Church of England, Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, John Smyth from

Church of England ditches 'religion' from its diversity drive

Archbishop of Canterbury admits 'we don't do well' on LGBT and race

Justin Welby says church must 'start again' on inclusion

The Church of England is to drop the word "religion" from its diversity drive in an attempt to become more inclusive, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. Justin Welby said the word had become "too narrow" and that the church needed to be "much more open". He said the church had "not done well" on issues of race and LGBT rights. The move comes as the church faces increasing pressure to become more inclusive. In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile cases of LGBT people being discriminated against by the church. And the church has also been criticized for its lack of diversity, particularly at senior levels. Welby said the church needed to "start again" on inclusion. He said: "We need to be much more open. We need to be much more welcoming. We need to be much more inclusive." Welby said the church needed to "find a language that speaks to people". He said: "We need to find a way of talking about God that is meaningful to people today." The church's new diversity drive will focus on four key areas: * Race * Gender * LGBT rights * Disability The church will work with a number of organizations to develop new resources and training materials. It will also set up a new advisory group on diversity. Welby said he hoped the new drive would help the church to become "a more welcoming and inclusive place for everyone". He said: "I want the Church of England to be a place where everyone feels welcome and included. "I want it to be a place where everyone can feel at home."