The new general director of the Evangelical Alliance in the UK has joined other church leaders in calling on Christians to demonstrate the meaning and importance of the Gospel through example.

Evangelical Alliance leader Joel Edwards is seeking to rehabilitate the word 'evangelical' and restore its links with the sense of good news (gospel) in which it has its roots. He is touring a new book called Agenda for Change.

The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) has compiled a dossier highlighting and criticising the record of one of the UK's newly appointed equality commissioners, Evangelical Alliance director Joel Edwards.

The surprise appointment of Evangelical Alliance UK head the Rev Dr Joel Edwards to the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has already caused some controversy, especially among campaigners for lesbian and gay rights.

The think-tank Ekklesia, which examines religion in public life, says that the controversial appointment of the head of the Evangelical Alliance UK to the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is "a historic opportunity for evangelicals to shift toward full acceptance of the equalities agenda."

A rallying call to encourage Christians to 'do more, do it together, do it in word and action' throughout 2008 has already been accepted over 630 communities across the UK, reports the Evangelical Alliance.