The Profile

Helen Thorne-Allenson is Director of Training and Resources at Biblical Counselling UK, where she helps churches to offer compassionate and theologically grounded care to those who are struggling. She's worked with London City Mission and is an experienced speaker and counsellor, known for tackling difficult pastoral topics like mental health issues, domestic abuse, anxiety and sexual purity with honesty and Gospel hope. She is the author of several books, including Hope in an Anxious World, Walking with Domestic Abuse Sufferers, 5 Things to Pray for a Suffering Friend, Purity Is Possible, and Mental Health and Your Church: A Handbook for Biblical...

At 16-years-old Terry Virgo became a Christian through his sister during the years of Billy Graham’s greatest impact on Britain. He went on to train at London Bible College at a time of the charismatic movement of the 1960s. It shaped his early faith and ministry. Virgo spent 11 years leading an Evangelical Free Church in East Sussex, before moving to Brighton in 1979. From there a network grew into what became Newfrontiers, a movement that sought to combine Biblical principles whilst being open to the Holy Spirit. It now has more than 1,500 congregations in over 70 countries. In this episode of Th...

Bishop of Kensington and acting Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Dr Emma Ineson has spent more than 25 years in ordained ministry and now holdsone of the Church of England's highest-ranking posts. She began with a curacy in the Diocese of Sheffield, moved on to the Lee Abbey community in Devon as a chaplain, and then spent years training the next generation of clergy at Trinity College, Bristol. She became Principal of Trinity College in 2014, and in 2019 she was consecrated Bishop of Penrith in the Diocese of Carlisle. In 2021 she moved to Lambeth Palace as Bishop to the Archbishops of...

Theology and National Director of Alpha UK, Chloe Swart was raised as a pastor's child, she had early exposure to stories of faith and the miraculous through her parents, an influence that shaped her later academic and ministry work. Chloe holds a PhD in theology, where she studied healing miracles in Wales. Sending out questionnaires, she gathered testimonies from over 600 people who reported physical healing. Her research found that healings typically came through prayer from an ordinary friend, colleague or family member rather than a senior leader outside church buildings, and that while 40% of accounts involved life-threatening conditions, 60% concerned everyday...

Canon Yvonne Tulloch was born into a Christian Brethren household and grew up attending church several times a day. From a young age she had a close relationship with God, married as a teenager, trained as a secretary but with her heart set on missionary work. Following a series of powerful visions she felt God call her to ministry despite the fact that as a woman at that time, she was barred from entering. But she did go on to become an Anglican church minister and by 2008 was serving as a Cathedral canon. Tulloch's later work in bereavement support grew...

British entrepreneur and Christian philanthropist Peter Vardy leads the Vardy Group, the automotive dealership business built by his family over three generations. Now 47, he is the son of Sir Peter Vardy, whose Sunday Times Rich List fortune is estimated at around £140 million. Like his father before him, Vardy has shaped the family business according to his faith. It's one that was delivered to him as a child in a simple and direct way|: God loves you, look what he has done. In his own business, every employee, from CEO to cleaner, wears the same uniform, reflecting his conviction that all s...

As a child, Lebanese-born broadcaster Rita El-Mounayer had first-hand experience of war. Both her parents were Christians, but came from different traditions. After her mother died, her father used to distract his family from the violence outside by hooking up a car battery and turning on a black-and-white TV. It fostered a lifelong interest in broadcasting and how powerful it could be. El-Mounayer began her career studying History and Social Science at the Lebanese University in Beirut later training in communications. In 1996 she became the first presenter to appear on screen for SAT-7 when it launched with a two-hour weekly...

British Theologian and Apologist Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing began her early academic work at Oxford and holds a doctorate there in theology, later serving as President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Her faith has shaped a career spent defending Christianity's intellectual credibility to sceptics, students and secular audiences worldwide, from university campuses to the UK Parliament and US Capitol Hill and in 1996 it took her to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, smuggling Bibles and engaging Islamic leaders in dialogue about faith. She has authored several books, including the bestselling Why Trust the Bible? and her more recent Forgiveness, Reclaiming Its Power in...

WayMaker founder Andy Robinson grew up in a Christian household in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, describing Jesus as just 'always there'. As a younger teenager he took the opportunity to forge his own unique relationship with God and consciously became a Christian, deciding to dedicate his life to Christ. He went on to have a family and a successful career in software, and, at the same time volunteered as a youth leader at Lifespring Church, later linked to Brighton Road Baptist Church in Horsham and went on to became a church leader. In January 2023 Robinson was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 bowel...

Cris Rogers is an 'urban theologian' best known for reviving church life on one of East London's toughest estates. He was born and grew up in a working-class environment in West Yorkshire and studied art before moving onto theology at Trinity College, Bristol, and later King's College London. He became a priest in 2008 and was among the first clergy commissioned specifically to the Church of England's newly created "pioneer minister" track for planting churches in non-traditional settings. In 2010, he and his wife Beki moved to Tower Hamlets to take on All Hallows Church in Bow, then down to around seven...

Graham Daniels grew up with football in his blood, signing for Cardiff City as a young player while still at school. He went on to study philosophy at Cardiff University, playing for the club throughout his studies but it wasn't until he reached 21, that he really gave his life to Christ. Rather than leaving football behind, Daniels found a way to weave his sporting career together with a call to ministry. He played professionally for Cambridge United and then Cambridge City, all while pursuing theological training. He has also moved into football management too, taking charge at Sudbury Town, Histon...

How do you know whether you are being whispered to by the evil one? Spiritual warfare and the unseen battle for our soul has always fascinated theologian Joel Muddamalle. He was brought up in a strong Christian household in India. His grandparents were arguably the he strongest influences on his life. As missionaries, he saw first hand how hard you had to work to reach people in marginalised rural communities and the joy when you did. "There", he says, "there was a passion for the ministry." Later his parent moved to America, where he became a "Chicago kid, through and...

How do you know whether you are being whispered to by the evil one? Spiritual warfare and the unseen battle for our soul has always fascinated theologian Joel Muddamalle. He was brought up in a strong Christian household in India. His grandparents were arguably the strongest influences on his life. As missionaries, he saw first hand how hard you had to work to reach people in marginalised rural communities and the joy when you did: "there was a passion for the ministry." Later his parent moved to America and he became a "Chicago kid, through and through." He went on...

With 18 Grammy Awards and decades of ministry behind her, CeCe Winans remains a living example of a life surrendered to God through the gifts He gives us. Winans grew up as one of ten children in Detroit, straight into a household saturated with gospel music. Her parents raised their family in the Pentecostal tradition, and church was the foundation of everything, including the music that would define her life. Winans first found fame singing alongside her brother BeBe as the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans before launching a solo career that would make her best-selling and one of the most-awarded female...

Long-time presenter of The Leadership Show Andy Peck has died aged 64 following a short battle with cancer. Andy spent over three decades encouraging and equipping Christian leaders through presenting Leadership special editions of this podcast, as well as wider broadcasting for Premier Christian Radio and writing for Premier Christianity magazine. In this special episode, we air a previous interview with Andy about his own faith journey, and hear tributes from his colleagues. 

Pete Hughes is the founding and senior pastor of King's Cross Church (KXC), an Anglican church he planted in central London in 2010. Back then, the zone 1 destination was a grimy, transitional area on the brink of massive transformation. The vision behind the plant, in Hughes's own words, was "to recklessly give themselves away to God, each other and the people of King's Cross and beyond." Without a permanent building, KXC began by renting space for Sunday gatherings while meeting midweek in homes and pubs around the area. But it paid off. Over more than a decade, Hughes grew the church...

Luke Smith the national leader of the Fusion Movement, a Christian student mission, has spent his life calling students to follow Jesus. His own journey began at university in the 1990s. Since then Luke has walked alongside students through the transformative journey from "nervous fresher to confident graduate" - convinced that the university years are formative for the whole of a person's life. At the heart of his ministry is a deep conviction: that the local church, not a parachurch movement alone, is best placed to reach students with The Gospel, disciple them well, and send them out as missionaries...

Ashley Banjo, is best known as the dance troupe leader of the hugely successful group Diversity who first captured the nation's hearts on the talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2009. They famously beat off favourite Susan Boyle for the crown and all when he was just 21. Banjo was raised in Essex, the son of a former heavyweight boxer and a dance teacher and began dancing at age five. It was a passion that was nurtured by his parents. He was raised with some exposure to Christianity and he has spoken candidly about drifting from it before rediscovering a deep, personal...

Andy Peck chats with the executive director of Wycliffe Bible Translators which featured in the Sunday Times best places to work survey last year. Why was this charity able to achieve such good results? They explore why they believe they are able to get so much right and how this might translate into your working environment. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Jay Painter and Lewis are digital creators who have captured global online attention by documenting a unique, real-time journey through faith. It's a compelling premise: Jay, is a Christian and felt a strong conviction to invite his best friend, Lewis very much an atheist, to attend an Alpha course. What began as a personal invitation transformed into a social media docuseries where they can now been seen on TikTok and Instagram documenting the entire multi-week process. Each episode captures Lewis’s raw, unfiltered reactions to core Christian theology, moving from initial scepticism to deep, heartfelt reflections on life, meaning, and th...

Andy Peck chats with the co-founder of Eastgate Church, Gravesend about setting a biblically based cultural shift in a church in the UK and the Netherlands where he helps lead a team part-time. They talk about the importance of demolishing the strongholds that can grip the thinking of a congregation and how to set a new course that enables communities to flourish under God. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

British journalist Lauren Windle has had quite a faith journey. After years of cocaine and alcohol addiction, she got sober 12 years ago and went on to study neuroscience and addiction studies grounding her recovery in faith and academic rigor. Windle has built a career as a journalist for outlets including Vogue, Marie Claire, HuffPost, MailOnline and Woman Alive often writing about faith, dating, addiction and womanhood from a Christian perspective. She is the author of several books including: Notes on Love: Being Single and Dating in a Marriage Obsessed Church, Notes on Feminism: Being a Woman in a Church Led...

Andy Peck talks with the co-founder of A Rocha UK and now Head of Theology, A Rocha International. What led him to be concerned for the environment? Why found a charity? Has the UK church ‘got the message’ several decades later? How different is leading in the UK and Internationally? How might church leaders today get involved? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Laura Anderson, known to hundreds of thousands of followers as Less Waste Laura is one of Scotland's most passionate voices in the fight against plastic pollution. Raised in Newton Mearns, Scotland, with a lifelong love of the outdoors, her environmental awakening came on a New Year's Day walk when she discovered plastic waste strewn across a white sandy beach on the east coast of Scotland. Inspired by the BBC's Blue Planet II, she made a resolution to live more sustainably and began documenting that journey online. Anderson went on to study Geography and Environmental Science. She became a Christian at...

Andy Peck chats with the chief executive of Spear about her work helping young people back into employment. They look at the challenging stats suggesting one million aged 16-24 are not in training, education or employment in the UK. They look at Spear’s highly successful programme that coaches young people in Centres dotted around the country. What do they do and what is the secret to their success? How can coaching serve leaders as a tool to encourage and empower others? Young people find out more at https://www.spear.org.uk/spear-programme/ Check out the Speak conference for ch...

In this week's edition of the Profile we celebrate Professor John Lennox, one of the most compelling voices at the intersection of Christian faith and modern science. Born in Northern Ireland in 1943, he was raised in a family of deep faith and went on to earn doctorates from both Cambridge and Oxford universities, specialising in mathematics and the philosophy of science. He served for many years as Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, where he remains Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College. Lennox is a gifted mathematician, philosopher, and apologist who has...

Andy Peck chats with the Learning and Partnership Development lead for the Gregory Centre for Church multiplication about her call to serve in the church, as a mum and as one keen to see the church engage in culture. Do we still have a sacred-secular divide and how easy is it combining running a home of small children with work in a charity? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

The theologian Andrew Ollerton is probably best known for presenting Christian theology in an accessible and engaging way and his work as a pastor and author centres on making the Bible accessible to modern audiences without sacrificing intellectual rigour. He grew up in a Christian home where The Bible was 'part of the furniture' but when he hit his teens, he pushed back, sometimes, like Peter, publicly, despite having a father who worked at the nearby church. But from around eighteen he began to show a renewed interest in Christ's teaching, going on to study Geography then moving onto Theology...

Andy Peck chats with one of the editors of The Oxford Handbook of Digital Theology about how we lead differently when we are conscious of the changes in technology that are transforming our world. What does this mean for our discipleship? Is AI an enemy to be aware of or a tool to embrace? How might we engage with The Global Network for Digital Theology conference coming up soon? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Rich Johnson wears two hats quite comfortably. On the one hand he's an archetypal parish vicar working out of a parish in Worcestershire, and, on the other, he is the leader of New Wine England a non-denominational charity supporting Christian leaders in their everyday work. Johnson grew up in Manchester and moved abroad with his family where he was educated in Belgium and Hamburg. He went on to study Geography at Cambridge and through a college chaplain was introduced to Jesus. He describes his conversion as 'intellectual' with the Holy Spirit coming in later and he realised quite quickly that...

Andy Peck chats with the author of ‘The Glorious Risk: Freeing the Church from managerialism and the martyr complex’. The lecturer in practical theology at London School of Theology explores why having friends in the local church, may not be just vital for a church leader but a key way of leading. How has she come to this view, and what happens when the pathway is painful? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

How do you know whether you are being whispered to by the evil one? Spiritual warfare and the unseen battle for our soul has always fascinated theologian Dr. Joel Muddamalle. He was brought up in a strong Christian household in India and says his grandparents were arguably the strongest influences on his life. As missionaries, he saw first hand how hard you had to work to reach people in marginalised rural communities and the level of joy when you did: "there was a passion for the ministry." Later his parent moved to America, with him becoming a "Chicago kid, through...

Husband and wife Makoto and Haejiin Fujimura are a couple who have blended their two passions and found a deep connection between them. Makoto is a Christian artist born in the US to Japanese parents. His scientist father instilled in him a deep appreciation for beauty and creativity from childhood and after spending his formative years in Japan, he later began to pursue traditional Japanese painting at Tokyo University of the Arts. Fujimura encountered Christ in his late twenties. The poems of William Blake became instrumental in his conversion, helping him reconcile his newfound Christian faith with his artistic expression...

Andy Peck talks with founder of the Satellites Youth Event, and deputy director of Youthscape about the extraordinary events surrounding the call to run a youth event following the closure of Soul Survivor in summer 2019. They discuss stories of how God gave both a green light and a red one, and what is unique and fresh about this Youth Event running for its fifth year in 2026. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

In this week's edition of the Profile we remember the late Lord Richard Harries, who was one of the most beloved and influential voices in British Christianity of his generation. Born on 2 June 1936, he served briefly as a British Army officer before answering the call to ordained ministry in the Church of England. He was consecrated Bishop of Oxford in 1987, a role he held until his retirement in 2006, when he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Harries of Pentregarth. Harries was a gifted theologian, broadcaster, and writer and authored 26 books on Christian ethics, prayer, art, and faith...

Andy Peck talks with a retired head teacher about what he’s learned from several decades leading Reigate St Mary’s Preparatory and Choir School. What parts of his role has he warmed to, what Christian influence does he think he has been able to have and what are the transferable principles for leaders in other walks of life? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Best known for leading the multi-site National Community Church (NCC) in Washington, D.C., Pastor Mark Batterson has also authored nearly 30 books, most notably The Circle Maker, a guide to persistent prayer which has sold over a million copies. Batterson came to Christ at the age of five after watching a Billy Graham film and describes himself as a "congregational mutt" going Church to Church in his early years, not settling on a particular tradition. That sense of being something of an outsider must surely have led to his inventive approach to Church planting that would eventually follow. At the...

Andy Peck talks with the founder of ‘28 Too Many’ about her work helping raise awareness of the downsides of FGM (female genital mutilation) in African nations and the diaspora and her progress since the work started in 2010. How have local churches responded to the campaign, which nations have seen a reduction in the practice and what would she say to younger leaders who have a similar passion to see change? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Philippa Hanna, the British Christian singer-songwriter, is best known for her heartfelt vocals that bridge worship and mainstream music and which have made her a familiar face at large-scale Christian festivals for the last two decades. Hanna was born in Sheffield in the mid-80s and grew up in musical family, influenced by her Irish father, who was a touring performer. As well as her own musical success, her brothers Stuart is the former bassist of the band Jamiroquai, and, as discovered in 2025, Peter Cunnah, the lead singer of 90s band D:Ream Hanna discovered song writing aged 10. After a...

In a repeat of a classic episode Andy Peck chats with Kathryn Segal about how God led her to share her challenges with depression on social media, and how she saw so many helped by her revelations. As a pastor’s wife in Canterbury, they look at the value in a leader sharing their weakness. There must be limits to what and how you share? The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com