The Australian evangelical weekly New Life has functioned for several years as an unofficial clearing-house for Religious Right groups and individuals. Fred Nile, Salt Shakers, ACL, Australian Family Association and lots of other ‘godly’ people and organisations could always get some space on the letters page or have their media releases printed verbatim.

Strangely enough, according to Rev Bob Thomas of the New Life board, it’s also over the last few years that:

… it has become increasingly difficult to maintain the viability of the newspaper and a point has been reached at which the present publishing schedule, format and staffing level can no longer be maintained. (’Time for a change’, New Life, 1 Jun. 2006)

The upshot is that New Life will become a fortnightly news magazine produced by a small, ‘near voluntary’ editorial team, which to my untutored eye looks to be chockfull of creationists.

The decline - and, I suspect, encroaching demise - of New Life is not a good sign for conservative evangelicalism in this country. It’ll be mildly annoying for this columnist too, as the journal provided a useful weekly roundup of Religious Right news and quotes.

All things considered, though, no great loss.

Filed in: Evangelicals