The Profile

With a Catholic mother and a Jewish father perhaps Aaron Abrahamson was always set to spend his life bridging two different traditions.

He grew up in America and after his mother converted to Judaism his parents brought him up in the Jewish faith eventually moving to Israel themselves when he was a teenager. There Aaron attended Yeshiva - a traditional Jewish school which focuses on studying the Torah, Talmud and Jewish law.

He completed his mandatory military service in the Israeli army and served in Lebanon 1992-95 which he describes as a "volatile period". During that time a close friend was kidnapped, tortured and killed and the experience shook him. After three years he left the military with a desire to look for answers to life's big questions.

He came back to America and began travelling, encountering people along the way, some of whom introduced him to The Bible and one of whom who directly challenged him to read The Gospels: "I felt drawn to his person of Jesus and I couldn't explain why and a lot of the things he (Jesus) was addressing were questions I had had in the Yeshiva."

Abramson joined Jews for Jesus over 20 years ago, directly evangelising to the Jewish community in places like New York, often on the streets in bald, quite direct ways sometimes garnering criticism for that -but he hasn't looked back.

His new book Mission Design talks through how the organisation deconstructed their approach, figuring out what worked and what didn't and sharing it with people undertaking similar missions of their own.

In this episode of The Profile he talks to Sam Hailes, Premier Christianity magazine editor, about his own search for Christ, the struggles connecting his Jewish heritage with his Christian faith and how unique and important Jews for Jesus mission is.

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Enjoy thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary on all that God is doing in the world today. Grab the next 3 issues for just £6. Subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.

Andy Peck chats with the author of ‘Beautiful Leadership: your personal framework for authentic impact’ about how the book came about and two themes explored in the book: listening and empowering. Can we listen too much? How does empowering differ from delegating and how might be better empower those we lead?
The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

As the former head of Religious Broadcasting, Michael Wakelin knows a thing or two about producing programmes about God, often to audiences who have little or no faith.

He spent his early life in Africa with his missionary parents, first in Sierra Leone and then later in Kenya, which he says influenced his own faith in his formative years.

Returning back to the UK he went on to study theology at Birmingham University. As a graduate he landed his first job reporting church news at BBC Radio Norfolk before moving onwards and upwards, later working for The Sunday Programme at Radio 4 as well as the iconic Thought for the Day - eventually heading up Religious Broadcasting for the BBC.

Wakelin is now Executive Chair of the Religion Media Centre, an independent charity which serves to improve the quality of media coverage of religion and belief by offering daily religious news briefings, context and background information to big news stories as well as media training.

In this episode of the Profile he talks to Premier Christianity Magazine Editor Sam Hailes about his life and career, his desire for what he calls 'religious literacy' in the media and his passion for Norwich City football club.

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Enjoy thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary on all that God is doing in the world today. Grab the next 3 issues for just £6. Subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.

Andy Peck chats with the founder of Kingdom Living Ministries about hearing God’s voice. How does she respond to the evidence that some church leaders have data mined information and claimed that God had given it to them? How does she understand prophecy today and how might we better hear from God for our own leadership?
The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Grace Jin Drexel was thrust into the spotlight because of her father Pastor Ezra Jin. On October 10th 2025 he was arrested and imprisoned by Chinese authorities along with other pastors from Zion Church in a suburb of Beijing. He is officially charged with the "illegal use of information networks” and still remains in jail.

The persecution against Zion Church and Christians more widely in China began in 2016 when the first rewriting of the regulation of religion in China began. It led to independent churches- those not associated with the state - beginning to feel a fresh wave of repression from the authorities.

Pastor Ezra founded Zion church in 2007. It went on to become one of China’s largest underground Christian house church networks.

"China is a hard country to minister to," Grace says, speaking as someone who is now an American citizen. Now, with her background in human rights, she advocates for her father and his release.

In this intimate episode of The Profile Grace speaks to Tola Mbakwe, Premier's News Editor, about what it was like growing up as the daughter of a Christian pastor in China, her hope for his release under President Trump's administration and how God is not giving up on China.

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Enjoy thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary on all that God is doing in the world today. Grab the next 3 issues for just £6. Subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.