Two senior black United Methodist clergy in the USA, also longtime civil-rights advocates, say there are parallels between the struggles of blacks in the 1960s and those of gays and lesbians working for full inclusion in the church today.

In advance of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the US, three prominent gay Catholics have urged the pontiff to enter into a dialogue with lesbian and gay Catholics. They addressed the pontiff through open statements about their lives, loves, and hopes for the church at a press conference at the end of last week.

The Bible needs to be re-read from the viewpoint of women so as to shatter "institutionalised patriarchy", which is reinforced by "conservative" biblical interpretation, says a leader of a prominent group of women theologians.

In a reflection on faith and human rights for Easter, Savi Hensman argues that issues of life and death and the question about whether Christians are on the side of the powerful or the powerless go to the heart of the Gospel story.

The United Reformed Church has appointed the Rev Roberta Rominger as its general secretary. She becomes the first woman to hold the senior post in the Church, or in any of its predecessor denominations.

A campaigning group that was formed 30 years ago to change law, attitudes and policy towards crime against women will mark the anniversary with a people's trial of Britain's justice system to highlight its failure to tackle rape.

Two evangelical Anglican bishops have come out with contrasting statements on homosexuality recently, points out Mark Vernon. One recognises that the issue is about love, the other sees only rules, it seems.

Bishop of Liverpool James Jones has called for a change of heart among Evangelicals in the bitter argument about sexuality, Scripture and authority. But he has not fully sanctioned same-sex relations, as some media reports have suggested.

A leading US Baptist has called on Christians to address the international crisis of women and girls who are being trafficked into prostitution, highlighting the social and economic conditions that breed the trade.