Tens of thousands of people across Britain and Northern Ireland have transcribed the Bible by hand in the last 12 months, as part of a Methodist project.

A chaplain running a dedicated helpline for gay farmers has received a steady number of calls from men struggling to cope with their sexuality.

A campaign to lobby FTSE 100 companies to adopt the Living Wage has been backed by the Methodist Church and its Central Finance Board.

Methodist Council has heard that while the Government speaks of a 'Big Society', the poorest in society are losing out most from public spending cuts.