The Leadership Journey Podcast

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Andy Lamberton

The guest on this episode of the podcast is Andy Lamberton. For several years Andy has been leading the work of Exodus in the North West. Exodus is a young people’s discipleship movement that each year mobilises some 500 young people for summer missions. Andy’s role in Exodus is currently changing as he spearheads a new ministry called Legacy – a ministry designed to encourage fathers. He is married to a Derry Girl (an actual Derry Girl rather than a TV one) and has recently written his first book – Letters for Exiles: Faithful Living in a Faithless World.
In our conversation we talk about Andy’s own story and about his new book.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: John Risbridger

John Risbridger served for 17 years as pastor of Above Bar Church in Southampton. For most of the past year he has been working on an MA in Global Missiology and he and his wife, Alison have been appointed as the new leaders of the Catalyst Leadership and Theology training course.
Previously John worked for several years for UCCF in both regional and national roles. He has also served as chair of the Keswick Convention and is currently chair of the Evangelical Alliance Council and a member of the board. He is a conference speaker and author, having written The Message of Worship in the IVP Bible Speaks Today series.
In our conversation John talks about growing up in a strong family of faith and about the importance of forming strong peer friendships. He talks about some of the important lessons he has learned from various ministry settings and shares some of the opportunities and challenges of ministry. He also talks about ‘missional ecclesiology’ and the need for the Church to understand and speak of mission in a better way. And of course he also talks about what he would say to his twenty-year-old self.
During the conversation we mention a talk John gave on depression at New Horizon in 2022. You can access the talk here.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Phil Knox

On this episode of the podcast I am talking with Phil Knox. Phil works with the Evangelical Alliance as an evangelism and missiology specialist.
Phil has recently published his second book, The Best of Friends: Choose wisely, Care well, and we spend some time talking about ideas from the book.
To get a copy of the book, you can try your local Christian bookshop, or follow the link to the IVP page where you can purchase a copy – either an ‘actual’ book or an ebook.
The podcast will be back in May and I will be talking with John Risbridger. John and his wife, Alison, are the leaders of the Catalyst Leadership and Theology Training programme.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: ‘Monty’ Montgomery

My guest on this episode of the podcast is David (more commonly known as ‘Monty’) Montgomery. Monty is the Regional Secretary for IFES Europe (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students), a role that involves oversight of student work in over forty countries.
In our conversation we discuss Monty’s early days (his father was a mission worker) and several key moments in the development of his faith. We talked about his sense of call to ministry and his time in the rarefied spiritual atmosphere of Regent College in Vancouver. This was followed by a season of ministry in several Presbyterian churches on either side of the Irish border before a move to student work with what became known as CUI (Christian Unions Ireland).
Monty shares about some of the challenges of and encouragements of ministry, including a helpful and challenging outline of how the nature of internal challenges change over the course of a ministry journey.
As ever, we conclude the conversation by hearing what he would say to his twenty-year old self.
The next guest on the podcast will be Phil Knox. Phil works with the Evangelical Alliance and is the author of an excellent new book on friendship: The Best of Friends: Choose wisely, Care well.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Donna Jennings

Donna Jennings is Church and Missions Co-ordinator with the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland and she is the guest on this episode of the podcast.
As she reflects on her story, she talks about early church experiences and the sense that there should be ‘something more’ (a recurring theme in her story). As a young person she had a remarkable experience of the Lord and a sense that he had taken hold of her life. Student years carried their questions about the Christian faith but there were wise mentors who helped as came through this. She talks about life in Bangladesh, where she met her husband and learned how to introduce Jesus into a quite different culture. A diagnosis of autism for their son meant that the family moved to Northern Ireland where part of Donna’s energy has gone into working in the area of disability theology.
Donna talks about some of the resources she has been involved in producing with EA and answers the traditional podcast question of what she would say to her 20-year-old self.
If you would like to know more about the mission resources that Donna mentioned for churches, you can contact her at d.jennings@eauk.org. To learn more about the Evangelical Alliance and its work across the UK, visit their website.
The next guest on the podcast (after Easter) will be David ‘Monty’ Montgomery, Regional Secretary of IFES Europe.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Kees Postma

The guest on this episode of the podcast is Kees Postma. Kees is a Dutchman living in the northern part of his home country (Friesland) where he is involved in a church plant. He also helps oversee the church planting work of ECM (European Christian Mission) in Holland, Belgium and Germany.
Kees is also an author. His first book, The Retreat, is an unusual combination of humour and spiritual wisdom that tells the story of a fictional group of Dutch pastors who travel to the southern coast of Ireland (Kees used to work in Ireland) for a spiritual retreat.
In our conversation we talk about the book as well as taking about Kees’ own story and we get a preview of his next book which should appear this year.
You can pick up a copy of The Retreat here.
At the end of our conversation, in answer to the question of what he would say to his 20-year-old self, Kees, refers to a song by singer-songwriter (and author) Andrew Peterson. The song includes these words:
You don’t have to work so hardYou can rest easyYou don’t have to prove yourselfYou’re already mineYou don’t have to hide your heartI already love youI hold it in mineSo you can rest easy
You might like to take a few minutes to listen to the rest of the song.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Sir George Hamilton

In the final episode of 2022 I’m speaking to Sir George Hamilton, former Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). George served in this role for five years, retiring in 2019 – this after a police career spanning thirty-four years.
Among the things we talk about are ambition and following God’s will. At times we can limit our understanding of calling to the world of pastors and missionaries: but what does it mean to someone progressing in a career outside of the church? The conversation also talks about the formation of values: how might a Christian’s personal values impact a secular organisation? And what really matters, even when someone reaches the pinnacle of their profession.
I hope you enjoy listening to this episode of the podcast: if you do, why not leave a review on Apple or Spotify?
Thanks for visiting the page, and may you have a wonderful Christmas.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Andrew Roycroft

Andrew Roycroft is the pastor of Portadown Baptist Church. Previously he has served churches in Newtownards, Armagh and Millisle, as well as spending time with Baptist Missions in Peru.
In our conversation we cover the contours of his leadership journey, reflecting on some of the sometimes painful lessons learned along the way. Andrew is also a published poet and has recently released “33: reflections on the Gospel of Saint John” a collection of short poems based on John’s Gospel: we chat about his love of poetry in the podcast.
If you would like to get a copy of the book, you can contact Andrew via his church website or by locating him on Twitter (@AndrewTRoycroft).
Here is our conversation.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Andy Hickford

For the past four years Andy Hickford has been Senior Minister at Upton Vale Baptist Church in Torquay. He is currently on sabbatical ahead of moving into a new phase of ministry with Jubilee Leadership – a new ministry with a focus on helping leaders have the opportunity for rest, release and restoration.
Previously Andy worked in churches in Worthing and Luton.
Be sure to listen all the way through and catch the things Andy would say to his 20-year-old self. I’ve asked him to wrote a blog about them – it will be posted here: they are very rich. In anticipation, here are the bullet points:
You are perfectly loved: learn to rest in that and minister from it.
God does speak, so learn to listen.
Pay attention to the habits and pace of your life.
Don’t be deceived by the miraculous aspects of your calling.
Embrace pilgrimage: enjoy the journey.
The guest on the next episode will be Andrew Roycroft. Andrew is pastor of Portadown Baptist Church. We will be talking about his leadership journey, but also about his new poetry collection: 33 reflections on the Gospel of Saint John.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Gavin Calver

The guest on this episode of the podcast is Gavin Calver. Gavin is CEO of the Evangelical Alliance, a network of over 3000 churches and organisations across the UK. Previously he was the National Director of Youth for Christ and he has served as chair of Spring Harvest. He has authored several books, including ‘Unleashed: The Acts Church Today‘, written with his wife, Anne.
The podcast will be back next month when I will be talking to Andy Hickford.