Most Rev Justin Welby came in for fresh criticism on Monday after he said the decision – aimed at avoiding by a boycott of the Lambeth Conference next year by traditionalists – was a “lose-lose situation”.

Rev Andrew Foreshew-Cain, who last week launched the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England, wrote to The Times to express his concern.

He said: “It is sacrificing the vulnerable for the sake of the powerful. Indeed, in making that decision, he has kowtowed to those who are promoting discrimination and prejudice across the communion.”

Held every ten years, the Lambeth Conference invites all active bishops of member churches within the global Anglican Communion body to meet, pray and discuss.

It had previously announced this year’s summit would be the first where bishops would be allowed to bring the spouses.

Threats of a boycott ensued, with some conservative bishops saying gay spouses should not be received in “good standing” at Lambeth 2020.

The consternation prompted the Anglican Communion to clarify its position, saying “it would be inappropriate for same-sex spouses to be invited to the conference”, in light of the Communion’s stance on marriage.

Speaking to The Times last week, Archbishop Justin Welby said: “Over 90 per cent of the Anglican communion are conservative on issues of sexuality.

“I’ve invited all the bishops, including those in…

Rev Prof Laurence Kirkpatrick was found guilty of “gross misconduct” by a church disciplinary panel after his June 2018 BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme appearance.

He discussed the Presbyterian Church’s decision to loosen its ties to the Church of Scotland, which was mainly due to the Kirk’s less traditional view of same-sex relationships.

In the church’s letter sent to Rev Kirkpatrick, he was told that he had taken part in the programme “at a time when there was considerable media comment, mostly of an adverse nature, about your employer, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland”.

It added that he had failed to gain the Church’s approval for taking part and that his comments during the broadcast were “unacceptable”.

As a result, he was “summarily dismissed” from his post at Union Theological College (UTC).

Rev Kirkpatrick told BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence that if he left the church it would be with a “heavy heart”.

“Leaving the Presbyterian Church is certainly an option for me, and it is one that I will consider and I will think about that,” he said.

“Why would I stay in an organisation that has sacked me?”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

The Pope welcomed students, their family members and teachers from Rome’s Visconti High School in the Pope Paul VI Hall on Saturday. 

“Free yourself from the addiction to mobile phones,” the pontiff said.

While he noted the importance of communication and using mobile phones, the leader of the Catholic Church added, “but when you become a slave to your mobile phone, you will lose your freedom”.

He also urged young people to “never to stop dreaming big and hoping for a better world for all”.

Today, World Youth Day, I would like to mention all those young saints, especially the saints “next door” to us, known only to God; sometimes he likes to surprise us with them. #DiocesanWYD

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 14, 2019

“Don’t settle for mediocrity in relationships, in cultivating who you are, in planning for your future, in your commitment for a more just and more beautiful world,” he said.

He ended by reminding those present that as the Holy Week begins ending on Easter Day, that it was “also a time of renewal for the soul – a time to blossom!”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning. 

Executive Pastor Donna Williams from the Greater St Stephen Full Gospel Baptist in New Orleans told The Christian Post: “We do this as a way of giving back to the community.

“This is the second year that we will be doing it. We call it [the] Greater Good Friday Gas Giveaway.”

The first 250 people to turn up at Sterling Express station and the Gentilly-Paris Shell from 9am until 11am will receive the gift.

“We plan to service 250 people and we have two different gas stations that they give the gas away, so once we reach the amount that we expect to giveaway then unfortunately we just have to turn some people away,” Williams said.

Once 250 people have been served, the church will also offer prayers and an invitation to join them for their service on Easter Sunday.

When the church first held the event last year, Williams said they were able to invite many people to church and about 20 per cent of them showed up for the service the following Sunday.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning. 

Rick Warren invited Kagame – who has ruled Rwanda since 2000 to speak “as we join our Rwandan brothers and sisters in remembering the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and thank God together for the renewal the country has experienced over the last 25 years”.

However, Kagame is a controversial figure that has also been blamed for denying Rwandans basic human rights.

Aristide Rwigara is the younger brother of Diane Rwigara, who ran against Kagame for president and was imprisoned along with her mother and sister after he came to power.

Ms Rwigara was barred from running in presidential elections and spent over a year in prison before being acquitted.

Aristide Rwigara told the Los Angeles Times: “Why would he give attention to someone who has closed thousands of churches and who has consistently denied human rights to his own people?

“This cannot go unchallenged. Warren is a global figure, and if you want to wear the mantle of spiritual leadership, why would you do this?

“I used to think he was the real deal, and then I found out that he backed the government — a government that stifles all manner of opposition, that has no humanity.”

Kagame told Warren at the church that he had the difficult task of reintegrating society and uniting the population after the genocide. 

“We had a tragic situation where over one million people died,” Kagame said.

“Every…