Traditionally celebrated between 18 and 25 January (in the northern hemisphere) or at Pentecost (in the southern hemisphere), the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity mobilises countless congregations and parishes around the world.

Today the organised ecumenical movement among Christians, seeking common witness and social justice, is seen by many as a failing, lost or irrelevant cause, says Keith Clements. But in a divided world, the case for a genuine search for unity among the churches in these islands and beyond is stronger than ever and needs radically renewing.

The UK Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has accepted an invitation from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland to speak on inter-faith relations and government policy.

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the official ecumenical body, is anticipating that thousands of Christians across the country will again mark Racial Justice Sunday this year.