The Profile

Simon Thomas seemingly had it all. A successful and enviable career in TV, a loving family and a strong Christian faith. Then at quarter to six on Friday 24 November 2017, his world fell apart. Thomas was “utterly convinced” that his wife, Gemma, would be OK when she was first taken ill. But just three days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, the 40-year-old passed away. Simon was devastated. His prayers for healing had gone unanswered, and he was now faced with breaking the news to the couple’s eight-year-old son, Ethan. As the days, weeks and months rolled by, Thomas would process much of his grief in public; writing raw and honest blogs and producing heartbreaking YouTube videos, often about how he was trying his best to support his son. In this in-depth interview, he opens up to Premier’s Marcus Jones about faith, unanswered prayer and his confidence that death is not the end.  The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. For a free sample copy of the latest issue visit premierchristianity.com/freesample

Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is a leading evangelist and apologist who is senior vice president with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. She talks to Justin Brierley about how her family converted to Christ, doing evangelism from a young age, confronting liberal Bible scholars at Oxford University, taking Bibles to the Taliban, and why her husband is called Frog. Amy and other speakers will be helping young people to wrestle with big questions about faith at Reboot in London on Sat 21 Sep 2019 https://www.rebootglobal.org/ The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. Subscribe now and get 2x FREE tickets to Ligonier’s The Light of the World Conference (worth £118!). premierchristianity.com/subscribe    

Sam Hailes meets the well-known theologian and minister Sinclair Ferguson on this week’s show. Sinclair is Chancellor's Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in the US, and an assistant minister at St. Peter's Free Church of Scotland in Dundee. In this in depth interview he explains how he was called into ministry and shares lessons learned over many decades of teaching the Bible in both academic and local church contexts.   Dr Ferguson will be one of the speakers at Ligonier Ministries’ The Light of the World conference in London. Get 2 FREE tickets (worth £118) to the event when you subscribe to Premier Christianity magazine. Visit premierchristianity.com/subscribe

It’s a double bill on The Profile this week. Megan Cornwell meets Mim Skinner, the author of Jailbirds: a book about women’s prisons, while in part two, Sam Hailes talks Steve Maltz, a Christian author best known for his teaching on the Hebraic roots of Christianity. The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. Request a free copy at premierchristianity.com  

Megan Cornwell meets Bernard Hibbs from The Bruderhof – a Christian community where all possessions are shared, faith sits at the centre of daily life and crime is non-existent. In part two, the Bishop of Burnley Philip North talks about his work in the Church of England and his desire to take the Gospel to the UK’s most deprived areas. The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. To find out more about The Bruderhof, read Megan Cornwell’s feature

On this week’s show, Megan Cornwell sits down with comedian Bec Hill, who is currently performing at Edinburgh Fringe. Born in Australia but now based in London, Bec Hill’s one liners have been featured in The Telegraph, The Guardian and Buzzfeed. She is best known for incorporating arts and crafts into her stand-up routines (which she describes as “paper-puppetry”). In this interview she explains how despite losing faith in some of the church contexts she’s experienced, her belief in Jesus has survived. She also explains why it’s harder to be a woman on the comedy circuit than it is a Christian. The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. To request a free sample copy visit premierchristianity.com/freesample

On this week’s show, Tim Farron tells Sam Hailes how reading books on prophecy and apologetics played a key part in his decision to become a Christian. Farron also comments on how the “trials and tribulations” he experienced while leading the Liberal Democrats have enabled him to be more open about his faith.  The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. You can read this interview in the latest edition. To request a free sample copy visit premierchristianity.com/freesample  

On this week’s show, the national leader of New Wine sits down with Premier Christianity’s Sam Hailes. Paul Harcourt explains how encountering the Holy Spirit at an early age dramatically altered his relationship with God and allowed him to “let go” of an over-reliance on his ability to rationally explain his faith. As New Wine marks 30 years of summer conferences, Paul also reveals exactly how the name ‘New Wine’ came about (it’s not what you think). He also explains why he believes the UK Church could be on the cusp of a new move of the Spirit and comments on how the event has changed its approach when it comes to booking well known speakers. The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. To request a free sample copy of the latest print issue visit premierchristianity.com/freesample  

There are people walking the streets today who were formerly on death row in Uganda. Alexander Mclean is the man who has helped win their freedom. The founder of African Prisons Project, is a lawyer, humanitarian and award winning philanthropist who has long been passionate about setting the captives free. In this interview with Premier Christianity’s Sam Hailes, Alexander – a “prisoner by choice” – shares more about his life, faith and work. The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. To request a free sample copy of the latest print issue visit premierchristianity.com/freesample  

The co-founder of Christian charity CARE reflects on a lifetime of campaigning in this in-depth interview with Premier Christianity’s Sam Hailes. Lyndon Bowring may not have changed his mind on the fundamental issues, but the way he talks about difficult and often divisive subjects has. The 71-year-old has long been an Elim minister and prolific teacher and still describes himself as an evangelist. But he’s also been a bridge builder working for unity among Christians, often behind the scenes. In this interview, Lyndon talks about his upbringing in Wales, how CARE was birthed out of the Nationwide Festival of Light and what the future holds both for him and the ministry he founded. You can also read this interview in Premier Christianity magazine. To request a free sample copy of the latest print issue visit premierchristianity.com/freesample