The Profile

Is there such a thing as a Calvinist comedy writer? Yes, there is! And his name is James Cary. The 42 year old self professing sit-com geek has worked on the BBC’s Miranda, My Family and Bluestone 42. He’s written plays including A Monk’s Tale and most recently A Turbulent Priest. He is also member of the Church of England’s general synod. In this in-depth conversation with Premier Christianity’s Sam Hailes, James opens up about his early life, gives his view on whether Jesus was funny and challenges Christians to put more effort into the public reading of scripture. “We’re not firing blanks here, when we’re reading the scriptures. It is a sharp sword” he says. He also comments on issues relating to free speech and wades into the ‘should Christians watch Game of Thrones’ controversy. Follow James on Twitter @sitcomgeek 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

Premier’s Lady T meets the woman who has been dubbed “Britain’s godmother of gospel". Karen Gibson is the founder and director of The Kingdom Choir, which is best known for performing ‘Stand by Me’ at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In this in depth conversation, Karen shares her story and recounts what it was like to be involved in such a momentous occasion. 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

Premier’s Ian Britton sits down with the Christian author and international speaker Simon Ponsonby on this week’s show. Growing up, Simon was aware of a strong spiritual heritage and can remember attending Exclusive Brethren church services. Later in life, he “lost the plot” and turned away from God. “My most intense prayers were the girls I’d slept with wouldn’t get pregnant”, he remembers. In this in-depth interview, Simon reveals how a series of “God incidents” led to an “immediate transformation” in his life. Today, Simon is passionate about teaching on the centrality of the cross and the Gospel. The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. Click here to read Simon Ponsonby’s Letter to the UK Church in Premier Christianity magazine. For a free sample copy of the latest issue visit premierchristianity.com/freesample

Imagine authoring a book that sells millions of copies around the world. Then imagine receiving messages, years later, from people who say they were deeply damaged and hurt by your work. What would you do? Joshua Harris was just 21 when I Kissed Dating Goodbye was released. His book warned that dating could cause irreparable emotional damage. The solution was to embrace courtship – where couples pursue friendship before romance, and parents are given permission to offer advice and help guide the relationship. Harris also advocated for strict boundaries within this: no kissing, no holding hands and no being alone together before you tie the knot. Perhaps most famously, he recommended only beginning a relationship with someone if you could picture yourself marrying them in the near future. Now, he’s apologising for writing it and is the subject of a new documentary film entitled I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye. The film, which is available to watch free online, sees Harris sitting down with his fiercest critics and listening to their stories. Having heard their testimonies, Harris has now decided to withdraw his book from sale. In this in depth interview with Premier Christianity’s Sam Hailes, he explains what made him re-evaluate the work, and what he’s learned in the process. Follow Joshua on Twiter @Harris_Josh   You can also read this interview on the Premier Christianity magazine website. Or for a free sample copy of the latest print issue visit premierchristianity.com/freesample

Dr Phil Fernandes is Senior Pastor of Trinity Bible Fellowship and president of the Institute of Biblical Defense. As a Christian apologist, he has engaged in debates with sceptics across the USA for decades. In this edition of the show he sits down with Justin Brierley for a live audience conversation at Quilcene Bible Church. GET THE PODCAST - via iTunes or Podbean Listen to more of Dr Phil Fernandes at Sermonaudio.com 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

In part one of this week’s show, Premier Christian Radio’s Rachel Adebiyi meets Casey J, the Atlanta-born gospel singer best known for her hit song "Fill Me Up". She talks about her heart for serving other Christians and why this comes before other labels such as “artist”. She also reveals why she’s nervous about releasing her second album The Gathering. In part two, Sam Hailes meets three of the people behind the brand new History Channel docudrama Jesus: His Life which begins on Easter Sunday at 9pm. Greg Garrett, the actor who plays Jesus, explains his excitement at the opportunity to play “the most famous person in history”, while executive producer Ben Goold and bestselling author and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore reflect on how the story of Christ has shaped Western civilisation. Follow Casey J on Twiter @Caseyjmusic Simon Sebag Montefiore - @simonmontefiore Greg Barnett - @_gregbarnett 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

It’s a double bill of The Profile this week. In part one, YCW’s Ruth Jackson interviews Dan & Jo Watson, the youth and young adults pastors at Hillsong Church UK. They speak openly about the challenges of ministering together as a husband and wife, where the line is between publicly talking about struggles and leading well and why Hillsong has attracted so many young people. In part two, Sam Hailes sits down with Mark Taylor, the president of Tyndale House – the largest privately owned Christian publisher in the world, responsible for publishing Left Behind, The Living Bible and many other popular titles. The pair discuss the challenges of Christian publishing in the age of the internet, how decisions are made on which authors to publish and how Tyndale are helping to make the Bible available to people around the world who don’t speak English. 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

In his early years as a marriage counselor, Dr Gary Chapman noticed how couples would voice similar complaints regarding their marriage. One would say, "I feel like he doesn’t love me." The other would protest, "I don’t know what else to do! I’m doing everything I should be doing." Recognising a pattern, Dr Chapman asked himself, “When someone said, ‘I feel like my spouse doesn’t love me,’ what do they actually want?” Surprisingly, their answers fell into five categories, revealing a unique approach in how to effectively love another person. The result is a discovery of the 5 love languages - a concept which has helped millions of people across the world. On a recent trip to the UK, Dr Chapman sat down with Sam Hailes, editor of Premier Christianity magazine to explain what these languages are and how understanding them can help couples, parents and singles. Dr Chapman also unpacks his own background working as a pastor in the USA, and comments on what lessons the Church can learn from the current #MeToo moment.  Follow Gary on Twitter @DrGaryChapman 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    

Brian Broderson is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in California. He speaks to Justin Brierley about his conversion as a young surfer dude and his ministry with wife Cheryl in the USA, UK and Eastern Europe. After his father-in-law Chuck Smith (the founder of Calvary Chapel) passed away in 2013, Brian took over leadership of the flagship church in Costa Mesa and the Calvary Chapel Network. Brian speaks about the joys and challenges of leadership transition and following in Chuck’s footsteps. Follow Brian on Twitter @BrianBrodersen The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. For a free sample copy of the latest issue, which features an interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, visit premierchristianity.com/freesample

The 105th Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby took office nearly six years ago. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Church of England after becoming a Priest in his late 30s. His appointment as Archbishop married his strategic skills as a former oil executive with a full bodied faith, nurtured as a member of Holy Trinity Brompton, one of the UK's leading charismatic evangelical churches. Since taking office, Welby hasn't been afraid to wade into the political ring, even addressing the Trades Union Congress last year. Welby says its not his place to be party political, but Jesus wasn't afraid to speak out on politics. On Brexit, the Archbishop has argued the burden of proof is on those arguing for 'no deal', "to show it will not harm the poorest and most vulnerable." In this in-depth interview, Justin Brierley hears more from Justin Welby on issues relating to sexuality, prayer, evangelism and more.  In the second part of today's show, Sam Hailes sits down with the founder of Hope for Justice, Ben Cooley. The author of Impossible is a Dare tells the story of how he booked the NEC arena in Birmingham at the age of 26, with no organisational or financial backing. The reason? Cooley had become obsessed by the issue of modern day slavery and was determined to end it. What began as an awareness-raising opportunity is now a fully fledged organisation, operating all over the world. And the former opera singer is still convinced the evil of human trafficking can be stopped. His work has taken him all over the world, and his book has been endorsed by the Prime Minister Theresa May, but Cooley says the "pinch yourself" moments aren't when he's rubbing shoulders with powerful or influential leaders, but when he witnesses victims being rescued.  Follow Justin Welby on Twitter @JustinWelby Follow Ben Cooley on Twitter @BenCooley The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. For a free sample copy of the latest issue, which features an interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, visit premierchristianity.com/freesample