Phil Knox is best known for his work with the Evangelical Alliance - an organisation which represents and connects evangelical churches and people across the UK and where he serves as evangelism and missiology senior specialist.

Knox grew up in a Christian household and attended church regularly. Home was a place where Scripture was regularly referenced. On car journeys he describes his parents teaching him to memorise Bible verses before he was allowed to discuss football.

His father was a lawyer and specialised in social housing. For a time, Knox also believed he would follow in his footsteps but a stint working at Youth for Christ got him hooked on mission and on seeing "young people become Christians."

Working with his friend and colleague Gavin Calvert, CEO of the Alliance, he has written: Good News People: Hopeful evangelicals yesterday, today and tomorrow. which he describes as celebration of the UK evangelical Church.

During his research he says he discovered a Church which was 'rich', 'diverse' and full of 'life' and that any decline in nominalism - the idea that people attend church because of mindless duty - has been replaced by a people that are alive for Jesus fronted by some extraordinary Church leaders.

On this edition of The Profile he talks to Premier Christianity Editor Sam Hailes about the vital element friendship plays when sharing faith, particularly between men, a subject he has already written about in his book The Best Friends and how we need to be both braver and kinder.

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity Magazine, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Through our publication, you’ll access thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary. Take advantage of our special offer - just £6 for 3 issues plus full digital access to our website and back issues. Enrich your faith journey and subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.

Andy Flannagan has an irrepressible energy. The Northern Irishman, who is now based in Luton, began his adult life as a medical doctor before quickly deciding that singing and song writing was a passion he had to explore.

His albums include Advertising the Invisible, Son, Drowning in the Shallow, with his music often addressing social injustice, global poverty, environmental concerns, and human suffering

His love of music lead him to writing about political issues and soon he was knee-deep in political activism heading up Christians on the Left for ten years and is now Executive Director of Christians in Politics making regular contributions to national debates on Premier Christian Radio.

He's a strident social activist who believes God's people need to take part in politics at every level, whether it's a parish council or supporting (or grilling) a member of parliament.

In this interview with Premier Christianity Magazine Editor Sam Hailes he talks about his involvement with politics and how he sees his armchair peers getting more and more radicalised plus his new links with the homeless social enterprise Green Pastures.

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity Magazine, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Through our publication, you’ll access thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary. Take advantage of our special offer - just £6 for 3 issues plus full digital access to our website and back issues. Enrich your faith journey and subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.

Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers has achieved a lot in her life already. Aged just 28 she is the newly crowned World Champion, winning the gold at the recent World Athletics Championships in Japan. She has won silver medals at the Paris 2024 & Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She is the Australian and Oceania high jump record holder (2.04m).

She is also the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion and will be looking to defend her title next year at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Olyslagers has always been very open about her faith, often speaking about how it motivates her both on and off the track.

In this episode of The Profile she talks to Victoire Eyoum about how her career was completely transformed from the moment her faith was an integral part of it, how she met other Christians through the sport and the way they encourage one another to be all that they feel God has called them to be, and how love should be at the start of everything we do in life.

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity Magazine, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Through our publication, you’ll access thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary. Take advantage of our special offer - just £6 for 3 issues plus full digital access to our website and back issues. Enrich your faith journey and subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.

Academic Beth Allison Barr grew up in a Christian home a never really questioning the reality of God and was formally baptised aged 11. Not that there weren't a few theological question marks along the way.

She became an academic historian specialising in medieval history while her husband became a Baptist minister. And it was only when they began to challenge their own church concerning the role of women in leadership that her writing and research took a sightly new focus.

Barr is a Professor of History at Baylor University in Texas studying women’s history, medieval and early modern England as well as church history and her work explores how perceptions of women’s roles in Christian thought have evolved.

Her writings have featured in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, NPR and The New Yorker.

In this episode of The Profile she speaks to Premier Christianity Magazine's Deputy Editor Emma Fowle about her latest book: Becoming the Pastor’s Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman’s Path to Ministry and how women's positions within The Church have been framed throughout history.

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity Magazine, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Through our publication, you’ll access thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary. Take advantage of our special offer - just £6 for 3 issues plus full digital access to our website and back issues. Enrich your faith journey and subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.