After conducting a review of its faith based programming, the network said it wants to raise its game across all religious output, reach as many people as possible and portray the diversity of beliefs and society.

BBC presenter Roger Bolton who was consulted as part of this review told Premier it’s a step in the right direction.

“If you have everyone paying for the license fee, then you have the responsibility to everybody no matter what their faith background is,” he said.

“On the other hand, the majority of people of faith in this country are Christian so I would always expect Christianity to have a predominant position.”

The review found that audiences of all faiths and none want to learn more about religion and ethics.

“They recognise that, if we truly want to make sense of the world, we need to understand the systems of belief that underpin it,” Director general Tony Hall said.

The BBC pledged to not let Christian programming suffer under the move to give other faiths greater coverage.

However, Bolton questioned whether the network would be able to get the job done.

“It’s a good policy but the question is how is it going to implemented, is the BBC fit for purpose?

“I think you’re dealing with fundamentally secular journalists who need continued education, they need experts within the organisation that they can turn to.

“If there was particular controversy in a branch of Islam or Christianity who wold they turn to? There’s no head of religion.”

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Its worries came after the arrest of 32 young Catholic priests who recently charged with forcibly trying to convert others to Christianity.

The young men were going from door to door in a rural village central Madhya Pradesh region singing Christmas carols, when the police detained them.

When other priests came to inquire about the allegations, a mob approached and torched their car in front of the police station.

AC Michael, the national coordinator of the United Christian Forum, an Indian advocacy group working alongside with ADF International said they are “afraid of Christmas this year”.

“We anticipate more anti-Christian violence and harassment,” he said.

Jennifer Lea with ADF told Premier why persecution has gotten worse in India.

She said: “The main religion is Hinduism. Currently the BJP party in power has stated a goal to make the country 100 per cent Hindu, out of that there’s a systematic plan to eradicate Christianity.

“They’re going into villages and chasing out pastors.”

Allied lawyers of ADF International are reviewing this recent case.

While the seminarians were acquitted and released after interventions at the governmental level, one priest is still facing prosecution for “forcible conversion.”

According to the charity he stands accused of paying 5,000 Rupees (approximately 66 Euros) to a Hindu to convert to Christianity and then allegedly baptizing the convert in a pool.

ADF stated: “The evidentiary inconsistency is hard to miss: while baptism…

In 2015, the historic church received a £1.5m donation and Heritage Lottery Fund money for a restoration project which included creating eco-friendly under-floor heating and repairing the collapsing floor.

Included in these plans was the controversial move to get rid of the pews to make it a more flexible space.

After nearly 10 years of planning, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Bath and Wells has granted them permission.

In a statement on the church website, Rev Edward Mason of Bath Abbey said: “We are delighted with the decision of the Consistory Court.

“We strongly believe in the benefits of removing the pews.

“It will enable us to open up the Abbey’s nave and side aisles to all and make it possible for people of different physical ability to sit where they choose.

“Stackable chairs mean that the nave can be used for a wide variety of traditional and contemporary worship and restore the Abbey to the community use for which it was first designed.”

The Victorian Society opposed the desire to remove the pews because of the “detrimental effect on the architectural and historical significance of this important religious building”, according to their online petition.