The Profile

The world-renowned tenor Russell Watson never planned to be a recording artist, instead dreaming of football stardom as a young boy. “It was daydreams really. I was never any good,” he confesses. His rise to fame saw him move from imitating crooners in backstreet pubs to performing for the Pope, the late Queen Elizabeth II and two US presidents. Along the way, he's sold more than 7 million albums,...

2023...What a year it's been! We've heard from Boyzone's Shane Lynch, Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh, Newfrontiers founder Terry Virgo and many more on The Profile podcast. But who would you like us to interview in 2024? In this brief message, our presenter and producer Sam Hailes explains how you can get in touch and recommend future guests.

Andy Peck welcomes John Wyatt (consultant and academic researcher) and Chris Goswami (strategic consultant, chaplain and pastor), men involved in the AI Christian Partnership to discuss what AI is and how it might affect us in the world of work education and church. What are the ethical implications and how can Christians ‘redeem’ this technology and utlise it for good ends? The Profile is brought...

Andy Peck talks to Richard Gamble, the founder of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, about his vision to see a wall with one million answered prayers that will stand as a monument to God’s faithfulness in a land where he is too often forgotten. They discuss how he acted on what God had birthed within him and the challenges he has faced in bringing it to the point where the vision will soon becom...

Fergus Butler-Gallie: Confessions of a young priest God calls into ordained ministry those who he cannot save any other way. That's what Fergus Butler-Gallie was once told. It was a tongue-in-cheek remark, nevertheless, Fergus thinks there's something in it. The 31 year-old was ordained in his mid 20s and has since enjoyed a front row seat to the peculiarities and eccentricities which make up the...

Andy Peck talks to Steve Cockram, the Co-Founder of GiANT Worldwide and a director of GiANT London about a book written with his business partner Jeremie Kubicek, Cracking the Communication Code Unlock Every Relationship, One Conversation at a Time How do we ensure that we communicate well, and ‘unlock’ the code that will enable our daily interactions to move our work and relationships forward? St...

Devon-based Lucy Grimble has led worship at venues as large as Wembley Arena and The Royal Albert Hall and her fourth album, Between the Shadow and the Sun, was released in October. Here she speaks with Woman Alive's deputy editor Jemimah Wright about how she moved from being a private worshipper to leading thousands of others. This interview was also published as the cover story for December's Wo...

Andy Peck talks to Keith Foster, head of contemporary chaplaincy at Waverley Abbey College about the importance of chaplaincy at a time when many have little or no connection with a local church. They discuss how he became a chaplain at a local running club, what chaplaincy is and why so many are finding this a fruitful area of ministry. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the U...

The CEO of the Christian charity, CARE, speaks to Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes about his life and faith. Ross Hendry was born in Wales, has worked for a trade union and held senior positions at a number of Christian charities. Opening up about the time he stood to be a Labour MP, Ross recalls the hostility he encountered from his opponents who portrayed his evangelical faith as something to b...

Andy Peck talks to Dan Blythe, Global youth director for Alpha International and has been involved in youthwork for 20 years including serving at Hillsong London. Dan Blythe is the co-author of Facing Fear 365 Daily reflections for hope, peace and courage. They talk of how he has overcome many fears as he has grown into leadership, and how church service styles may be a barrier for many young peop...

Kate Coleman never intended to become a Christian, yet alone blaze a trail for women in ministry. The first Black female minister in the Baptist Union, as well as the denomination’s first Black female president, when she was first asked to be a church elder (itself a miracle as her church had, up until that point, no women leaders) she was wary of saying yes. She knew God had called her, but was r...

Andy Peck chats with Major General Tim Cross (retired) about encouraging godly leadership as a lay Minister. Tim served in the British Army for 36 years, and they discuss his assessment of the Israel-Gaza conflict, the kind of leadership every Christian needs to bring and the tools he finds helpful in developing lay leadership. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK's leadin...

This week on The Profile, Tony Wilson catches up with the church leader behind the #1 hit podcast, 'The Bible in a Year'. Fr Mike Schmitz explains how he came to faith, why he prays for church unity every week and gives his perspective on Pope Francis' recent comments on LGBT relationships. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity magazine. Take out a print or digital subscription now...

Andy Peck chats with James Poch and Iman Spearman, both part of Regeneration Church, London. James is the pastor who founded the church with his wife, Ruth. Iman came to faith at the church and now leads worship there. They talk about James's book: Holy Grit: Gaining traction on life's journey with Jesus and why he believes discipleship needs to be at the heart of any local church's ministry. Iman...

Francis Spufford is a child of his times. He was raised on a university campus by “serious and convinced” churchgoing parents, in an era when Christianity was “taken for granted” as part of most people’s ordinary lives. His teenage years began two decades in which God was absent. In his 30s, Spufford committed what he calls a “classic, destructive male mistake of midlife”. He politely declines to...

Andy Peck chats with Terry English, director of learning and development for Josiah Venture, ‘a movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society’. They look at the world’s longest continuous study of leadership by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner which has given rise to the five areas of exemplary leadership. What are they and...

Edward Stourton has been the main presenter of the BBC's Sunday programme for over a decade, and has worked in broadcasting for more than forty years, during which time he has been a foreign correspondent for the BBC, ITN, and Channel 4. In this in-depth interview with Premier Christianity's editor Sam Hailes, Edward recounts the highs and lows of his career, tells us about his Catholic upbringing...

Andy Peck chats with Shauna Pilgreen who has planted a church with her husband in San Francisco, known as Epic Church and is the author of 'Translating Jesus: How to share your faith in language today’s culture can understand' She shares stories from her own life in the US and they discuss so how do we make sure our faith does not sound like gobbledygook, to those outside the church? And why do ch...

Cancel culture and woke activism are being driven by a dangerous anti-Christian ideology sweeping across the West. That’s according to the Christian Institute’s social policy analyst, Dr Sharon James, whose new book on critical theory promises to help believers discern the truth. Hear more in this interview with Abi Thomas. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK's leading Ch...

Andy Peck chats with Steve Robinson, pastor of Cornerstone Church, Liverpool about his book, 'Serve'. They discuss how he 'replanted' a struggling church' of 15 members and what to do if you lose your energy for the work God called you to do. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK's leading Christian magazine Subscribe now from $1/month

Shane Lynch has coined a word for his bad boy years: “Shaneanigans”. The Boyzone singer spent much of his 20s – between concerts and autograph signings – drinking, swearing and getting into scraps. Around that time, he also became fascinated by the occult, the evidence of which is still visible in the tattoos etched on his skin. This “anti-God, anti-Christ” season became a problem when Lynch later...

Andy Peck chats with Colin Edwards, a former lecturer from Redcliffe College who has served in South Asia and in a number of cross-cultural settings. They acknowledge the challenge of creating a church that is truly multi-cultural and discuss various models of church that seek to support people from different ethnic backgrounds and look at some of the strengths of each. The Profile is brought to y...

Andy Peck talks to Todd Hunter about his book, 'What Jesus Intended: Finding true faith in the rubble of Bad Religion'. They discuss why Christianity is losing followers on both sides of the Atlantic and how a return to Jesus' actual approach can help us regain lost territory. They touch on whether adjusting an approach to same-sex marriage might improve matters, and how as Christians we need to l...

The former director of Youth for Christ, now founder of Gospel Entrepreneurs sits down with Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes to talk about his life and ministry. In this in-depth interview, Roy Crowne shares his testimony and reminisces about a unique outreach program at the popular theme park Alton Towers. The pair also discuss the state of youth ministry today, whether internal church debates o...

It's one of the best-known megachurches in America, producing worship songs that are sung by congregations around the world, but, according to Jenn Johnson, when it comes to the body of Christ, Bethel is probably akin to an armpit. She says this in jest, of course, but if you’re looking for an up-close-and-personal account of the ministry, Johnson is your go-to. The 41-year-old has been leading wo...