of the week

Funny, faithful, and fearlessly irreverent Christian commentary on faith, politics, sport, and culture.

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and write a quick review — it really helps us reach more people!

Support Irreverend:
🔥 Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
🔥 Substack → https://irreverendpod.substack.com
🔥 Buy Me a Coffee → https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend

Email: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Share this episode with friends who need it. Come on England! ⚽

#Irreverend #Trump #Farage #WorldCup #ChurchOfEngland

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Rev. Jamie, Tom, and Daniel are back with a special live episode of Irreverent Faith and Current Affairs recorded in Winchester.

They deliver a sharp, no-holds-barred Christian take on Keir Starmer’s dramatic resignation, the rise of “cultural Catholic” Andy Burnham as the next potential Labour leader, and why the Church of England’s bishops in the House of Lords are failing as a Christian voice.

Jamie opens with a timely biblical reflection from Philippians 3 on heavenly citizenship amid earthly chaos, followed by a hard-hitting discussion on two-tier policing, immigration, assisted dying, Tommy Robinson, Bishop Kai Dewar, and 10 years since Brexit.

Plus: plenty of banter, audience Q&A, organ sing-alongs, and a powerful Hymn of the Week.

Raw faith meeting current affairs at its best.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Intro Banter & Football
• 06:00 Prayer + Philippians 3 (Citizenship in Heaven)
• 15:00 Starmer Resigns: The 42 Failures
• 28:00 Andy Burnham Next PM?
• 40:00 Bishops in the House of Lords – What Use Are They?
• 55:00 Live Q&A: Tommy Robinson, Assisted Dying, Brexit, Islam & the Left
• 1:25:00 Hymns & Closing Blessing

Email the Show: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Support the Podcast & Get Perks
Your support keeps Irreverend going and gets you early episodes, bonus content, monthly chats, and more:

• Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
• Substack → https://irreverendpod.substack.com/
• Buy Me a Coffee → https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend

Direct donations or questions? Email: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Like, subscribe, share with friends, and keep the faith! 🙏

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Rev. Jamie Franklin is back with a no-holds-barred roundup of the biggest stories in church and state.

He tears into the Church of England’s official “Prayer for the World Cup 2026” — calling it poorly written, theologically shallow, embarrassingly unserious, and a perfect symbol of the institution’s current woes.

He also reacts to Keir Starmer’s plan to ban social media for under-16s, dissecting the authoritarian tone, questioning the real motives behind it, and exploring the deeper issues around parenting and technology and the spiritual battle of the internet, attention and addiction.

Plus: Psalm 148, live event details, and a powerful Hymn of the Week — Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens, Adore Him set to Haydn’s majestic Austria.

Note: We apologise for the loud audio spike during the Starmer clip — technical issues with the new setup!

JOIN US FOR IRREVEREND LIVE!
🎟️ Tuesday 23rd June, 7pm – Holy Trinity Church, Winchester
Link: Tickets here

Email the Show: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Support the Podcast & Get Perks
Your support keeps Irreverend going and gets you early episodes, bonus Uncollared podcasts, monthly chats with Jamie & Nick Dixon, and more:

• Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/irreverend
• Substack → https://irreverendpod.substack.com/
• Buy Me a Coffee → https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend

Direct donations or questions? Email: irreverendpod@gmail.com

Like, subscribe, share with friends, and keep the faith!

Come on England! ⚽

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