WHEN preacher Steve Leah read from the Bible, he didn't just deliver a short extract - he read the entire New Testament!

The Methodist local preacher was taking part in a sponsored Bible-read to raise money for a medical charity helping Palestinians.

He started reading aloud at Melbourne Terrace Methodist Church at 6am, and was still going strong by the evening.

Steve, 35, of Acomb, York, believed it could take him 16 hours or more to complete the marathon, which involved reading 189 chapters. He said he had already been sponsored for more than £500, with the money going to Medical Aid For Palestinians, a non-political, non-partisan British charity, dedicated to the health and humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people.

"We are doing this following the terrible events in Lebanon and also due to the ongoing attacks by Israeli forces and the desperate poverty in Gaza and the West Bank, " he said.

"We have all seen and read about the terrible suffering of innocent people in Lebanon, Gaza and also the West Bank.

"The effects of the current war and a 40-year military occupation are leading to almost sub-Saharan levels of poverty and malnutrition - around 40 per cent of children were malnourished in the Gaza Strip, even before the current violence they have suffered.

"Electricity supplies have been disabled, fuel is running low, hospital patients are dying through want of drugs."

He said the charity organised mobile clinics to take health care to isolated villages cut off by checkpoints and roadblocks, training for teachers and parents in how to cope with traumatised children, and therapeutic play schemes for children, and distributed supplements for malnourished children.

It also upgraded water, sanitation and electrical supplies to improve environmental conditions in refugee camps.

"By reading the Bible, we are also hoping to demonstrate that many Christian people are desperately concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people and wish to offer them our support."

He added that the national Methodist Conference passed a motion at a meeting in Edinburgh in June calling on all Methodists to urgently support medical and food relief among Palestinians.

Teas and coffees were served to visitors for 12 hours during yesterday's read by members of the church, again raising money for the charity.

"We have also had much support from the wider Methodist Circuit of York South, " said Steve.