Evangelist to walk 500 miles with 12-foot cross

Clive Cornish will be sharing his faith with the people he meets along the way

Carrying a 12-foot wooden cross 500 miles is difficult enough, but Counties evangelist Clive Cornish has set himself the additional challenge of completing the journey in just four weeks.

The 46-year-old will be walking across Wales, stopping off at Cardiff, Fishguard, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Conwy, Llangollen, Abergavenny and Newport.

He wants to use the walk to pray for his home country and share his faith with the people he meets along the way.

Despite suffering from terrible back spasms and blisters, Cornish is determined to complete the walk by October 6.

Clive Cornish is carrying a wooden cross 500 miles across Wales

It is not the first time he has done this walk. He took the same route in 2003 when he also experienced a lot of pain and discomfort.  However, it was the visible difficulty of the walk that appeared to compel people to stop and talk to him.

"A woman saw me in Cardiff then in Bridgend then in nearby Pyle, so she had to stop and ask me why - a great opportunity to talk about Jesus," he recalls.

"A bus driver said he saw me earlier in the day and wanted to know what I was doing. A passenger shouted 'Why!' I was able to hand tracts to the driver and the passengers.

"A local newspaper sent a reporter who took some details and pictures. He said I had provoked a large response. One guy rolled down his window and asked if I was walking in Port Talbot yesterday.

"When I said yes he wanted to know why. I said, 'To remind you Jesus loves you!' He beeped his horn with great enthusiasm."

Newsletter Stay up to date with Christian Today
News
What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?
What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

24 May 2026 is Pentecost Sunday, when Christians recall the importance of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are the virtues that are produced in the life of a believer through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the story …

Pentecost: Its meaning, significance and relevance for Christians today
Pentecost: Its meaning, significance and relevance for Christians today

Today is Pentecost - a special day in the Christian calendar that many Christians may have heard of, but do not always fully understand. Yet Pentecost is incredibly important, because it is deeply connected to the work of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church.

Christian aid organisations mobilise emergency Ebola response in Democratic Republic of Congo
Christian aid organisations mobilise emergency Ebola response in Democratic Republic of Congo

Christian aid organisations are mobilising emergency health responses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a deadly Ebola outbreak in the country’s north-east that has prompted international concern.

Three Baptist pastors killed in Manipur ambush after peace conference
Three Baptist pastors killed in Manipur ambush after peace conference

The victims were senior leaders of the Thadou Baptist Association India (TBAI), a Baptist denomination rooted in the Thadou-Kuki community of Manipur.