About Allan Finnegan
Allan’s journey from working on building sites to unintentional Baptist minister to ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ stand-up comedian probably tells you everything you need to know about how his life has gone! He came to faith in the 80’s and spent years happily in his ‘Christian bubble’ (he’s been in the same church since he was 16) until comedy threw him into rooms full of people who often had a story: ‘I used to go to church but…’
At first he’d dismiss them as backslidden (not to their faces, obviously—that would be rude), but eventually he couldn’t ignore what he was hearing. These weren’t just stories of losing faith – they were tales of church disappointment, where people’s questions got swatted away and their pain went unaddressed. Turns out Allan had been suppressing his own questions and doubts because he didn’t want to be seen as immature in his faith.
Why He’s Writing This Book
Despite church hurt and faith struggles, Allan can’t bring himself to say ‘God doesn’t exist.’ So he figures he’s got to make sense of this thing called faith somehow. A recent terminal cancer diagnosis became the motivation for writing this book and sharing his journey.
Allan says, ‘It gets you to reflect on your life and what effect you have had on those around you. I guess you start to think about how you’ll be remembered.’
What the Book is About
The book is about how Allan came to faith in an evangelical, charismatic setting and how the certainty this provided him was at first necessary, but over time didn’t quite fit. It’s written to all those in and out of church who know what that feels like. It’s the story of his journey from doubt to faith and how comedy actually helped this, written in an honest, authentic and humorous way.
Allan says, ‘It’s taken my whole life to get to the point where I’m happy in my own skin. I hope those who read my book don’t have to wait so long.’
How You Can Help
Allan would love you to come alongside him to help others navigating their own faith journeys. Please consider supporting the release of his book through prayer and financially.
You can do this here through our Broad Place Publishing VIP club here.