The Profile

It has taken the Northern Irish collective a few years to realise it, but they're more of a ministry than a band. That's according to Gareth and Ali Gilkerson, the husband and wife duo who are founding members of the popular worship group Rend Collective. In this in depth interview with Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes, the couple talk about their decision to preach the Gospel at every gig, why Covid-19 has affected the band's finances and how criticism and online trolling hasn't dampened their passion for church unity. 

The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. Subscribe now for £3.95/month

Richard Stearns was President of World Vision USA for 20 years. In this in-depth interview with Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes, he talks about his unexpected calling into the ministry and how he felt completely unprepared and ill-equipped for the role. "I knew nothing about poverty and I remember saying 'Lord I don't know what to do'. It was almost like the Lord said to me 'that's exactly where I want you - dependent on me." Richard also explains how he was able to generate millions of dollars in fundraising for the charity, why Donald Trump's "rhetoric" around refugees has hurt their work and the various challenges which Covid-19 has brought. Richard says the many good news stories about the reduction in poverty are "too often untold". For example, the number of children dying from preventable causes has halved in the past 25 years he says, explaining that he believes charities need to broadcast their successes as much as their pleas for support. 

The Profile is brought to you in association with  Premier Christianity magazine. Subscribe now for £4.95/month

The Archbishop of York is an evangelist. Speaking about the Thy Kingdom Come prayer initiative, he says, "We all long, of course, to share our faith.” A significant proportion of the 38 books he’s authored are either about mission and evangelism or, in the case of his newest title, Dear England (Hodder & Stoughton), are aimed at those who don’t yet share his faith. In this in-depth interview with Premier Christianity's editor, Archbishop Stephen shares his own life story, and explains how he's "longing" to bring "evangelistic renewal" to the Church of England. 

You can also read this interview in the latest edition of Premier Christianity magazine.  Subscribe now for £4.95/month

Scientist Rosalind Picard speaks to Ruth Jackson about her faith journey from atheism, how she has used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create life-saving technology and where she sees the future of AI. She also shares her thoughts about working in science as both a Christian and female, as well as how we can help people to meet God in the midst of suffering.

Watch Professor Rosalind Picard discuss Artificial Intelligence and whether new technology removes the need for God with Professor Nick Bostrom on the Big Conversation https://www.thebigconversation.show/aiandtechnology

The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine.  Subscribe now for £4.95/month

Apologist Clare Williams, who is one of the speakers at the upcoming Unbelievable? conference, speaks to Ruth Jackson about some of the big questions young black people face. Clare spent over ten years working as a teacher before training in apologetics and uses her experience to help provide Generation Z (those born after mid-90s) with answers to some of life’s toughest objections about the Christian faith.

To listen to more of Clare, join us at the online Unbelievable? conference on Saturday 15th May https://www.unbelievable.live​.

The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine.  Subscribe now for £4.95/month

The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine.  Subscribe now for £4.95/month

The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine.  Subscribe now for £4.95/month

As a much in-demand actor, David Oyelowo OBE can’t say ‘yes’ to every film he’s offered. So how does he decide which projects to take on? His answer is simple: “As a Christian, I don’t really do films that don’t have some kind of message to them.” In this interview with Sam Hailes, David explains how God became real to him, what it was like playing Martin Luther King Jr in Selma and why he wishes British Christians would be more up front about their faith. In part two, Justin Brierley meets Mark Clark, pastor of The Village Church, Vancouver. He talks about his conversion to Christianity through reading the Bible, why he gave up academic dreams to become a pastor, and about his new book ‘The Problem of Jesus: Answering a Skeptic's Challenges to the Scandal of Jesus’.

Read the interview with David Oyelowo now in Premier Christianity magazine.  Subscribe now for £4.95/month

Gospel heavy weight Fred Hammond is well known for his extensive music catalogue, but he's been quietly honing his writing and stage directing skills for almost two decades. Now his virtual play "Surviving Williams" is set to reach a global audience. In this interview with Premier's Muyiwa, Hammond says his greatest gift is the anointing to help people. “I love to see people grow. I love pouring into folk…I’m a coach." Hammond was pivotal in launching the careers of Marvin Sapp, Christina Bell and Israel Houghton and continues to take new talent under his wings. During this conversation, Hammond also reflects on his divorce and even opens up about his most embarassing experience in music to date. Sharing his secret to bouncing back from rejection, Hammond quotes Isaiah 40:31 – “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,” adding that the definition of patience, is the ability to remain the same while you wait.

The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. Subscribe now for £4.95/month