The reason for Alpha is simply to give people an opportunity to explore the Christian faith, in an atmosphere where they won't be made to look stupid, won't be made to look guilty but can ask any question they like. What we've discovered of course is that there's a lot more spirituality out there sometimes then there is in the church. People want to explore these things but what they want to find is an atmosphere where they can do that safely.

Mainstream: So is Alpha just an English thing or just an Anglican idea?

Millar: No, not at all. It's running all over the world now in 152 countries and it's astonishing the way it's grown and the reason it's grown I think is that people are simply hungry to discover the basic Christian faith.
The Roman Catholic Church is running it hugely successfully, particularly in North America and elsewhere as well, French Bishops have adopted it, so it's not an Anglican thing at all. It started with us at Holy Trinity but now it's gone into every denomination, every tradition within denominations - Anglo-Catholics, Salvation Army, Roman Catholics, Methodists - they're all running it.

In the past fortnight I've been speaking at events in small churches in Inverness, Ely Cathedral and to contrast that out in Kazakhstan! I was wondering how we could help them but when I arrived I found that they were running one course on a Tuesday evening for 500 and another of Wednesday for 400. The church had a specific building set aside just to run Alpha! Then I met a lady who had become a Christian through Alpha and was now running a course in her tiny flat with just 6 people. Alpha runs in all kinds of places with all kinds of people.

Mainstream: You're about to retire as Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton after far too many years. Tell me something about Nicky Gumbel who's taking over from you.

Millar: Nicky and I have worked together now for nearly 17 years and Nicky picked up the Alpha course and made it what it is, so he's the man behind it really.

We had an Alpha course when he joined us, which was then really a course for new Christians. We had guest services and people came to faith, but what they sometimes didn't know was what they had come to, they just knew they wanted Jesus! So Nicky developed it, videoed it and lengthened the talks, altered the order of them and made it what it is and that's part of the reason why it's now running in so many countries and had been translated into about 47 different languages. So he's the man behind that.

I've been Vicar now for 20 years, I shall be 65 in November and it's not a job for an aging cleric! I could go on for a bit but I asked the Bishop of London if it would be possible for us to change places so that Nicky could become the Vicar and I could work on the staff with Nicky in the way he's worked with me for the last 17 years.

Mainstream: Finally Sandy, I wonder if there's anything you want to share with the Anglican World as we all wait for the release of the Lambeth Commission report on the 18th of October?

Millar: I think we ought to wait and see what happens. It may be very good news, who knows.

Mainstream: Sandy Millar, thank you very much.

If you're interested in attending an Alpha Course near you, you can find details of Courses all over the world at http://alphacourse.org.

With thanks to Sandy Millar and St Aldates Oxford.