The guest on this episode of the podcast is Gilbert Lennox. Gilbert has already been a guest on the podcast on a couple of occasions (on both occasions we recorded in front of an actual audience) and this time he joins me to talk about his new book, God Speaking: How to read the Bible to get to know God.

Our conversation begins with a little biography (for more on that you could listen to our 2019 conversation), noting the influence of his parents and of his mentor, Professor David Gooding, on Gilbert’s own relationship with the Bible.

We then talk about engaging with the Bible and explore some the ideas that are developed further in the book.

The book will be available in various outlets such as Cedar and Circle or The Bookwell in Northern Ireland, online from Eden Books and in some of the upcoming summer conferences.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

Peter Rae has recently retired (at least semi-retired) from three decades at the Nazarene Theological College in Manchester, including fifteen years as Academic Dean/VP Academic. I have worked with him in facilitating an MA leadership module over the past few years and on this episode of the podcast we chatted about his story.

Our conversation ranged from the early years, growing up in a family whose story is intertwined with that of NTC, through his journey into the world of theology and academia. We talked about an old motto of NTC (‘scholarship on fire’) and what it means to hold a commitment to careful study and a commitment to ministry together. We touched a little on the phase of life where we both find ourselves (Peter is a few weeks older than me), with some advice for people approaching retirement, and as ever, we finished with something Peter would tell his 20-year-old self.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

I’m keeping this first episode of the year in the family - my guest is Pauline, my wife of 41 years (you can work out whether that is her age or the length of time we have been married).

We’re going to chat a bit about her story and we are going to spend time talking about an exciting writing project that sees the light of day over the course of the year. Pauline has been writing a series of short books that are intended to provide material for folk who wish to spend a bit of time on retreat. The first is due this month and the others will follow as the year unfolds.

If you are living in Northern Ireland we hope that the books will be available in some local Christian bookshops, but there are also plans to make them available to folks from around the world via online ordering. You can follow Pauline’s Substack and other social media to keep up to date with news of the books as well as retreats and other events where she will be speaking.

For more information on the wellbeing programme Pauline mentioned, you can visit the Renew Wellbeing website.

You can read Pauline’s article - Twelve Tips for Pastors’ Wives - on her Substack.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

Pastor and author Sam Allberry, is currently Associate Pastor in Immanuel Church in Nashville, having moved to the US from England. He is author of several books, including Is God Anti-Gay? and Seven Myths about Singleness. His writing also includes a couple of short commentaries on parts of the New Testament.

In our conversation we discuss Sam's early years, growing up in a non-church family in Kent, coming to faith as a teenager. We talk about his progression into ordained Church of England ministry and his eventual move to Immanuel Church in Nashville. Sam also talks about his friendship with the late Tim Keller and  - as you'd expect - what he would say to his 20-year old self, including this:

'Jesus is even better than you think he is!'

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

Gavin Calver and Phil Knox from the Evangelical Alliance have both been on the podcast previously but on this episode they are talking about a new book they have written together and which has just been launched. It's 'Good News People: Hopeful Evangelicals yesterday, today and tomorrow' and it's a positive manifesto for the 21st Century Evangelical Church in the UK (with application to other parts of the world).

As we mention in the conversation, there is a suite of resources to go with the book - a great idea for small groups to work on together and the Evangelical Alliance website will allow you to find out more about the Alliance and give you the option to join as a personal member if you wish to support the work.

If you are in Northern Ireland, Phil will be at the T3 centre on October 16: he will be with his colleague, Rachel Heffer, and they will be talking about the results of the Talking Jesus research.

For more from Phil, you can check out his book 'The Best of Friends' and 'Unleashed' is the book written by Gavin and his wife, Anne.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

Mark Sayers is Lead Pastor of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia and the author of a growing catalogue of books, including, most recently, Platforms to Pillars, published earlier this year. He has become a significant voice in helping the Church in the Western World understand and respond to a rapidly changing context for ministry and mission.

In our conversation Mark talks about growing up in a believing family and some of the key moments and influencers in the development of his own faith. He discusses some of the early challenges he faced in church leadership and his understanding of mission and of how 'personal renewal leads to corporate change'.

We also discuss his writing, which he summarises under the rubric of missiology. Mark describes his process of writing, driven by his curiosity about how the world works and how God interacts with it - all grounded in his rootedness in local ministry.

Mark believes that the world is in a process of rapid change and that spiritual authority, created in moments of pressure, is what will set Christian leaders apart from other forms of leadership.

As is usual for these podcasts, we finish with some of what Mark would say to his 20-year-old self.

For more from Mark, you can subscribe to his Rebuilders podcast or pick up some of his books - see the list below:

• A Non-Anxious Presence: How a Changing and Complex World Will Create a Remnant of Renewed


• Disappearing Church: From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience


• Reappearing Church: The Hope for Renewal in the Rise of Our Post-Christian Culture


• Facing Leviathan: Leadership, Influence, and Creating in a Cultural Storm


• Strange Days: Life in the Spirit in a Time of Upheaval


• The Road Trip That Changed the World: The Unlikely Theory That Will Change How You View Culture, the Church, and, Most Importantly, Yourself


• The Vertical Self: How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are in an Age of Self Obsession


• The Trouble with Paris: Following Jesus in a World of Plastic Promises


• Platforms to Pillars: Trading the Burden of Performance for the Freedom of God's Presence

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

Hold on to Hope is the title of a new book (July 18) from Instant Apostle. The author is Howard Satterthwaite who works for a global Christian charity and previously served as the lead pastor at Westminster Chapel in London. Howard is the guest on this episode of the podcast.

In the podcast, Howard talks about coming to faith in Christ as a law student. He had not grown up in a believing family, but had a praying grandmother whose prayers for her family were powerfully answered as other members of the family came to faith through Alpha.

After some time working as a barrister and working with the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, Howard joined the staff at Westminster Chapel in central London, where he was mentored by the then-senior pastor, the late Greg Haslam.

Two years ago, overwhelmed by discouragement, Howard felt that he had to step away from leadership in the church. In our conversation he talks about this season, and about his recovery, with grace and vulnerability.

Hold on to Hope emerged from journalling and conversations during Howard's discovery. It's largely based around an incident in the life of David in 1 Samuel 30, where David 'encouraged himself in the Lord.' His reflections on the story are interspersed with contributions from a number of other people, including RT Kendall.

The book will be published on July 18: in the meantime, you can pre-order a copy from several online outlets, including from the publisher, Instant Apostle, and from Amazon.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

The guest on this episode podcast is Simon Marriott. Simon is originally from Lurgan in Northern Ireland, and now lives in Mullingar in the centre of Ireland. He has worked with Youth for Christ in the Czech Republic and the Irish Republic, and has served as pastor of Mullingar Christian Fellowship. More recently he has been appointed director of Foundation for the Nations - a group that has helped to resource Youth For Christ projects in scores of nations around the world by connecting them with generous donors. He is married to Hannah, and they have three children.

In our conversation, Simon talks the work he is currently involved in (which you find out about here) and reviews much of his leadership journey, including the influence of some key people, and how his philosophy of Christian leadership has evolved. He speaks powerfully about a deeply challenging personal moment at the time of the birth of one of his children and how significant he has found the meaning of his name to be in his relationship with the Lord.

There are some great leadership takeaways in the conversation.

You will notice a couple of commercial plugs through the conversation - one for the Irish Bible Institute where Simon is a recent MA graduate, and one for his sister's stationery business. Feel free to pay them a visit, along with the Foundation for the Nations and Youth for Christ.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

The guest on this episode of the podcast is Alain Emerson. Alain lives with his wife and three children just outside Lurgan in County Armagh. He pastors Emmanuel Church in Portadown alongside his work with 24-7 Prayer and his oversight of the Tobar network of churches.

Alain has just released his third book - The Cruciform Leader. The book is a rich combination of biblical reflection and personal story that aims to call Christian leaders back to the heart of New Testament leaders, embodied in Jesus and lived out by his first followers.

In our conversation we talk about Alain's own leadership journey as well as delving into what lies behind the book and outlining some of its themes.

You can get hold of a copy of the book (which includes a helpful study guide at the end of each chapter) from various outlets, including Emmanuel Church in Lurgan (if you are in the area), the various Faith Mission bookshops, and online, including from the publisher, Muddy Pearl.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com

Karise Hutchinson is Professor of Leadership at Ulster University. She is also the founder of Illuminaire Leadership - a global institute that provides research-led insight into leaders across a range of areas. Illuminaire publishes an annual journal that is available at illuminaireleadership.com.

In the podcast Karise talks about the roots of her journey of faith and the roots of her interest in leadership. We talk about ways in which faith and leadership studies can inform each other (as well as some of the pitfalls), and Karise talks about her vision for the recently launched Illuminaire institute and publication. You can get copies of the Illuminaire journals and sign up for Karise's Substack, by visiting the website.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jsalanwilson.substack.com