The Profile

Bear Grylls is a well-known face on television. He's probably best known for his survivalist shows pitting himself - or a group of celebrities against the elements to see what happens. But despite his own physical feats of endurance the former SAS trooper says his latest work - The Greatest Story Ever Told - a book dramatising the life of Jesus using his own words is his best achievement to date....

Leadership Special Richard Tiplady: ‘Leading churches in rural areas’ Andy Peck talks with the author of a Report on 10 projects in rural diocese in the Church of England. They discuss what leadership lessons may be learned from the projects. Is the parish system still fit for purpose when churches are so small? What kind of a leader is suitable for such ministry? Books: Following Jesus in the Gre...

Andy Peck talks to the CEO of C12, where 12 business leaders come together on a regular basis to learn, and talk together about serving Christ as they run businesses. How can business have a missional edge? What if your co-leaders are not themselves Christian? What are their plans for the UK and how might you get involved? Books recommended: Every Good Endeavour, Tim Keller; The Sacredness of Secu...

Alain Emerson is best know as an Irish pastor of Emmanuel Church. He is also national director of 24‑7 Prayer Ireland. Emerson grew up in Lurgan, the place he now leads at a church and attended services from an early age with very loving parents. When he was quite a young boy he gave his life to Christ because, he jokes, he felt it was important to get his destiny 'secured'. It was only as a teena...

Sam McKee's grew up poor and his early experiences of church were negative. After his parents got divorced he say he couldn't get to sleep one night and picked up his Bible beginning at the back with the book of Revelation. It was then that he realised he'd been missing out on something and wanted to know more. He became a youth worker but didn't go to university though his dream of becoming a sci...

Andy Peck talks to the CEO of World Vision UK. They talk about her recent trip to Malawi, how World Vision UK approaches transforming communities and whether her leadership differs at all when leading a charity, a church or in a business environment. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Wole Agbaje is a British pastor, creative leader, and church planter known for founding IMPRINT Church which has communities in London and Leicester. Agbaje's church is London is in the heart of the financial district in a place where people regularly do 60 hour working weeks often spending more time at work than they do at home. He grew up in a Christian home and says he was woken at 6am to give...

Andy Peck talks to the former pastor of Bethany Church, Sunderland about his work delivering the Mental Health First Aid Kit, which has served local churches and church leadership groupings. Why do Christians in leadership seem to struggle with mental health issues? How might we manage ourselves and get external help, if needed? What does the Bible say on the topic? The Profile is brought to you b...

In 2023 Zach Meerkreebs gave a sermon at a small university chapel in Kentucky. What followed was a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit the like of which would be talked about in Christian circles for years. The sermon was about God's love and the audience was simply a small group of students. Afterwards Meerkreebs texted his wife to say that he didn't think it had gone well. But what followed w...

Andy Peck talks to the director of Lifeline ahead of its, and Premier’s, 30th anniversary. How has it changed over the years? What have been the leadership and management challenges? How does the future look? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Andy Peck talks to the Events Team Manager for David’s tent – 72 hours of non-stop worship in Wiltshire. They discuss how the event started, how it is arranged, whether there is conflict over worship styles and what it takes to bring multiple bands, singers and thousands of worshipers together at the end of August. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian m...

The forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead has spent over three decades talking to people who have committed serious criminal offences. She was born in New Zealand and moved to England at the age of 11. She describes having a Christian upbringing, attending schools where prayer was a daily part of life. She pursued medicine, later focussing on psychiatry and has years of experience working in secur...

Do you remember who taught you about sex? If you're a parent, have you had 'The Talk' with your children yet? On this episode of the Woman Alive podcast Tola-Doll Fisher and her guests discuss how we approach conversations with children and teenagers about sex. Kate Orson is a freelance writer who's published for national papers such as the Daily Mail, The Telegraph and the Metro. In an article fo...

Grammy nominated Tauren Wells first came to prominence as the singer of Christian pop band Royal Tailor which blended a unique sound of pop, funk and soul. But it wasn't always a straightforward path to success with many not accepting his particular style. He admits feeling misunderstood at times but in this interview with Premier Gospel's Cassandra Maria he talks about how his pastor Father-in-la...

Singer Rebecca St. James came to music very early in life aged just 13. She was raised in Australia, the eldest of seven children in a musically inclined family. Her brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone, later went on to form the Grammy-winning duo For King & Country. Her father, David was a concert promoter, which exposed her to the music industry from an early age. She went on to become one of the...

Andy Peck talks to the author of ‘New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis: Advances in the Origins Debate’ about his journey of understanding of the first chapters of Genesis and the challenge of sharing his views when others disagree. What is Genesis 1 really about? Was there a real Adam and Eve? Further reading he recommended: Reconsidering Creation Ex Nihilo in Genesis 1 (Journal of Theol...

As priest-in-charge at Holy Trinity in Winchester, an Anglo-Catholic neo-Gothic church built in the mid-19th century, Jamie Franklin is a far cry from the charismatic Christian upbringing he experienced as a child in Essex influenced by the Toronto Blessings. His parents divorced when he was young and although he admits his childhood made him receptive to The Gospel it wasn't until he reached univ...

Andy Peck talks to the pastor’s wife who shared her struggle with depression on Instagram and quickly found an audience of 4000 followers, many of whom were Christians blessed by her vulnerability. They chat about her story and how God can use each of us to be an influence where he has placed us. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out...

Ray Comfort is a New Zealand-born Christian evangelist and author but is perhaps best known for his street preaching and bold public debates on atheism and Christianity. Though his parents called themselves Methodists he says he was not explicitly brought up as a Christian only later becoming born again. Comfort went on to start Living Waters Publications and co-hosts the evangelism television sho...

Andy Peck talks with the author of ‘Rewire your brain with neuroscience and Scripture every day’, about how understanding the brain can enhance your understanding of yourself and those you lead. What does fear do? Why is vision so important and how might small actions repeated daily bring the outcomes you are looking for? They also look at her work with The Mindsight Academy and the free resources...

Pastor Colin Smith is a familiar voice to Premier Christian Radio listeners as he presents Open the Bible which can be heard every weekday evening at 7.30pm. As listeners will know from his accent he's originally from Scotland but for the last two decades has been the senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Illinois. He grew up in a Christian home and came to faith independently qu...

Andy Peck talks with the theologian and blogger about her journey into Bible teaching from a church that didn’t believe women should. What were her key steps in the journey? How does she interpret tricky passages and what does she say to women in churches that take a different approach? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest...

Quentin Letts is a British Journalist and political sketch writer best known for his satirical portraits of Westminster politics. Over the course of his career he's written for most major national newspapers, including the Daily Mail, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph since Tony Blair became Prime Minister. Growing up, his parents ran a prep school and his father gave services in the school chape...

Billy Kennedy is the International Leader of the Pioneer Network. He was the Senior Leader at New Community Church in Southampton for 20 years from 2002 to 2022 and in 2014 was appointed one of the six Presidents of Churches Together in England. Kennedy was instrumental in forging partnerships particularly between the Pioneer Network and other denominations, including the Methodist Church. In his...

Andy Peck talks with the author of ‘No Wastelands: How to grow seedbeds of Shalom in your neighbourhood’ about his journey from Melbourne, Australia to Winson Green, Birmingham, via Bangkok Thailand What is Seedbeds? How might we minister to the urban poor and raise up leaders equipped to do so? How has Ash stayed resilient amidst setbacks? How might we learn more about urban poor ministry? The Pr...