The Profile

He might be best known for penning congregational hits such as ‘Amazing love’ and ‘Shine, Jesus, shine’ (the latter is now fondly referred to by millennials as a “primary school assembly banger”), but Graham Kendrick started out by writing story-based songs. This year marks 50 years since the release of Graham's first album Footsteps on the Sea. In order to celebrate, Graham has re-recorded the song that started it all, and put out a new EP entitled Where It All Began which sees him collaborate with singers Lucy Grimble and Lurine Cato MBE. The four-track EP is a tribute to that 1960s/70s era when the bearded guitarist was pioneering musical evangelism in coffee bars and folk clubs. In this in-depth interview with Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes, Graham reflects on his life and career in music, comments on the highs and lows of the modern worship movement and explains why the Church needs to be singing the stories of scripture.  You can also read this interview on premierchristianity.com. Subscribe now for just £1   Join the listening party for Graham's new EP Where It All Began, airing on Premier Christian Radio at 2pm on Easter Monday.

It's a double bill this week as Jemimah Wright interviews the legendary campaigner and humanitarian Baroness Cox, and Sam Hailes sits down with the head of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC) to talk about the importance of whole life discipleship.    Read the interview with Baroness Cox in Premier Woman Alive magazine. For more on LICC's 40 cities tour, see http://licc.org.uk   The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Subscribe now for just £1 at premierchristianity.com/subscribe

The journalist and activist Genelle Aldred was just 19 when an unplanned pregnancy ended in the stillbirth of her daughter. It was an experience that still drives her to tackle inequality wherever she sees it. In this interview with Abi Thomas, Aldred details her varied career so far, which has seen her present the news for some of the world’s largest broadcasters, including the BBC and ITV, and interviewing Lenny Henry, Paul O’Grady and One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson. She now works with organisations to help them achieve gender and racial diversity, as well as improve their workplace culture and communication. It’s a role which, in many ways, her Christian faith prepared her for. Genelle is the author of new book Communicate for Change (SPCK).    You can also read this interview on the Premier Christianity website.   The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Subscribe now for just £1 at premierchristianity.com/subscribe

Stacey Morgan kissed her husband goodbye before he donned his space suit on July 20, 2019, and headed to his waiting Soyuz rocket. With an overwhelming mix of pride, excitement, and terror, she and her children held hands and watched the rocket ignite and lift off for a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station. In this interview with Premier's Rachel Matthews, Stacey speaks about the difference her Christian faith has made, and the lessons God has taught her through her unique experiences. Find out more in Stacey's book The Astronaut's Wife, which is out now.  The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Subscribe now for just £1 at premierchristianity.com/subscribe 

The straight-talking pastor who isn't afraid to preach on controversial topics speaks to Emma Fowle about embracing God’s heart for the lost and why he’ll always value honesty over self-preservation. The pair also discuss the impact of Covid and social unrest on his ministry, how he's able to read hundreds of books a year and what made him leave his home nation of Australia in order to minister in one of America's most secular cities.  The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Subscribe now and receive John Mark Comer's new book free premierchristianity.com 

38 per cent of pastors are considering quitting the ministry. A combination of Covid and significant cultural shifts is arguably making it harder than ever to be a church leader. Having researched this worrying trend, the US based theologian, worship leader and pastor Rev Dr Glenn Packiam is visiting the UK in order to share his findings. In this interview with Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes, Glenn shares his testimony, explains why he is simultaneously the leader of a non denominational evangelical church and ordained in the Anglican church, gives his view on how congregations can better support their pastors and also comments on how the Church can avoid further ministry scandals. Glenn's latest book The Resilient Pastor is out now.  The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Subscribe now and receive John Mark Comer's new book free premierchristianity.com

Having worked as paediatrician specialising in the care of newborn babies at a leading neonatal intensive care unit for more than 25 years, Dr John Wyatt became increasingly aware of the ethical maelstrom caused by advancing technology and contentious debates about the nature of humanity at the beginning and end of life. Now retired, he spends his time writing and speaking on a range of subjects including AI and robotics, science and faith and medical ethics. In this interview with Premier Christianity's Megan Cornwell, John reflects on his career so far and explains how his Christian faith has informed his work. Prof John Wyatt is the host of a new podcast from the Premier Unbelievable? team. Just search 'Matters of Life and Death' via your podcast provider. The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Subscribe for HALF PRICE now at premierchristianity.com (offer ends Monday)

The desire of Delirious? frontman and principal songwriter, Martin Smith, to reach the masses is undiminished. He loves leading worship in church (“I’ve given my life to it. I believe in it”) but doesn’t want to be constrained by it. Performing at Glastonbury is top of his bucket list and when  he doesn’t hesitate when asked about his dream collaborations: Adele, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Stormzy (“I think I could retire after a day with Stormzy”). For Premier Christianity’s first in-person interview in 18 months, our editor Sam Hailes met Smith in his home on the south coast of England (forgive the sound of our photographer clicking away in the background). Fresh from a run along Brighton beach, Smith is relaxed throughout the conversation, and excited about the release of his new solo album, Dancing In The Fire, which has emerged out of the ashes of Covid-19. Dancing in the Fire is out now. Find out more at martinsmith.tv The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Read this interview with Martin Smith now at premierchristianity.com  

Despite a career that might suggest otherwise, talking about ‘it’ was never the aim, says youth worker and church planter Rachel Gardner. Her latest book is The Sex Thing: Reimagining Conversations with Young People About Sex but “My big thing is Jesus,” she says, adding, “because my big thing is Jesus, of course I talk about sex and masturbation and eating disorders and exam results and stress and mental health.” In this in depth interview, the pair discuss how the Church can get better at having tricky conversations with young people.   The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Get John Mark Comer's new book Live No Lies free when you subscribe. See premierchristianity.com/subscribe

The Northern Irish philosopher Peter Rollins chats to Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes about his vision of a "religionless" Christianity. For Peter, the good news that we can’t be satisfied, that life is difficult, and that we don’t know the secret. It's a highly unusual take on faith, but for Rollins its grounded in a vision of Christ crucified. The pair discuss his upbringing during the Troubles, his conversion to Christianity, and how his thinking has changed over time. For more information, including his 'Atheism for Lent' project, which helps people move from fundamentalism to "a richer kind of faith", visit peterrollins.com  The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity. Get John Mark Comer's new book Live No Lies free when you subscribe. See premierchristianity.com/subscribe