Our Story
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Our journey began in 2008 when a journalist, a graphic designer and a few church leaders began asking questions.
How can we share and celebrate all that God is doing on this island? How can we give voice to Christians across the spectrum of denomination and church background? How can we inspire unity and encourage thoughtful engagement with God’s word and with the world around us?
After months of preparation, the first edition of VOX magazine hit the streets in January 2009.
OUR VISION
At the intersection of faith, life and reality in 21st Century Ireland, VOX magazine gives voice to Christians who want to engage with one another and with the world around them.
It was Vox Hibernia - Latin for "the voice of the Irish" - that brought the 5th century slave-turned-priest Patrick back to the land of his captivity and set in motion a transformation that sent shock waves across Europe.
Our passion at VOX is to give voice to Irish Christians once again - to inspire, question, equip, inform, wrestle, challenge and encourage a new wave of Irish world-changers.
For the next 12 years, the VOX team continued to publish quarterly… 52 editions with content spanning all 32 counties on this island. The magazines featured hundreds of stories and thought-provoking articles written by contributors from the widest possible spectrum of denomination and church background.
FINDING FAITH TOURS
In 2013, we began the first Finding Faith Tour - travelling around Ireland and Northern Ireland to gather stories of faith, life and reality. This was to become an annual event until 2022. The Finding Faith Tour editions proved hugely popular as we shared stories and testimonies, tracing trends and key themes that emerged year after year. We were able to ask leaders, “What is God saying to His church at this time?” and to wrestle together with the challenges and opportunities facing the church.
VOX RESEARCH
Another key development was the launch of VOX Research. For too long, the Irish church had been reliant on research from the UK or USA, and yet we knew our context was different. Beginning in 2015, VOX conducted a series of all-island research projects in partnership with various Christian organisations exploring Millennials and the Church (2015), Women and the Church (2018), Racism and Inclusion in the Church (2021) and Young Adults and the Church (2023) along with smaller studies commissioned by groups such as the Evangelical Alliance of Ireland, the Irish Bible Institute and Tearfund Ireland.
END OF AN ERA
While many volunteers came and went over the years, for the most part, the VOX team consisted of editor Ruth Garvey-Williams and graphic designer and operations manager Jonny Lindsay. Both full-time Christian workers, they donated their time to the magazine as a way of serving the Irish church. When Jonny felt it was time to move on at the end of 2021, it became impossible to continue with a printed magazine, so after a final one-off edition in 2022, VOX retreated to the online space.
A NEW BEGINNING
In conversation with groups such as Praxis, Innovista and Thrive Ireland in 2025 and 2026, it became increasingly clear that VOX had left a gap and nothing else was currently able to fill it. Christians in Ireland still need to engage with one another and with the realities of the world around us. In our polarised world, we need opportunities to connect and engage with each other, recognising the body of Christ and celebrating our unity in diversity.
With Ruth Garvey-Williams still serving as editor and Claire Douglas stepping into the creative space as graphic designer, a new team was formed including an editorial board, new and returning columnists and correspondents, and a range of practical help and support from Praxis.
Excitement is building as the new edition heads to the printers and the team is preparing a distribution strategy. Rebuilding takes time but we believe with the help and support of Christians across this island, we can once again serve the church and bring glory to God’s name.