Cycling through the life of William Tyndale

Mike is a retired police officer who lives in Bath and loves the Bible. He’s planned a 350-mile bike ride in memory of the great Bible translator, William Tyndale. On 6 June he’ll cycle from the village of Stinchcombe in Gloucestershire to the city of Vilvoorde in Belgium. That’s from Tyndale’s traditional birthplace to the site of his execution.

We’re coming up to the 500th anniversary (in 2025) of the publication of Tyndale’s English New Testament, the first to be translated directly from the original Greek. The project got Tyndale in trouble, and he had to escape England. While in Europe, he was betrayed to the authorities and convicted of heresy.

Mike identifies with Tyndale’s passion to see everyone reading the Bible. He says: ‘I have been a Christian for 40 years. Throughout the usual valleys and mountains of my pilgrimage I have had a passion for the Bible. I love to listen to good teachers and have spent many years teaching children in Sunday school. And now in my retirement I’m facilitating Bible studies and leading a monthly catechism class.

‘I also enjoy cycling so I decided to combine these passions!’ Mike says he’s found a new pilgrimage route in his Tyndale ride, and as he raises money to put the Bible in the hands of more people, he’ll be seizing every opportunity to encourage people to open the Bible.

Also sharing Scripture through sponsored effort is Richard Fairchild, who is running for Bibles. He’s battled through sickness and injuries to press on with the race he began last summer. And at the time of writing, he raised very nearly £500, which could provide as many as a hundred Bibles for people longing to experience Scripture.

Richard’s effort is built on seven-mile runs, covering the Easter-themed distance between Jerusalem and Emmaus. He’s got a few more of these ahead before reaching his personal target, and he’ll be keeping Philippians 4.13 in mind.

You can support Richard or Mike (or both!), and even start your own sponsorship effort to bring the Bible to the more people this year. You can also read more about sponsored rides in previous years.