The 105th Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby took office nearly six years ago. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Church of England after becoming a Priest in his late 30s. His appointment as Archbishop married his strategic skills as a former oil executive with a full bodied faith, nurtured as a member of Holy Trinity Brompton, one of the UK's leading charismatic evangelical churches. Since taking office, Welby hasn't been afraid to wade into the political ring, even addressing the Trades Union Congress last year. Welby says its not his place to be party political, but Jesus wasn't afraid to speak out on politics. On Brexit, the Archbishop has argued the burden of proof is on those arguing for 'no deal', "to show it will not harm the poorest and most vulnerable." In this in-depth interview, Justin Brierley hears more from Justin Welby on issues relating to sexuality, prayer, evangelism and more. 
In the second part of today's show, Sam Hailes sits down with the founder of Hope for Justice, Ben Cooley. The author of Impossible is a Dare tells the story of how he booked the NEC arena in Birmingham at the age of 26, with no organisational or financial backing. The reason? Cooley had become obsessed by the issue of modern day slavery and was determined to end it. What began as an awareness-raising opportunity is now a fully fledged organisation, operating all over the world. And the former opera singer is still convinced the evil of human trafficking can be stopped. His work has taken him all over the world, and his book has been endorsed by the Prime Minister Theresa May, but Cooley says the "pinch yourself" moments aren't when he's rubbing shoulders with powerful or influential leaders, but when he witnesses victims being rescued. 
Follow Justin Welby on Twitter @JustinWelby
Follow Ben Cooley on Twitter @BenCooley
The Profile is brought to you in association with Premier Christianity magazine. For a free sample copy of the latest issue, which features an interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, visit premierchristianity.com/freesample

Released on 9 Mar 2019