The Financial Times newspaper published a prominent interview with Alpha International’s Chairman Ken Costa in February, which they trumpeted on the front page.

Under the headline ‘Alpha male’, the article covered Mr Costa’s student days in South Africa when he was part of the anti-apartheid movement; his time as a post-graduate student at Cambridge; and his Christian faith.

He is now Chairman of Lazard International having moved there recently from UBS, where he had worked for more than 30 years.

Describing him as a ‘City grandee’ and ‘leading Christian’, the article was structured around an interview over lunch at the Ritz Hotel.

It said, ‘Costa is, today, not just a Christian. He is chairman of Alpha International, an interdenominational programme that has spread around the world. More than 10 million people have attended Alpha’s relaxed meals and introductions to Christianity.’

The interviewer, Michael Skapinker, asked what convinced Ken of ‘Christianity’s rightness’.

Ken replied, ‘Well, it was a case of being persuaded that claims that were made by Jesus were, in fact, true.’

He added that the cultural climate towards spirituality in Britain was changing. He said, ‘There is a greater openness than ever before for people to discuss the issues of religion...

‘I’m absolutely convinced that the 21st century will show a heightened interest in spirituality. The global world will encounter spirituality that it has never had to deal with before because major corporations will be employing people of different faiths. It’s going to become an issue for every boardroom.’

The article referred to Ken Costa’s book God at Work, which ‘examines workplace issues’.

Describing the Bible as his ‘prospectus’ for life, he said he had read it every morning for 30 years – along with the Financial Times.