As an important part of the life and history of the nation, it is expected that Christians and their work should be recognised as part of one of the UK's most important traditions, the New Year's Honours list. This year did not disappoint, with Christians being recognised for everything from charity to ministry in prisons. Here is a list of some of those who won and why they won it.
• Margret Boden, OBE – Services to international development. Ms Boden was the former CEO of Christian Aid Ireland
• Margaret and Barry Mizen, MBEs - Services to young people through the Jimmy Mizen Foundation. Their 16-year-old son Jimmy was murdered in south-east London in 2008
• Lenox Valentine Green, OBE – Services to the community. Mr Green is part of Rainbow Christian Centre, based in Hulme in Manchester, one of the country's most deprived wards.
• Archbishop David Moxon, knighthood – Archbishop Moxon is head of the Anglican Communion's mission to the Holy See
• Joan Cumming, BEM – Voluntary services to children and the community. Ms Cumming is a respite carer and is deeply involved with Christians Against Poverty.
• Rosemary Ann Kempsell, CBE - Services to family life in the UK and abroad. She is the worldwide president of the Mothers' Union.
• Bishop Benjamin Alick Augustas Samuel, CMG - Services to the Christian ministry and the community. Bishop Samuel is one of only six honourees from St Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Reverend Canon Roy McCullough, MBE - Services to the Church of England. Rev McCullough is a major participant in the preservation of the Built Heritage of Churches as part of the Diocesan Advisory Committee in Lancashire.
• Fredrick William Peacock, BEM – Services to church music. Mr Peacock is the choirmaster and organist for the church of St Georges in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
• Ishmael Idu Misalo, OBE – Services to church and community. One of 11 Solomon Islanders in the list.
• Reverend Anne Elizabeth Marr, BEM – Services to the community. Reverend Marr works through the Church of the Holy Nativity in Newcastle to co-ordinate the 'Outside-In' interfaith relations project.
• Reverend Lionel Hopkins, MBE – Services to prison staff and the community. Reverend Hopkins was formerly the Chaplain of HMP Swansea.
• Reverend Canon Alan Hughes, MBE – Services to the community. Reverend Cannon Hughes had been the vicar of Berwick from 1994 until 2013. He had also been Chaplain to the Port of Berwick, the Northumbria Police Force, and the Maltings Theatre.
• Reverend Tofinga Vaevalu Falani, MBE – Public and community service. One of only seven Tuvaluan honourees, Reverend Falani has been at the forefront of preserving community unity in the face of divisions caused by new religious movements.
• Edward Geoffrey Le Quesne, MBE – Services to the community. Representing one third of Jersey's honourees, Mr Le Quesne has been a former chairman of Oxfam and Christian Aid, and currently works with Christians Together in Jersey to deal with the lack of social housing in the crown dependency.
