Nicky Gumbel on Marriage, and Alpha Ministry in the UK

How can you strengthen your marriage? Nicky Gumbel, Vicar at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London, England says “there’s no marriage that can’t be improved.” In this episode, Oliver Hersey and Kelsey Bowse discuss the joys and trials of marriage with Nicky.

He’s also the pioneer of Alpha, a program that started in 1977 helps people explore questions of faith in fifteen sessions. Nicky and Silla Lee started The Marriage Course in 1990, to help couples strengthen their relationships.

Nicky said “Every session raises issues. There’s a session on communication. There are exercises, where you talk about how you can improve communication. There’s one on in-laws. It’s really funny. It’s really interesting and informative.” 

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Nicky and Pippa did the Marriage Course online at HTB, with twenty thousand people. They met when Nicky was 17, and have been married for nearly 43 years. Pippa had an operation, to treat her lung cancer in 2019. 

“She was in hospital for nearly two weeks with the operation. I slept on two chairs by her bed. I spent one night at home and then I decided I’d much rather be uncomfortable with her, than uncomfortable without her.”  

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Produced by Kelsey Bowse, edited by Alex Carter

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