A bit about you…
I'm Sam and I am the minister of Redeemer. Born in London, raised in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and having studied Violin performance in Cardiff and now settled in Edinburgh, I am very much a British mongrel. I have been married to Jen for the past 13 years, and I have three children, Toby who is 7, and twins, Jack and Sophie, who are 3. In my spare time I love to read, feeling guilty about not running enough, and getting overly excited about cricket!

How did you become a Christian?
I became a christian when a visiting speaker came to my small church when I was four. I realised for the first time that my parents couldn’t save me but I had to make that decision for myself. It wasn’t until many years later, at the age of 17, during a painful and serious illness, that I realised that life without God is incredibly fleeting, totally unforgiving and, ultimately, quite hopeless. In my search for meaning on my hospital bed I remembered what I’d been taught about Jesus as a child – the fact that he was God in human flesh, that he stepped into our world, and, more than ANYONE in history or literature or religion, chose to identify with me in suffering, revolt against suffering, and promise to do something about our suffering. It was then that I rededicated my life to the Lord Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

What is your favourite bible verse?
Other than Philippians 2 mentioned above, I think 1 Timothy 1:15 is the most profoundly and richly packed sentence in Scripture as it explains every single part of the gospel – the good news – of Jesus and the Bible in only 24 words. It details what salvation is, who brings it and who needs it most. It reads:

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

What is salvation? The saving of sinners from their sin. Who does that for us? Jesus Christ by coming in to the world. Who needs it? Me. The reader. The worst of all sinners. And how important is this good news? One that is truly trustworthy, and deserves to be FULLY accepted by all.

What book or passage of the bible do you find most challenging?
I think perhaps the early chapters in Romans I find both the most helpful and the most challenging, namely, Romans 3:23 for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.
This highlights the uncompromising truth that every single person in the world, whether they feel they are good or not, is sinful and is deeply imperfect in front of a perfect, holy and God and desperately needs his help to save them. NO-ONE is good without Jesus. And NO-ONE can enjoy salvation or heaven or eternity without coming to Jesus, saying sorry for their sins, and leaving everything to follow him.
It’s a hard thing to hear, it’s a hard thing to preach, but it is a beautiful thing to recognise which draws us to Jesus’s salvation help.

A bit about me
Hello! My name is Rohan and I am a minister in training at Redeemer. I am from Inverness, born and bred, but have been slowly working my way down south. I studied Theology at St Andrews, and then moved to Edinburgh where I’ve had a smattering of jobs all with the hope of being a minister; a Relay with UCCF, a ministry apprentice at Chalmers Church, a funeral director and then an administrator for the Free Church of Scotland. Laura and I met in Edinburgh and got married in 2024. When I get the chance, I love to read, run (slowly), and watch the F1.

How did I become a Christian?
I’m grateful to have grown up in a family of Christians and in a house where we had devotionals every morning and evening around the dinner table. God was a big part of family life. I can honestly say because of that I have always believed God is Creator and King and that I was, no matter how hard I tried, a sinner. When I was around 9 or 10, I told my family I was a Christian and I became a member of our local church.
In some ways my story is not very dramatic, and in another sense it is; to go from darkness to light is a miracle! Growing up not only meant growing up physically but also spiritually as I understood what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. And that journey has continued as I went to university and navigated life. I am grateful to God for his kindness, patience and grace to a sinner like me.

Favourite Bible verse?
My favourite Bible verse is always changing. The latest verse I wrote down from my quiet times was 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Paul was weak, he says he was not the best public speaker in his time and before he met Jesus he hated Christians; even to the point of rounding them up for them to be persecuted. The church today continues to be made up of weak people coming together to display the power and grace of God. What an encouragement!

Book or passage of the Bible you find most challenging?
The Psalms challenge me and amaze me because they help me fix my eyes on Jesus. I often struggle to pray, either in praise or when I am suffering. Psalm 34 is a song full of praise and reasons to thank God in prayer. It challenges me that David starts by saying he can bless God ‘at all times.’ At all times?! Really? David goes on to unpack why; those who follow God are saved and lack no good thing. What a blessing!
Psalm 88 is another psalm I come back to time and time again. It reminds me that I can cry out to God in prayer, even in dark moments when I am not put together. God is our God not because we get everything right, or because we’re happy all the time, but because he is a God of grace. God sent his Son to go through the Valley of Death so that we just have to go through its shadow. Timothy Keller has a great sermon on Psalm 88 called ‘How to Deal with Dark Times’ that I would highly recommend.