The leader of a Christian charity is preparing for an extraordinary act of faith where he will carry the cross to the top of England's tallest mountain.
Paul Robinson, who leads the Christian charity Release International, has been undertaking rigorous training ahead of the Light Walk, during which he intends to haul a wooden cross to the peak of Scafell Pike.
Mr Robinson says his endeavour aims to demonstrate unity with Christians facing persecution across the globe.
The event will see him trek through darkness with the timber structure, reaching the 978-metre summit as the sun rises.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
He added his journey represents a physical expression of support for believers who cannot worship freely.
A team of volunteers will accompany Mr Robinson on the demanding nocturnal ascent, which typically requires between three and four hours to complete.
The group is urging Christians throughout the United Kingdom to offer prayers for fellow believers around the world who face restrictions on practising their faith.
The challenge involves navigating the Lake District peak in complete darkness, making the physical undertaking considerably more arduous than a standard ascent of England's highest point.
Paul Robinson, who leads the Christian charity Release International, will carry the cross up the peak
|Mr Robinson has acknowledged that the physical demands of the undertaking will be substantial.
He told Premier Christian News: "I've seen and held the cross we will be carrying, and it's quite heavy...But that's the point!
"It will be, I believe, a powerful way of identifying with those who face the far greater challenges of persecution for Christ and the gospel.
"We will carry this heavy cross through the night, standing in solidarity with persecuted Christians who endure the harshest trials."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Christians in Australia demand action amid fears church has been 'silenced' by anti-discrimination laws
- Vicar urges Britons to 'get back to church' after Zack Polanski's plot to remove five centuries of history exposed
- Bible sales surge to highest level on record as Britain's Christian revival continues
The cross will be carried to the peak of Scafell Pike
|GETTY
The initiative draws its inspiration from a passage in the New Testament, specifically Hebrews 13:3.
The verse reads: "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."
It calls on believers to remember imprisoned Christians as though sharing their confinement and to empathise with the mistreated as if experiencing their suffering personally.
Upon reaching the peak at daybreak, the group plans to erect the cross at the summit before gathering for communal prayer and worship.
Mr Robinson said: "We will proclaim that the light of Jesus cannot be overcome."
He added that raising the cross would unite participants "in fellowship with our brothers and sisters whose lives continue to shine the light of Jesus into the darkest parts of the world."