Preaching Well

The Archbishop of York walks into the conversation with stories that spark, stretch, and surprise.
Stephen Cottrell opens up about the craft he loves - preaching that overflows, reveals, repeats, slows down, and dares to invite. He talks about childhood outside the church, the moment Scripture made him weep in the pulpit, the joy of feeding the soul with art and poetry, and the fierce hope that every sermon can draw someone closer to Christ.
He wrestles with vulnerability, tells the truth about microphones, pace, and craft, and shows why story - raw, human, embodied - still cuts through the noise. He names the hunger in our churches, the longing in our culture, and the courage it takes to call people home.
It’s vivid, warm, unexpected, and full of movement. A joyful, searching conversation with a preacher who believes the gospel is beautiful enough to change us - and generous enough to invite a response every time.

What happens when the preachers who break open the gospel are the ones the world might overlook?
In this episode of Preaching Well, two vicars - Jonathan Macy, who preaches with a stammer, and Phil Bryson, who lives and preaches with a visual impairment—show us how the good news runs through weakness, courage, and raw honesty.
Jonathan speaks slowly because he must. Phil preaches without seeing a face in the room.
And yet their sermons land with power. Their vulnerability opens doors. Their congregations come alive.
Together, they talk about calling, resilience, joy, inclusion, and the surprising gifts released when the pulpit becomes a place for every voice and every body part—especially the ones the apostle Paul calls 'weaker,' 'different,' or 'indispensable'.
It’s earthy. It’s brave. It’s full of hope.

What happens when a preacher discovers that God is already speaking - and the sermon is simply joining in?
In this episode of Preaching Well, Bishop Sam Corley takes us from a tiny 8am communion in his early twenties to pulpits across the country, sharing the moment when preaching snapped into place, like riding a bike with the wind in his face. He talks about reading Scripture like a long, living story, hosting a congregation like guests at a table, and finding the courage to preach when his own words feel dry and nothing seems to land.
Sam opens up about telling stories that touch the heart, asking questions that let silence work, letting God have the loudest voice in the room, and learning - slowly, painfully - to be himself in the pulpit.
Warm, honest, grounded, full of joy and hard‑won wisdom.

Preaching Well is where the art of preaching meets the pulse of the world.
Hosted by Bishop Saju Muthalaly, Bishop of Loughborough in the Diocese of Leicester, this podcast explores how Christians can speak Scripture with power and precision - across cultures, contexts, and generations.

A bishop shaped by exile, welcome, and the slow courage of untying life’s hardest knots steps.
In this vivid, searching conversation, Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani opens up about preaching that breathes - preaching rooted in honesty, tension, questions, and the kind of quiet conviction that still moves mountains.
She speaks of fear in the church, the gift of asking better questions, the poetry of faith, and the strange holiness of wrestling with Scripture that both comforts and wounds. She talks about learning not to collapse under the weight of every knot in the rope, how to spot the ones that can be loosened, and how to make peace with the ones that won’t budge.
Across the episode, she invites us into a posture of trust, resonance, authenticity, and brave tenderness. Not showmanship. Not clichés. Just the real work of preaching in a fearful world: do not be afraid.
It’s warm, wise, surprising, and full of movement. A conversation for anyone who longs to preach - or live - with more depth, more honesty, and more courage.