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.

The head of the United Church of Christ denomination in the USA has reacted with anger and frustration to accusations of racism circulating about it largest congregation, which is also Senator Barack Obama's home church.

Bishop Dr Joe Aldred, chair of the Council of Black-led Churches and the Rev Nezlin Sterling, chair of the African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance and a president of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, are among the Christian leaders backing Black Mental Health UK's call for the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) to examine the Department of Health's handling of the race review in the government's new Mental Health Bill.