Urban Saints is a Christian youth charity based in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Previously known as Crusaders, it has been operating since the early 1900s. Urban Saints is a member of the

Evangelical Alliance The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a national evangelical alliance, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Founded in 1846, the activities of the Evangelical Alliance aim to promote evangelical Christian beliefs in government, media and societ ...

History

The original Crusaders group was formed in 1900 in north London by Rev Albert Kestin, with the intention of teaching the Bible to young people who did not attend church. Several similar groups started in the years that following and in 1906, under the leadership of Herbert Bevington, the leaders of eleven groups voted to form the Crusaders’ Union as an umbrella organisation. By 1939 there were 256 groups. In 2006, the organisation became known as Urban Saints. The name was revealed at a concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

to celebrate the centenary of the Crusaders’ Union. In 2000, Matt Summerfield became chief executive. Since then, the organisation has developed Energize, online resources, discipleship activities, discussions and videos for youth and children’s groups. As of 2018, Energize had over 1600 subscribers. Urban Saints also offers summer camps, overseas adventure trips and additional needs training. Urban Saints own Urban Saints Westbrook, a residential centre and campsite on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

. This site has been in operation since 1948. In 2017, following the arrival of Richard Langmead as chief executive, the organisation's strategy placed focus on planting and supporting new groups in churches, schools and communities across the UK and Ireland.

References

External links

Urban Saints website
{{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019 Religious organisations based in England Charities based in the United Kingdom Christian organizations established in 1900 Christian organizations established in 1906 Christianity in England Christian organizations established in the 20th century Christian youth organizations Evangelical parachurch organizations 1906 establishments in the United Kingdom