IS THE CHURCH CALLED TO BE PROPHET OR PROVIDER?
This is the title of the 2025 Hook Lecture. This is an annual public lecture on the ways faith interacts with public life and is jointly organised by Leeds Church Institute, Leeds Minster, and the Centre for Religion and Public Life at the University of Leeds.
This year it will be held on Tuesday 21 October 7pm – 9pm at Leeds Minster and will be given by Jon Kuhrt.
Churches are increasingly being called upon to meet the urgent needs in our communities. But how do we balance this important work with the Christian call to be a prophetic voice for change? How do we find time while pulling people out of the river, to go upstream and find out who is pushing them in?

Jon Kuhrt is the Chief Executive of Hope into Action, a national Christian charity partnering with churches to provide homes for people who have been homeless.
He has worked with people affected by homelessness for 30 years, and has written a blog for the last 14 years on faith, transformation, and social justice called Grace + Truth.
Jon is particularly interested in how practical social action links to social justice, how it empowers authentic change, and how it maintains a confident Christian distinctiveness.
The lecture is free to attend but please book a place by going to the Eventbrite page for this event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/prophet-or-provider-the-hook-lecture-2025-tickets-1312712802329