A church in England is taking an unconventional approach to spreading the gospel by transforming their sanctuary into a wrestling arena complete with theatrical matches and inspiring testimonies.
St. Peter’s Church in Shipley, Bradford, has partnered with Kingdom Wrestling, a Christian pro-wrestling charity that combines WWE-style entertainment with sermons to engage with spiritual questions. The monthly events aim to counter declining church attendance across the country.
For Gareth “Angel” Thompson, a 37-year-old performer with Kingdom Wrestling, the connection between faith and wrestling is natural. “Any Christian will tell you that when you go through life, you wrestle with stuff, you wrestle with your faith,” he said. “Wrestling gives us that opportunity to tell those stories.”
The performances feature dramatic showdowns and bold proclamations. During one match, David “Star Killer” Birch demonstrated classic wrestling bravado, declaring to the audience, “Is this your savior? You have no God. The Star Killer is now your God!”
Rev. Natasha Thomas of St. Peter’s believes these events align with their mission. “People may have a certain perception of what church can be, but actually church can be anything about worshipping God. That can be having fun—and wrestling is part of that.”
The events go beyond entertainment. Thompson shares his powerful testimony of overcoming homelessness and abuse, describing how he found redemption through faith. “As I grew as a Christian and as I grew as a wrestler, I wanted to bring those two things together,” he explained.
Since launching in 2021, Kingdom Wrestling has celebrated more than 30 baptisms and established a training facility where aspiring wrestlers can strengthen both their athletic abilities and spiritual connections.
While combining professional wrestling with worship services might raise eyebrows, the initiative appears to be successfully reaching new audiences and creating meaningful connections within the community.
