CONTRIBUTORS

Al Gordon leads SAINT, a fast-growing and thriving church on a mission to bring hope to the heart of East London. Al has a vision to build cathedrals of creativity across the globe through Renaissance, a new school of creativity. The creativity of Al’s ministry is both intriguing and inspiring to any entrepreneurial leader. Whether it involves hosting concerts in their church building, opening a brewery like monks of old, or keeping bees as a prophetic reminder of the crucial role the church is to play in the ecosystem of human interactions. He is married to Olivia, an architect, and they have three children. Al is a trustee of Alpha International.

Andy Crouch is the partner for theology and culture at Praxis, a venture-building ecosystem awakening redemptive imagination, and a teaching fellow for Practicing the Way. His writing explores faith, culture, and the image of God in the domains of technology, power, leadership, and the arts. He is the author of five books (plus another with his daughter, Amy Crouch): The Life We’re Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World, The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place, Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, and Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling.

Born and raised in Spring, Texas, Zahriya Zachary joined the Bethel Music collective in 2021. Although she didn’t come from a musical family, her love for music began at an early age while learning to play the piano. Since joining Bethel Music, Zahriya has quickly become a powerful and authentic voice in worship music. She made her debut on Homecoming (2021), leading “Back To Life,” and was featured on “Hymn Of Heaven” with Brian Johnson. Most recently, Zahriya released her debut full-length album, Rediscovery, a 13-track project that captures her journey with Jesus over the past three years—the untangling, relearning, and deeply vulnerable process of walking closely with Him. Zahriya believes that worship is the place where we belong—it’s the most natural and innate response to who God is, and it extends far beyond music. Her hope and prayer is that when she leads, people would forget about her and be drawn straight to the feet of Jesus.

Amy has a PHD in Theology from Oxford, and speaks all around the world to leaders, parliamentarians, and young people about life, faith and hope. Recently, Amy has advocated significantly for transparency and justice working alongside and representing survivors of abuse and mistreatment, work that was recognised in 2023 when she was awarded the Alphege Award. She has authored multiple popular books, including ‘Where is God in All the Suffering?’, the bestselling ‘Why Trust the Bible’ and more recently ‘Mary’s Voice’.

Ije Nwokorie is Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Martens, bringing more than two decades of global leadership across brand, strategy, innovation and transformation. Appointed CEO in January 2025, Ije has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s long‑term brand and growth strategy, following his tenure as Chief Brand Officer and Independent Non‑Executive Director of the Board. Prior to Dr. Martens, Ije was Senior Director at Apple Retail, Apple’s direct‑to‑consumer arm, where he helped build meaningful connections between customers and the Apple brand. He also spent over a decade at Wolff Olins, culminating as Worldwide CEO, leading offices in London, Dubai, New York and San Francisco. Alongside his executive career, Ije has served as a Trustee at charity: water for nearly a decade and held board roles including the Institute of International Visual Arts, Malaria No More UK and Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first majority black and ethnically diverse orchestra ensemble.

Jon Rush is a pastor, theologian, and founder shaped by 15 years of local church ministry, with a deep commitment to the formation of the next generation and the questions shaping our digital future. Now serving as Formations Pastor at Holy Saints in Franklin, Tennessee, he’s also the founder of Scroll Company and Manna Creator Club. His work explores what he calls the “ancient future”: bringing the wisdom of the Christian tradition into conversation with social media, AI, gaming, and the rapidly changing digital world. At the center of it all is a simple conviction: the Church should meet the future with courage, creativity, truth, beauty, and wisdom.

Dr Belle Tindall is a writer, podcaster, speaker, and biblical scholar. She’s currently writing and curating stories for the online magazine, Seen and Unseen, hosting the Re-Enchanting podcast, and speaking all over the place. Her debut book, The Sacred Ache, publishes in 2026.

Ale Siekmeier is a motivational speaker and life & relationship coach based in New York City. With a passion for the transformation and healing of the soul, Ale inspires audiences through her engaging presentations at podcasts, church events, and various courses throughout the year. Originally from Guatemala, she has spent the last 19 years dedicated to ministry, having mentored hundreds of women and men to encourage them to live whole and integrated lives. Ale has been happily married to her best friend, Ben, for 13 years (and counting!)

Dr Jon Thompson is the Senior Pastor of Sanctus Church, a multi-site church across the Greater Toronto Area and online, where he has served for over 25 years. He holds a Doctorate of Missiology from Fuller Seminary and is an adjunct professor at Tyndale University. Having spent his early childhood in Ecuador as the son of missionaries, Jon is now a leading voice in the Church in Canada. He speaks and teaches around the world on how spiritual gifts, spiritual practices and encounters with God come together in everyday faith and in the local church. He is the author of the bestselling ‘Convergence’ and ‘Deliverance’, as well as ‘Presence’ and ‘Perseverance’.

Andrew Lennon is an artist, designer, teacher, and Lead Pastor based in Lynchburg, Virginia. Before stepping into ministry full-time, Andrew worked as an artist and graphic designer. He started a successful design brand that worked for several companies, musicians, and churches all over the world. As his congregation Breakthrough Church began to grow and flourish, he felt God calling him to lay down his full-time design career and serve as a full-time Pastor. Still, his heart for creativity remains: now expressed through his artwork, writing, and the vision of his ministry.

Xenia James is a digital evangelist, content creator, preacher and presenter. She’s known for previous work with organisations such as The Way UK and Alpha Youth, creating evangelism and discipleship resources for young people. She is also involved in the new Alpha Series launching in 2027. Xenia’s a youth leader in her local church, and very passionate about young people exploring Jesus and connecting with the Bible.

Jonathan Rivera is a Pastor, Speaker, & Leader who is passionate about the Local Church, Ethnic Diversity, And Building The Next Generation of Leaders who will shape and influence our world. Jonathan has worked with young people in the local Church for over 10 years, has preached all over the United States, and has worked with various organizations and groups to reach young people around the world.

Chris Bacon is Chief Executive of Ruffer, an asset management firm. His work has ranged from the Foreign Office to a branding agency, launching a messaging app to teaching on productivity. Chris lives in East London with his wife Zoe and their seven children.

Cadent is a London-based worship collective. Cadent operates as a space to bring people to a posture of being cadent before the Lord. Through music and creativity, they want to make room for people to slow down, draw near to God and encounter His presence. They believe that creativity is a gift from the Creator, and that what we make should reflect the excellence of the One we make it for. Cadent’s desire is to see London filled with the sound of His name, to make space for genuine encounters with God and to encourage a generation to live lives of wholehearted surrender.

Dr Deborah Pritchard is a British composer known for her synaesthesia performed worldwide by the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Britten Sinfonia, London Sinfonietta, BBC Singers, Voces8 and broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. Her violin concerto ‘Wall of Water’, after Maggi Hambling's art, was hailed as a ‘work that will take one’s breath away’ by music magazine ‘Gramophone’. Deborah also paints music, described as ‘beautifully illustrated’ by ‘The Times’. She received her DPhil from Worcester College, University of Oxford and was Visiting Fellow at Keble College, Oxford from 2022– 2023. She is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and will be Composer in Residence at Loisiarte Festival, Vienna in 2027.

Ben Pilgreen is the founder and lead pastor of Epic Church in San Francisco, CA. He loves coaching leaders, whether in church or in business. He’s the host of the Bring It Out podcast, author of ‘Bring It Out: How to Cultivate the Unique Gifts and Assignments You’ve Been Given’ and serves as the Bay Area Regional Leader for the Strategic Launch Network. Ben and his wife, Shauna, have four wonderful children.

SAINT MUSIC is the sound of our church family here in East London: a community humbling ourselves before God in worship, and making space for His presence to bring hope and transformation. Born from the local church, these songs carry our heart for a new renaissance, where creativity, faith and culture collide to bring life to the next generation.

Dr David Bennett is a theologian, speaker, and bestselling author passionate about renewing the Church’s witness through thoughtful engagement with today’s ethical, philosophical, and theological questions. He is the author of A War of Loves (Zondervan, 2018) and is releasing Beyond Compromise: Restoring a Biblical Vision of Love, Sexuality, and the Kingdom of God (2027) and a third book, Holy, Strange, Beautiful (2028) planned with Tyndale House Publishers. His work explores themes of beauty, creativity, love, desire, sexuality, suffering, holiness, and discipleship, offering a compelling vision of biblical faithfulness in a contemporary world.

Inkwell (by Christianity Today) is a storytelling community seeking transcendence. It seeks to raise up the next generation of storytellers through the power of testimony, the myth of poetry, the art of culture, and the beauty of community.

As the Co-Founder and CEO of Armada, Dan Wright leads a mission that is much larger than the company itself: bridging the digital divide. At Armada, the team is committed to making AI universally accessible, ensuring that every corner of the globe is interconnected. Dan’s entrepreneurial journey is anchored in a deep commitment to building and empowering exceptional teams, nurturing their growth, and driving operational excellence in the ever-changing landscape of disruptive technology. He is particularly passionate about creating a future where technology and connectivity can be leveraged to overcome barriers, opening up a world of possibilities for all.