Thousands celebrated 150 years of UK’s oldest evangelical gathering

The municipality of Keswick (north-west England) is known for its attractive mountains, Lake Derwent, and countless routes to explore – when it's not raining.

But for 150 years, it has also been a place of reference for hundreds of thousands of evangelical Christians who have gathered in its traditional marquee to hear the word of God, connect with members of other churches, and gain insight into missions to the rest of the world.

In 2025, Keswick Ministries celebrated 150 years of meetings. Around 14,000 people, including 3,500 children and teenagers, took part in a programme spread over three weeks (from 14 July to 1 August).

The convention is notable for being completely free (participants only have to find a place to stay), making it a place where families can celebrate holidays with a combination of spiritual inputs and outdoor activities.

Jonathan Lamb, an experienced member of the Keswick Ministries team, recently told Christian Daily International that “what Keswick is really about is life transformation and the call to Christlikeness in every area of life that is founded on God's Word, that is appropriate to the culture, and embedded in the local church”.

Begun in 1875, the Keswick movement has initiatives inspired by its model in some fifteen countries around the world. One of the reasons for this is the strong emphasis in the movement's history on sending missionaries to other countries.

It all began when Canon Thomas Dundas Hartford-Battersby and friends organised a first meeting to strengthen a ‘practical holiness’ among Christians in a context they considered to be lacking in Christian commitment in the Church of England. That first meeting, also held in a tent, was attended by 400 people from various church backgrounds. The motto of the convention has historically been All One in Christ Jesus.

In the celebrations that took place during the conference, the chair of the ministry, Jeremy McQuoid, said, “By God’s Grace, we have been hearing God’s Word so that we can become like His Son and serve His mission for 150 years – and it is by His grace alone that we will continue to do so as long as He wills it”.

This year's programme included preachers such as Andy Gemmil, Tim Chester and Dane Ortlund, addressing the books of James, Colossians and 2 Corinthians. The theme was ‘Transformed’.

The schedule included dozens of themed seminars, special evenings, accessible content for people with disabilities, programmes for children and young people, and a special track for 10-25 year olds, as well as informal events organised by missions and other Christian organisations present with information. In the last week, there was also a track focused especially on artists.

The history of the Keswick summer convention and the range of training initiatives during other times of the year have historically been supported by donations. Organising one edition of the summer conferences costs around £1 million.

Thanks to the broad movement of evangelical Christians from different church backgrounds who identify with Keswick Ministries, it was possible in 2017 to purchase the well-known Pencil Factory in the town. After extensive renovation of the buildings, much of the activity was moved to this new space.

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