The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has attended a confidential meeting of the Clergy Consultation - an ongoing support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and intersex clergy and their partners.

What we need in the Church is not less ambition, but more, argues Giles Fraser. We are charged with the most ambitious calling of them all: to be agents of God’s all-transforming love to the world.

Clergy who usually wear dog collars in public are being advised by a safety group to take them off when they are on their own, to reduce the risk of being attacked. But others believe security consciousness should not undermine the character of Christian service.

The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds will call clergy tomorrow to renew their commitment to 'insecurity and risk', and tell them that risk-taking is part of their job.

The Chairman of the clergy and churchworkers branch of the Amicus union, has said that the Government has acted "like Pontius Pilate" by failing to give rights and protections enjoyed by other workers, to members of the clergy, reports the Daily Telegraph.

As US and European companies outsource hi-tech work to India to benefit from low-cost and abundant skilled labour, the clergy is doing likewise seeking to compensate for the acute shortage of priests in the West reports Sky News.