Church sends biblical txt msgs

A Welsh church is spreading the word of the Lord by text message in an attempt to show how religion is relevant to modern lives.

The Bethel Baptist Church in Cardiff has launched a message service that sends worshippers a verse from the Bible three times a week.

"The church is often perceived as archaic," the Reverend Simeon Baker told Reuters on Wednesday. "But we want to say to folks that the church has moved on."

Messages will have a seasonal theme and words will be written in full rather than the contracted text message style.

The scheme, called W2LB, short for Wisdom to Live By, is available across Britain and will raise money for Compassion UK, a Christian aid group.