The Profile

The new Archbishop of Melbourne Ric Thorpe is no stranger to change. He's an accomplished church planter and until very recently served as the Bishop of Islington. But even with that experience, he still admits that moving with his wife over 10,000 across the world is both exciting and daunting. Thorpe grew up going to church and as a schoolboy attended a boarding school where chapel was mandatory...

Andy Peck talks with the founder of Jubilee Leadership and former pastor, Andy Hickford, about engaging in politics from the pulpit. What are the dangers? How might we do it and what should we make of the rise of what is called ‘Christian Nationalism’? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

The British broadcaster, journalist, and campaigner Charlie Webster has known her fair share of trauma. As a child in Sheffield she was abused by her stepfather and watched her mother be the victim of domestic abuse. Later as a young teen she was groomed and abused again by her running coach. She speaks openly about her experiences and its effect on her and campaigns for greater scrutiny on the is...

Andy Peck talks to the founder of Destiny Coaching about tricky areas leaders may not easily address. What about imposter syndrome? What do we do when we doubt our faith? How can coaching provide a healthy context for discussion and ultimate growth? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Dr Matthew Porter admits he may not be a greatest or even the most natural Evangelist himself but says his own passion for sharing The Gospel tends to override that. It must be this quality that has lead him to his current position as Champion Lead Bishop in Mission and Discipleship in the Church of England. Porter is also Bishop of Bolton and serves as one of three Anglican bishops within Greater...

Andy Peck talks with the missiologist and assistant professor about how AI might assist pastoral care and theological study, from his book ‘AI Goes to Church: Pastoral Wisdom for Artificial Intelligence’. How might AI serve as a tool for pastors and will AI revolutionise College study? Todd shares principles from his vital book. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leadi...

The writer and publisher Stephanie Duncan Smith was raised by Christian parents in the state of Maryland in the US, so from a very young age faith was woven into her life. Smith likes to talk about in terms of 'rhythms' and says there were three that dominated her early life: Church, dinner and reading. It didn't take long for her to develop an instinct for 'the word'. She is now the senior editor...

Andy Peck talks with the author of ‘When Jesus Met Hippies: The Story and Legacy of the Jesus People Movement in the UK’ They look at what we might learn about revival from those days. What are the similarities between 70s and today? What might we learn about the sad fall outs that occurred and what is the key message for church leaders today? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity,...

"God gives us human curiosity" says the renowned American physician-geneticist Dr Francis Collins whose is best known for his leadership of the Human Genome Project and his contributions to finding a vaccine for Covid. It's curiosity which has helped Collins play a part in some of the most extraordinary scientific discoveries of the modern age. Born in 1950, Collins trained as a physician and gene...

Andy Peck talks to the former Baptist minister and Bible college lecturer about Christian journalling. They look at how he got into it and how might journalling help a Christian leader? Why is it supported by the Bible and how practically might you go about it? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristia...

John Dickson didn't set food in a church before the age of 15 but says, looking back, he would probably have described himself as a 'thoughtful child'. After his father died in a plane crash he began thinking more about faith and was encouraged to explore Christianity by a secondary school teacher who was very open about her own faith. Dickson went on to become a singer songwriter in 1990s for the...

Andy Peck talks to a former pastor and senior leader about the challenges faced when stepping down from formal church leadership. They discuss the need to ‘repurpose’, the importance of financial provision and creating a new rhythm for life so you can continue to be fruitful in God’s service. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the...

The MP David Smith says that while he never wanted to be a 'pigeonholed' as a Christian neither would he ever deny how central his faith is to his work. He's only newly been elected to the Labour seat in North Northumberland last year. His previous work included being Chief Executive with Oasis as well as senior roles in faith-based organisations such as Bible Society and Tearfund. It was work tha...

Miel de Botton is a Swiss-born singer-songwriter, psychologist and philanthropist. In this podcast she describes a loving but strict upbringing along with her brother, the author Alain de Botton. As her interests grew she went onto study law at Oxford before then switching to clinical psychology in Paris, where she worked with people overcoming addiction. Miel began her professional musical career...

Andy Peck talks to the church and community consultant about his work bringing reconciliation for people devastated by human conflict, including the people of Ukraine. What does it mean to be ‘messengers of reconciliation’? Why is a disposition of peace to be the pervasive stance of the Christian and how can we work towards this in our relationship with other churches? The Profile is brought to yo...

Phil Knox is best known for his work with the Evangelical Alliance - an organisation which represents and connects evangelical churches and people across the UK and where he serves as evangelism and missiology senior specialist. Knox grew up in a Christian household and attended church regularly. Home was a place where Scripture was regularly referenced. On car journeys he describes his parents te...

Andy Peck talks with two men involved in Wellbeing Church, a new style of church in Hertfordshire which creates opportunities for young people to engage with Christian faith. Jim Thornton is one of the pioneer leaders and Reiss Gillingwater on the team that develops connection with Gen Z through online gaming and Football. They discuss how this fresh expressions approach came about and the leaders...

Andy Flannagan has an irrepressible energy. The Northern Irishman, who is now based in Luton, began his adult life as a medical doctor before quickly deciding that singing and song writing was a passion he had to explore. His albums include Advertising the Invisible, Son, Drowning in the Shallow, with his music often addressing social injustice, global poverty, environmental concerns, and human su...

Andy Peck talks with the founder of Christians for Impact about their ministry helping Christians to invest their time in work that best serves God’s kingdom. They look at their selection of the key evidence-based areas of impact and look ahead to their conference in the UK on November 22nd and 23rd. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check...

Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers has achieved a lot in her life already. Aged just 28 she is the newly crowned World Champion, winning the gold at the recent World Athletics Championships in Japan. She has won silver medals at the Paris 2024 & Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She is the Australian and Oceania high jump record holder (2.04m). She is also the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion and will be...

Andy Pecks talks with the pastor and director of The Steps course, which is based on 12 steps use with AA, but within an overtly Christian framework. They discuss why he felt the need to develop the course, the similarities and contrasts between his homeland of Denmark and the UK and how his training as a psychotherapist informs his ministry. The Steps Course is available at https://stepscourse.or...

Academic Beth Allison Barr grew up in a Christian home a never really questioning the reality of God and was formally baptised aged 11. Not that there weren't a few theological question marks along the way. She became an academic historian specialising in medieval history while her husband became a Baptist minister. And it was only when they began to challenge their own church concerning the role...

Andy Peck chats with the CEO of UCCF: the Christian Unions, about his leadership as a junior doctor, as a pastor and now of a student charity. They look at why limits may actually be a blessing for the Christian leader and why students reaching students remains the best model for campus ministry. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out...

24-year-old Harry Clark shot to fame on BBC One's hit reality show The Traitors. He won the second series last year bagging £95,000 which he says he used to pay off family debt and make a small investment - nothing too flash. Despite the high profile treachery and deceit it took to win, what many people might not know is that Clark's Christian faith is the thing that keeps him grounded. Clark was...

Andy Peck chats with the founders of Altitude Mission, which develops teams of ‘Ski Angels’ to serve skiers and residents of Méribel in the Fresh Alps. They discuss God’s clear hand in the development of the Mission, what they have learned about leadership along the way and what the local population make of their work. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christi...