On 2nd April 2026, Candler School of Theology’s Pitts Theology Library at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA hosted its annual Morgan Forum.  To mark the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale's New Testament, the keynote speaker was Tyndale Society member, Mark Rankin, who is Professor of English at James Madison University in Virginia. He reflected on history and the impact of William Tyndale and his English translation of the New Testament, as seen five hundred years later.

You can watch a recording of his talk online through YouTube by clicking on the link below.

MARK RANKIN LECTURE

Chesham Museum in Bucks, presented a costumed walking tour in the footsteps of Thomas Harding, England's last Lollard martyr who was arrested for reading William Tyndale's books. This was to commemorate five hundred years of Tyndale's New Testament. The guided walk began at Waterside in Chesham before moving to Hodd’s Wood, where they found Thomas Harding (acted by Mathew Appleby)  reading the prohibited Tyndale text, ‘The obedience of a Christian Man’ instead of attending the parish church.

Thomas Harding explained that he was arrested and that, after his home was searched, several Tyndale books were uncovered including ‘The New Testament’ and ‘The Practice of Prelates' which led to his wife, Alyce, being arrested too. Thomas Harding gave a detailed description of his inquisition by Bishop Longland at Woburn Palace and of his imprisonment at ‘Little Ease’ for seven weeks.

Then the walk traced the course of Harding’s final journey to St Mary’s Church, where there was a re-enactment of his trial and sentencing by Vice General Dr Rayne (acted by Rev Charmaine Muir). Next they moved on to Sills Yard, traditionally believed to have been the place of his last night in custody; and onward to the Waggon and Horses forge, where embers were prepared for the fire. The walk concluded at The Dell on White Hill, the site where Harding was executed. Tyndale Society member Andrew Hope explained the local tradition for the belief that a final act may have hastened the end of his suffering.

While recounting these events, the walk also broadened its focus to the wider community of Chesham’s Lollards. It reflected on their quiet faith, the pressures they faced and the realities of living under suspicion — where trust could not always be assumed and where some chose to recant under fear of persecution. In particular, it recalled the example of Alyce, whose devotion was noted by her contemporaries and whose influence extended within her community. This walk and Andrew Hope’s expert contribution offered a thoughtful and reflective exploration of faith, conscience and courage in a time of profound religious tension.

Report by Amy Davies

The Christian Institute is a British, conservative evangelical, right-wing leaning, political campaigning organisation. It has launched a useful, downloadable, educational five-page PDF resource called "From Princes to Ploughboys" which you can print out.

You can obtain this from their website by following the link below. (To download the PDF, click on the 'Download' button on their page.)

CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE

The new Tyndale Trail developed by Tyndale Society member Anne Hayward, has been featured in an article in Christian Today. The walking trail links the Tyndale sculpture in Bristol with the Tyndale Monument in North Nibley, walking through South Gloucestershire, partly along the Cotswold Way, around some of the stomping ground where William Tyndale grew up from the 1490s and where he also lived before he left England for exile in the 1520s.

To read the article, click on the link below:

CHRISTIAN TODAY