Co Host
Vicar, broadcaster and author

Pat Allerton grew up dreaming of becoming a fighter pilot, surgeon or actor! However, a spiritual awakening at the age of 18 turned his life upside down and his journey to being a preacher began.

Pat was ordained in 2010 and is currently vicar of St Peter’s Church in Notting Hill where he devotes his time to helping people connect with God and explore life’s big questions. Following the closure of places of worship as part of the nationwide lockdown in response to the corona virus, Rev Allerton visited residential streets and hospitals in London on a cargo bike to deliver a hymn and a prayer through a speaker.  He became known as ‘The Portable Priest’ and is credited with spreading a message of hope in the city at that time.  His book, 'A Pocketful of Hope' was published by Yellow Kite in November 2022.  

Pat has appeared on television and radio as a presenter and talking head.  He recently presented a two part series for Channel 5 called Britain’s Great Cathedrals.

Pat is married to Kirsty and together they have two daughters, Phoebe and Ivy.

HOST

Speaker & Co-Host
Host, radio presenter and podcaster

Swarzy is one of the UK’s fastest-rising stars. As celebrated next-generation talent, she has specialisms in Youth, Sport, Music, Faith, and Climate Action.

Known for her high-energy style, Swarzy hosts both the BBC Radio 1 Early Breakfast Show and 1XTRA Weekend Breakfast Show every weekend. Her radio journey has come full circle after she won a competition to become a radio presenter at KISS FM to now being the voice of BBC Sounds. Along the way, her love for community and social justice has led to her contributing to various shows on BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 4.

Radio and faith have intertwined in Swarzy's life, opening doors for opportunities and new stories to be told. Her unique journey to faith drives her deep love for people and the church. She presents BBC Daily Service and Sunday Worship on BBC Radio 4 and has extensive credits in the genre, including God & Hip Hop for BBC 1Xtra and BBC Songs of Praise.

Beyond radio and live events, Swarzy has also continues to make her mark in television. She hosted the ITV Britain’s Got Talent press day and regularly hosts internal events and experiences for both the BBC and ITV, including the launches for The Voice UK, Britain’s Got Talent Series 18 and the ITV Creators’ Summit. 

Her awards include Best Presenter at the UK Entertainment Awards and being named one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Black History Month Next Generation Trailblazers.

TALK: Joy At Work
This session explores how Christians in the media can find and cultivate joy and fulfilment, focusing on wellbeing, mental health, work-life balance and spiritual growth in a high-pressure environment.

Keynote Speaker
Award-winning author and filmmaker

Glen is an award-winning author and filmmaker who speaks around the world about the intersection of faith and culture. Originally from Australia, he was educated at Oxford and is now ordained in the Church of England. He has written 9 books including How to See Life: A guide in 321 and The Air We Breathe. Glen is passionate about people meeting Christ and equipping Christians to share their faith. He’s often found speaking at Churches and Universities, in the studio producing online media or in the office, writing books and other evangelistic material. 

Keynote: Joy, Integrity and Grace in Public Life
Christianity is the narrative that has shaped the West for the better part of 20 centuries. When Christians have had the integrity to tell this gracious story it has impacted every aspect of culture.  With joy, let's tell again 'the greatest story ever told' — it still resonates like nothing else.

Panel Speaker
Senior Researcher - THEOS

Nathan is a senior researcher with the Christian think tank Theos in London and an Associate of the UK's AI, Faith and Civil Society Commission. He is also the author of several publications on technology ethics and AI, including "AI and the Afterlife: from Digital Mourning to Mind Uploading" and "Data and Dignity: why privacy matters in the digital age". 

PANEL DISCUSSION: Navigatning Integrity in an Evolving Space (Including AI) - chair

Speaker
Evangelical Alliance - director of communications and engagement

Jo Frost, director of communications and engagement. Jo is an author, podcaster, preacher, and cultural commentator with over twenty years of experience supporting the church, both up front and behind the scenes, as a communications and media engagement specialist.

TALK: Integrity and Faith in the Public Eye
Being True in Media. Exploring how media professionals can stay authentic in an industry driven by image and public perception, focusing on the balance between faith and public persona.

Speaker
Founder & CEO of AStepFWD and the UK Christian Charts.

O'Neil Dennis is a creative visionary whose motto is “only the best is good enough.” Known for his passion for selfless service and excellence, he approaches even the simplest tasks with the mindset of working "as unto God."

Dennis has spearheaded numerous impactful initiatives, including the Music & Media Conference, Christmas Live, The Big Convo, the UK stops for the Poets in Autumn World Tour, the Masterclass Series, and the StepFWD Awards, among others. Dennis has achieved much, including awards and accolades in a very short space of time. His consultancy and project management skills have attracted collaborations with global icons such as Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, Kim Burrell, Donald Lawrence, BeBe Winans, Sinach, and Graham Kendrick.

TALK: Creativity, Faith and the Arts
Discussing the intersection of music, faith and creativity in the workplace.

Speaker
Director of Christians on the Left and a senior researcher at Theos think tank.

Hannah still can’t quite believe that in both roles, she’s made a career out of mixing religion and politics, big topics that polite people aren’t meant to discuss. Hannah has an MSc with distinction in Inequalities and Social Science from LSE and a first-class BA Hons in French and Spanish from Durham, and has previously worked for a social innovation think tank, a learning disability charity and as a care worker.”

TALK: Grace in Conflict: Leading with Understanding in a Divided World
A conversation on how Christians can engage in difficult conversations with grace, navigating ideological differences and chasing understanding in media and the broader workplace.

Speaker
Senior Fellow at Theos, the religion and society think tank.

Nick is Honorary Professor at the World Religions and Education Research Unit at Bishop Grosseteste University; Visiting Research Fellow at St John’s College, Durham; Visiting Fellow at the Faiths and Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, University College, London; and Fellow of the International Society of Science and Religion. Nick’s first degree was in English Literature and History at Oxford, and (many years later) he took his PhD at Cambridge on political theology. He is the author of a number of books, including (most recently) The Landscapes of Science and Religion: what are we disagreeing about? (OUP, 2025), Playing God: science, religion and the future of humanity (SPCK, 2024), Magisteria: the entangled histories of science and religion (OneWorld, 2023). Nick fronted the BBC Radio 4 series The Secret History of Science and Religion, and hosts the podcast Reading our Times, which traces the big issues of the day through to their philosophical and theological roots, by talking to some of the world’s leading thinkers and authors.

TALK: Grace in Conflict: Leading with Understanding in a Divided World
A conversation on how Christians can engage in difficult conversations with grace, navigating ideological differences and chasing understanding in media and the broader workplace.

Panel Speaker
Award-winning documentary filmmaker & Christians In Media Trustee

Dr Craig D. Forrest, has traveled to 160 countries and 6 continents for such clients as CBS, ABC, Discovery Channel, A&E, Animal Planet, PBS, Fox Sports, Travel Channel, HBO, Billy Graham, World Vision, Samaritan's Purse, Far East Broadcasting and many others.
Passionate about inspiring a young generation to harness the power of media production to further the Gospel, Craig has become a frequent speaker at TV & media conferences throughout Europe, Africa, Asia & Latin America. Just recently he served as Professor of Christian Media for Crown Theological Seminary of New England. Previously, he taught as an Adjunct Professor of Cinema Production & Media Arts at Pepperdine University, Regent University & Concordia University Irvine.

Panel Discussion: Navigating Integrity in an Evolving Space (Including AI)
A discussion on how Christians in the media industry can maintain integrity in the face of new technological challenges, particularly AI and digital ethics.

Speaker
Founder The eternal Wall of Answered Prayer

Richard is the visionary behind the colossal project to build Eternal Wall, monumental piece of public art revealing how Jesus has answered a million personal prayers. It will be the largest database of hope stories in the world. Having the idea in 2004, God gave him the go ahead to launch in 2016, and for the past four years Richard has shared the incredible concept all around the UK, rallying people behind the belief that one individual’s answered prayer can be another person’s hope.

After becoming a Christian in 1990 Richard studied at bible college and then worked for British Gas before leaving the big corporate world to make his mark in entrepreneurship, co-founding both a software business and a marketing consultancy. With a keen love of football, he became CEO of Sports Chaplaincy UK, and was former chaplain of Leicester City Football Club (before they were famous and won the Premiership!)

TALK: Time to Pray? Prayer as a Source of Strength
How prayer serves as a source of strength, creativity and guidance for Christians working in media.

Panel Speaker
Cybersecurity & AI Governance Risk

Charles is an accomplished cybersecurity leader with expertise in community building, team development, and incident management. Currently expanding his knowledge in AI governance, risk, and compliance, he is committed to staying at the forefront of emerging technologies.

Known for strong stakeholder engagement and the ability to present effectively across all organizational levels, he excels in complex environments by leveraging diverse skills to achieve business objectives and mentor high-performing teams. Driven by the belief that "Nothing is impossible and impossible is nothing," he is an encourager who always sees the best in people.

Panel Discussion: Navigating Integrity in an Evolving Space (Including AI)

A discussion on how Christians in the media industry can maintain integrity in the face of new technological challenges, particularly AI and digital ethics.

Speaker
Senior Director SAT-7 UK, Speaker & Children’s Author

Martin Thomas is a storyteller, author, podcast presenter, and charity leader.

Growing up in the cross-cultural melting pot of 1970's London, Martin went on to study human geography and development, which has led to a career spanning more than thirty years in the UK and international charity sector: building Cardboard Cathedrals for CMS, Legoland flashmobs for World Vision, and multi-language carol campaigns for SAT-7 UK; where he is currently the Senior Director. Martin lives in Oxfordshire with his family – in a very old house with an amazing story to tell – is a published children’s author, and loves hosting conversations whilst brewing specialty coffee!

Faith Under Fire:
Exploring how Christians in media live out their faith in the context of the Middle East - taking a stand (but not sides) on the key issues of our day.