Paul Cowley
Paul is preaching at St. Peter’s this Sunday
Join us for Evening Worship with Revd Paul Cowley MBE on Sunday 12 April 2026 at 5:30 PM in Château-d’Oex, Switzerland. All welcome Can’t make it in person? Join us live on YouTube.
Rev Paul Cowley MBE — Ambassador for Social Transformation
Paul Cowley at St. Peter’s Anglican Church
Rev Paul Cowley MBE is a regular visitor to St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Château-d’Oex, bringing his extraordinary testimony and passion for social transformation to our alpine congregation. His messages on redemption, prison ministry, and the transformative power of faith have deeply moved our community. View more inspiring sermons from St. Peter’s.
From the Streets to the Pulpit: Paul Cowley’s Remarkable Journey
Paul Cowley was born in Manchester. Both of his parents were alcoholics and his home life was filled with verbal and physical abuse. At the age of 15 he left home to live on the streets and became involved in crime, which led to a prison sentence in the notorious Risley borstal (now HMP Risley).
At the age of 21, Paul got his first real break when someone took a chance on him and he enlisted into the Army. Over the next 17 years he served in the Royal Artillery, The Royal Green Jackets and the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, completing several tours in Northern Ireland and serving in the Falklands campaign. In 1992 he left the Army as a Staff Sergeant.
After leaving the forces, Paul ran a number of health clubs in London and worked as a personal trainer to various celebrities — a world away from the one he would soon enter.
A Life-Changing Encounter
In 1994, after being an atheist for almost 38 years, Paul attended an Alpha course and became a Christian. As Paul describes it, “It was as much a shock to God when I gave my life to Christ as it was to me.”
Following his conversion, Paul volunteered for a prison visit. Despite initial reluctance, the experience changed everything. He found himself speaking about God and hope to prisoners whose stories were even more harrowing than his own — and the vision for Alpha in Prisons was born.
A Pioneer in Prison Ministry and Rehabilitation
- 1996 — Pioneered the Alpha course within the UK and international prison systems. It is now running in over 80% of UK prisons and in more than 60 countries worldwide.
- 2002 — Ordained priest in the Church of England after completing a degree in theology.
- 2005 — Founded the charity Caring for Ex-Offenders (CFEO), which has helped over 2,000 men and women reintegrate back into society.
- 2009 — Pioneered the Alpha course within the Armed Forces, where it became the biggest Christian course in the British military.
- 2012 — Founded the William Wilberforce Trust, supporting trafficked women, people experiencing homelessness, night shelters, vulnerable people, and supportive accommodation for ex-offenders.
- 2014 — Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lord Longford Trust for his work in prisons.
- 2016 — Awarded the MBE from Her Majesty the Queen for “Services to Ex-Offenders and the community”. The same year, he was appointed Bishops’ Advisor for Prisons and Penal Affairs in London.
- 2022 — Appointed Iceland Foods’ first Director of Rehabilitation, launching the Second Chance Initiative.
- 2025 — Founded the Second Chance Partnership as its Managing Director, encouraging businesses across the UK to employ ex-offenders.
The Second Chance Initiative: Breaking New Ground in Corporate Rehabilitation
In 2022, Paul took his ministry in a groundbreaking new direction by leaving his position at Holy Trinity Brompton to become Iceland Foods’ first Director of Rehabilitation. From there, he launched the Second Chance Initiative — a drive to recruit ex-offenders for positions in Iceland’s stores and warehouses across the UK. The programme has since grown to become the biggest employer of people leaving prison in the UK.
In 2025, Paul expanded the work further by founding the Second Chance Partnership, a wider coalition encouraging businesses across the UK to open their doors to ex-offenders. As Managing Director, he continues to lead the conversation around employment as a route out of reoffending.
As Paul explains: “Most people in our prison system are poorly educated and have a bad or non-existent employment record. This is not always their fault, and the cumulative effect upon families, dependents and their mental health can be life threatening. This initiative presents a prison leaver not only with the hope of a job, but the hope of a new life.”
The approach addresses a critical need: meaningful employment following release from prison can significantly reduce rates of reoffending — making programmes like this both a moral imperative and a sound social investment.
A Lifetime of Service
Alongside his work in rehabilitation and corporate ministry, Paul holds a remarkable range of appointments across church, state and civil society:
- On staff at Holy Trinity Brompton for over 22 years, pioneering the last two HTB church plants — serving both traditional and Anglo-Catholic congregations.
- Bishops’ Advisor for Prisons and Penal Affairs in London.
- Associate Chaplain, Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the Chelsea Pensioners.
- Part-time chaplain at HMP Wormwood Scrubs and HMP YOI Feltham.
- Chaplain to two previous High Sheriffs of London.
- Governor of Glendower Preparatory School, London.
Thief, Prisoner, Soldier, Priest
Paul’s autobiography, Thief, Prisoner, Soldier, Priest, chronicles his remarkable journey from a troubled childhood through crime, prison, military service, and ultimately to priesthood. The book has been praised by Bear Grylls as “raw and real”, and described by readers as “gripping,” “inspiring,” and “life-changing.”
“This remarkable and touching account should inspire anyone who feels their life is out of control. It stands as a testament to how God offers hope to all who have the courage to respond.”
Family and Wider Ministry
Paul is an international speaker, broadcaster and published author. He is married to Amanda and they have a daughter, Phoebe.
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