Church Hosts WWE-Style Worship, Word, and ‘Wrestling Church’
St Peter’s Church in Shipley, UK, is led by Rev Natasha Thomas, the Interim Priest-In-Charge. As part of a ministry event, they’ve begun hosting Kingdom Wrestling, a “faith-based pro wrestling charity” that uses “sports entertainment to transform lives and communities” where “wrestling is the hook, but Jesus is the transforming power in people’s lives.”
Their goal is “Bringing people into the family of God and the Church, who wouldn’t normally cross the threshold of our buildings and communities. Premiere Christian News explains:
Kingdom Wrestling, founded by Gareth ‘Angel’ Thompson, first began at Fountains Church in Bradford in 2021. Thompson, who also established a wrestling training school, has since built a loyal following, baptized over 30 people, and held numerous events.
In an interview with Premier Christian News, he said: “We’ve got all the production that you’d expect from a WWE-style show and that’s peppered with live worship and prayer and it’s an incredible and engaging way for people to come into contact with the church and to hear about Jesus”.
In addition to hosting wrestling matches featuring both male and female athletes, the events also include a prayer before the action begins.