Cambridge Apologetics Summer Conference 2026

You are warmly invited to the 2026 Cambridge Apologetics summer conference which will take place on Friday and Saturday, 12-13 June at Christ Church Cambridge (CB1 1HT). A sandwich lunch and coffee will be provided on both days.

The conference will run from 9:30am - 6:00pm on both days (registration from 8:30am).

11 June – we are delighted to provide a free preconference comms training workshop for those with a regular speaking ministry – apply here.

The theme of the conference is ‘Unashamed’ – from Romans 1:16 – and will equip us to respond to the new phenomenon of noticeably more people openly showing an interest in spiritual things. In some cases this is shown in a growing attraction to ancient institutional expressions of Christianity, including Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Equally, in other cases we see a renewed interest in paganism or in the spirituality behind yoga and crystals.

We want to meet today’s spiritual thirst with the gospel itself, which is the power of God to salvation for those who believe. How can we unashamedly and lovingly offer Christ in a way that shows a thirsty world the surpassing goodness, beauty and truth of the orthodox Protestant gospel which we have received?

• Learn how to communicate the gospel effectively and persuasively in today’s cultural moment
• Discover how to invite people to appreciate the person and work of Christ
• Consider the live questions people are asking, and be better prepared to share the hope we have
• Think creatively about the opportunities presented within our culture for sharing the gospel

On 11 June, for delegates who have a regular speaking ministry, we are also hosting a free preconference comms training workshop with Tim Benton, a professional communications coach and former actor who has provided training to large organisations including Microsoft and KPMG – .

09:00 - Registration

09:30 - Devotional Exposition - Niv Lobo

09:50 - A Spiritually Open Culture? An Evangelical Response - Dan Strange

10:45 - Coffee break

11:15 - A Fresh Reckoning: Our Profound Need and God’s Profound Grace - Brad Green and Glen Scrivener

12:45 - Lunch and coffee

13:45 - Reversion or Reformation: Engaging with Orthodoxy and Catholicism - Leonardo De Chirico, Don Fairbairn, Glen Scrivener, Dan Strange

15:15 - Coffee break

15:45 - Seminars (more details to follow)

17:00 - The Spectre of Materialism: Magic, Mysticism and the Longing for a Higher Power - Kristi Mair and Dan Strange

09:00 - Registration

09:30 - Devotional Exposition - Niv Lobo

10:00 - Hearing From Beyond: Because It’s True for Me - Andrew Fellows, Glen Scrivener, Sarah Elwood, et al.

11:15 - Coffee break

11:45 - Why Sola Scriptura is Still Good News - Kevin Vanhoozer

12:45 - Lunch and coffee

13:45 - Leading People to the Biblical Gospel In Real-World Evangelism - Mike Hood, Glen Scrivener, et al.

15:00 - Coffee break

15:30 - Seminars (more details to follow)

• The Air We Breathe - Glen Scrivener

16:45 - Unashamed of God’s Power for Salvation - Lindsay Brown

Glen Scrivener is a speaker, writer and ordained minister. He serves as the Director of Speak Life, an evangelistic ministry that seeks, through preaching and media, to captivate both church and world with the love of Jesus. He is a YouTuber, podcaster, the author of ten books including the award-winning The Air We Breathe, and he presents the digital evangelism course 321.

Kevin Vanhoozer is Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, and the newly appointed Blanchard Professor of Systematic Theology at Wheaton College. He is one of the most influential theologians of his generation, known for his work in theological interpretation, hermeneutics, and culture. His scholarship has profoundly shaped contemporary evangelical thought, and continues to equip and inspire pastors, students and scholars across the globe.

Dan Strange is a Fellow at the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, involved in theological leadership at The London Project (City to City), and is a Contributing Editor for Themelios. Formerly he was college director and tutor in culture, religion, and public theology at Oak Hill College, London. His most recent books are Plugged In, and Making Faith Magnetic , which help Christians engage with culture and share their faith. Dan is married to Elly, and has seven children. He is a member of Hope Community Church, Low Fell, Gateshead.

Sharon Dirckx is a speaker and author whose work focuses on responding to the spiritual and faith-related questions that people ask today. She is motivated to show how and why the person of Jesus Christ remains as relevant as ever to the pertinent questions of our time, and to do so in an engaging way. Originally from a scientific background, she has a PhD in brain imaging from the University of Cambridge. Sharon lectures across the UK and internationally, in workplaces, universities, schools, churches, and conferences.

Andrew Fellows is best known for having directed the work of English L'Abri for 15 years, and serving as chairman of L'Abri International. He is now an author and pastor who regularly gives training in apologetics.

Kristi Mair holds degrees in philosophy, theology, and ethics. Kristi lectures on a range of subjects, including philosophy, apologetics, public theology, and ethics at Oak Hill College in North London. She is currently completing her doctorate in philosophical epistemology at the University of Birmingham. She wrote More>Truth and co-edited the first full-length Christian response to the pandemic, Healthy Faith.

Leonardo De Chirico is pastor of the Church Breccia di Roma and lecturer in historical theology at the Istituto di Formazione Evangelica e Documentazione in Padova, Italy. He blogs on Vatican and Roman Catholic issues from an evangelical perspective at Vatican Files. He’s director of the Reformanda Initiative, cohost of the Reformanda Initiative podcast, and author of several books, including A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Papacy, and Engaging with Thomas Aquinas: An Evangelical Approach.

Niv Lobo is the Senior Associate Minister at Christ Church Cambridge, where his role includes helping grow the church family’s confidence and joy in sharing Jesus. He’s privileged to be involved regularly with university missions, having worked with UCCF as a staff worker.

Donald Fairbairn is Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Union School of Theology and Dean of Newton House. He is also the Robert E. Cooley Professor of Early Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has ministered and taught throughout Europe and North America. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two adult children, Trey and Ella.

Sarah Elwood leads the South East team for UCCF. She’s spent 10 years in student ministry and loves working hard at communicating the gospel to people in a way that makes sense and resonates deeply. She spends the rest of her time running after her 2 year old and exploring the delights of East London.

Caz Dodds works for the Scottish Government in a policy role, based in Edinburgh. Before this she spent eight years working in student ministry, initially for a local church in Glasgow, and then for UCCF: the Christian Unions. She continues to speak at Christian Union evangelistic events when she can organise the annual leave and childcare!

Michael Ots is the Field Director of the FEUER Evangelists Network. He travels widely around the UK, Europe and Eurasia speaking mainly on University Campuses on the relevance of the Christian faith to all areas of life.

Brad Green is Professor of Theological Studies at Union University, Tennessee, and Visiting Professor of Philosophy and Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including The Gospel and the Mind: Recovering and Shaping the Intellectual Life, and Covenant and Commandment: Works, Obedience, and Faithfulness in the Christian Life. He helped found Augustine School, a Christian liberal arts school in Jackson, Tennessee. He is also Senior Contributor for The Imaginative Conservative, and has served as Writer-In-Residence at Tyndale House, Cambridge.

Mike Hood studied English Literature at Cambridge, hoping to become a writer, but found that he loved having deep conversations about life, the universe and Jesus with friends who weren’t Christians so much that he spent the next five years working with UCCF reaching out to students from Cambridge to Belarus. Since 2021 Mike has been on staff at Eden Baptist Church, first as church evangelist seeking to equip, encourage and resource the church family to share Christ with those around us, and now as pastor in training.

Partnering with UCCF and IFES Europe, we are also delighted to host the Speakers’ Track for Academics and Professionals. The network will meet in parallel with the wider conference sharing relationships, plenary speakers, seminars, and logistics support. Prof John Lennox will speak to this track via Zoom on Friday 12 June. For more information, see www.feueracademics.org

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