From Buzz to Premier Christianity: Celebrating 60 years of Christian journalism

The history of the UK’s leading Christian magazine begins back in 1965 with Buzz; the newsletter started to resource the new wave of Christian beat bands playing in the popular church coffee bar scene. A few folded sheets of black and white print were produced by the enthusiastic volunteers of a church youth group. Yet these humble origins were revolutionary in their own way.

In the 60s, The Beatles and Rolling Stones epitomised the first decade in which youth culture was central. Yet mainstream evangelicalism was yet to catch up. Buzz (named after the hum of the amplified speakers used by pop groups) was a breath of fresh air compared to existing Christian publications, which founding editor Peter Meadows described as “dull and denominational”. 

“Buzz was fresh and new. It didn’t set out to be rebellious, it was just a new culture. There was no internet. If you wanted information about what was happening on the youth scene through music, you had to have it.”

The early years were a hand-to-mouth affair, with volunteers working weekends and often through the night. The magazine was produced on a tight budget but the plain-speaking and irreverent style meant readership continued to grow. In the early 70s, it received a boost to its circulation when it incorporated Vistas, the magazine of British Youth for Christ. There were more acquisitions to follow. 

Buzz covered a wide range of church and social issues. Film, arts, science, sexuality, sports and contemporary culture (especially music) were all explored. Coverage of Bob Dylan’s spiritual journey and the 1970s rock scene gave way to articles examining the rise of punk, football hooliganism and the spiritual journey of U2 in the 1980s. Circulation peaked at over 30,000, with many more readers besides.

Time and again readers tell us: ‘It’s the variety I like’

In 1987, the magazine was rebranded as 21st Century Christian. Consciously aiming itself at ‘modern’ Christians, the title experienced something of an identity crisis, with safer editorial choices and less inspiring cover designs (compared to the psychedelic creativity of the 1970s). 

Before long, another rebrand took place, following a merger with the leadership journal Today in 1990. Alpha (no relation to the evangelistic course) aimed to reclaim some of the Buzz spirit, as well as appealing to Christian leaders. Steve Chalke became a regular contributor, and then editor John Buckeridge

produced a regular section for youth workers, which was so popular that it eventually turned into a separate magazine, Youthwork. 

By 1996 the magazine had adopted the title Christianity and would keep it through subsequent variations as Christianity & Renewal (after merging with Renewal magazine in 2001) and as Premier Christianity today.

A magazine for now

The last few decades have seen the press industry face unprecedented challenges. Changes in reading habits and the increasing use of the internet and smartphones have seen circulation figures of almost all publications plummet. For Christian titles, this threat has been coupled with the decline of various church denominations. Numerous long-standing publications – both mainstream and Christian – have ceased to exist in print. And yet Premier Christianity has survived. 

Notable editions have included our ‘Black Lives Matter to Jesus’ cover, which went viral online following the death of George Floyd, real-time analysis on how the Covid pandemic was changing the Church for better and worse, and special tribute editions following the deaths of Billy Graham and Queen Elizabeth II. 

Our star columnist Jeff Lucas has continued to make readers laugh and think in equal measure. We’ve sought to boldly cover difficult topics such as church abuse and debates over same-sex marriage. We’ve also profiled the plight of the persecuted Church and interviewed notable Christian leaders such as Jackie Pullinger, Francis Chan and Bear Grylls. 

Time and again readers tell us: “It’s the variety I like”, with one recently writing in and remarking: “I suspect there are few magazines of any genre that would combine articles on biblical violence, speed dating, football, parliament and Dame Tracey Emin…It appeared some miraculous answer to an editor’s prayer.” 

Today the magazine has more readers than ever! Nearly 2 million people accessed our website in the past year, and we now welcome subscribers from territories as far flung as New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Tunisia and Canada. 

The transformation from a solely UK-focused print magazine to an international multimedia outlet continues. Our popular ‘Soul Survivors’ podcast broke new ground journalistically. Many of our interviews are now filmed in high quality and receive millions of views across YouTube and social media. 

The Premier media family that we’ve been part of since 1999 also continues to thrive – and is itself celebrating its 30th birthday this year. 

Ultimately, the beginnings of both Buzz and Premier Christian Radio can be traced back to Peter Meadows’ entrepreneurial drive. The example he set – of work ethic and determination to make a difference – has continued through editors and hard-working staff teams ever since. Premier Christianity alumni have, for example, gone on to manage communications for the Archbishop of Canterbury, launch successful international speaking ministries and co-write books with some of the Church’s most notable preachers. 

It’s a privilege to steward a title unlike any other. Our team is aware on a daily basis that we would not exist were it not for our loyal advertisers and, most importantly, subscribers like you who see the value in our journalism and who support our mission to help more people encounter God through media. 

This magazine was sparked by a creative vision to see the UK impacted for Christ by connecting ordinary believers with culture. Sixty years later, the hairstyles, pop music and rainbow-strapped guitars may have changed, but the vision remains the same. A revival – quiet or otherwise – is what the people behind this publication have always prayed for. We aren’t stopping now.