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ANGLICAN-METHODIST
COVENANT
ANGLICAN-METHODIST
PROPOSALS
For Diocesan Synod and
Methodist Districts
In
the light of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant we commit ourselves to work out its
implications for our life together in and around Greater Manchester, acting
within the Canons of the Church of England and the Standing Orders of the
Methodist
Church
.
Denominational leaders
have been asked:
i) to
establish a programme to further
promote:
(1)
Sharing of ministries.
(2) Closer links between congregations in mission
and evangelism.
(3) Collaboration in training.
(4) Ways in which our Councils and Committees could
work more closely together in planning for mission and evangelism.
ii)
to report on the progress annually and bring back a full review after three
years.
__________________________________________________________
RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS ....
Churches launch
website to promote Anglican-Methodist Covenant
- 2006
roadshow will also promote the work of the historic agreement
The Church of England and The Methodist
Church have launched a website detailing the work of the Anglican-Methodist
Covenant. The historic agreement, committing both churches to explore ways of
working together, was signed in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
on
1
November 2003
.
The
website - www.anglican-methodist.org.uk
- contains resources for churches and individuals, stories of successful
Covenant-inspired projects and material for joint acts of worship. It also
provide quick links to compare the positions of the two churches on key topics
such as marriage and alcohol, as well as a diary section for upcoming events and
the history of how the Covenant came to be signed.
The
website was created after it became apparent that Methodist and Church of
England churches were working together on local projects that were not being
publicised to others. The Revd Peter Sulston, Co-ordinating Secretary for Unity
in Mission for The Methodist Church, said, “as the Joint Implementation
Commission has kept the implementation of the Covenant under review it has been
clear that there is more happening in the name of the Covenant than we were
aware of. Joint action on behalf of the whole of both churches is easy to track,
but we want to share the success stories of work being done by Dioceses and
Districts, by Deaneries and Circuits and by individual Methodists and Anglicans.
The website will inspire others to try new things, and enable them to share what
they learn.”
The
Church of England and The Methodist Church will also hold a series of workshops
in the first half of 2006 to promote local work based on the Anglican-Methodist
Covenant.
The
workshops, with the theme “Living God’s Covenant” are designed both to
highlight the range of joint work already undertaken by the two churches, and to
encourage Christians of both denominations to try new ways of working together.
The workshops cost £12.50, which includes lunch
The
daylong workshops span
England
from
Taunton
to
Newcastle
,
and each will cover a range of topics relating to the vision for a covenant
lifestyle, sharing God’s mission and seizing opportunities. The workshops will
also address how to overcome obstacles, and how to create a shared participation
in a covenant lifestyle.
The
workshops will be led by John Cole, National Advisor for Unity in
Mission
for the Church of England, and Chris Sissons, Development Officer for Local
Mission and Unity for the
Methodist
Church
.
Members of the Joint Implementation Commission will also take part in each
workshop.
Chris
Sissons says that the theme of the day will be combining inspiration with
practicalities. “Inspiration involves exploring the vision of what can be
achieved as Christian disciples,” he says, “and then we need to see the
practical possibilities in any particular situation and explore what is actually
involved in dealing with the obstacles.”
The
Revd John Cole says that the workshops are as much about sharing information and
experiences as anything else. “There are already a lot of exciting projects
that have grown out of the Covenant within Dioceses and Districts, and in
Deaneries and Circuits,” he says. “People’s experience and expertise are crucial to the success
of the workshops, both in terms of local knowledge and the insights people can
bring. We want to learn as well as to encourage and inspire.”
1) The first report from the Joint Implementation Commission was presented
to both the Methodist Conference and the General Synod of the Church of England
this summer. In the Spirit of the Covenant
can be purchased from Methodist Publishing House at £5.99 (Quote: PB178) or
downloaded from: http://www.methodist.org.uk/static/conf2005/co_47c_JICreport_0505.doc
2) The workshops will be held in:
Taunton
(24 January);
Birmingham
(20 February);
Newark
(27 February);
Southampton
(13 March);
High
Wycombe
(24 March);
Leeds
(5 April);
Newcastle
(9 May);
London
(23 May); Bury St. Edmunds (13 June);
St.
Helens
(Merseyside) (19 June). To register
for a workshop, ask for further information and registration form from admin@rm.methodist.org,uk.
____________________
Pearl Luxon appointed
to new joint Anglican-Methodist post
- Minister
will advise both Churches on child protection issues
The Revd Pearl Luxon has been appointed to the joint
post of Safeguarding Adviser for the
Methodist
Church
and the Church of England. She will take up the post in September 2006 on the
retirement of Mrs Janet Hind as National Child Protection Adviser for the Church
of England.
It is the first national joint post created by the two Churches since the
historic Anglican-Methodist Covenant was signed in November 2003. “Creating
this post allows the two churches to speak with one voice,” says
Pearl
.
“It shows the seriousness with which both Churches take child protection.”
She will liase with government, police, probation service and charities to
ensure that the churches are up to date with legislation and best practice in
protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Pearl
,
a Methodist minister and experienced Probation Officer, is currently Head of
Safeguarding for the
Methodist
Church
as well as running the Churches’ Agency for Safeguarding (a joint venture
between a number of Churches for processing Criminal Records Bureau
disclosures). The appointment will coincide with the CAS becoming independent of
the
Methodist
Church
and appointing a new Chief Executive. Both Churches will continue their own
arrangements for CRB disclosures and will retain their own safeguarding policies
and church specific procedures.
The Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, the Church of
England’s liaison bishop for Child Protection, welcomed the initiative as “a
practical outworking of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant. I am delighted that Mrs
Luxon will be fulfilling this new, joint role.”
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BOLTON
AND ROCHDALE METHODIST
DISTRICT