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JULY 10 July, 2008
Methodist
Conference 2008 Roundup The Methodist Conference met from 5-10 July in Scarborough. Revd Stephen Poxon was inducted at President of the Conference, and Mr. David Walton as Vice President. Conference also ordained 55 new Methodist ministers (50 Presbyters and five Deacons). Conference addressed a number of contemporary issues, including knife crime, Burma, Zimbabwe, stem cell research and abortion. Time was spent looking at the Youth Participation Strategy (YPS), a major new initiative aimed at increasing the involvement of people aged 16-23 in the running of the Church both nationally and locally. The YPS will see an investment of more than £4 million over the next five years. The Youth Conference also brought its concerns, including knife crime, Burma and the pressures on young people combining church activities with further education or work. Conference also committed the Church to fresh ways of expressing its mission. The successful Fresh Expressions scheme, a joint venture with the Church of England, has been renewed by both churches for a further five years. The Methodist Conference also gave its support to a new Pioneer Ministries scheme, in which the Church will invest over £4 million to establish new congregations across the country, aimed especially at young adults and those who have had no prior contact with any form of church. Conference received a major report on early human life, looking at issues such as stem cell research, fertility treatments and abortion. The report offers guidance on how to approach these complex and often highly personal topics. It also recognises that attempts to respond to particular medical developments can easily be quickly out of date as the technology moves on. Conference has commended for study the report which says that embryos should not be created solely for the purpose of research, but that it is acceptable for embryos created during fertility treatments to be used for research. The Conference also voted to review the Church’s current stance on abortion. Conference affirmed the Covenant with the Church of England, signed in 2003, and supported the creation of a new body to continue the work of implementing it. This new body will for the first time include representation from the Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church, in recognition that the Methodist Church serves all of Great Britain. The United Reformed Church will also be invited to continue to participate. Conference offered prayer and support to the Church of England’s General Synod (meeting almost simultaneously in York) as it addressed major issues. For the first time, live video of Conference proceedings was broadcast via the Conference website, and a video archive is also available. Live audio was also broadcast in partnership with Premier Christian Radio. Conference also elected its President and Vice-President for 2009-10. The Revd David Gamble were designated to serve as President and Dr Richard Vautrey as Vice President at next year’s Conference.
Methodist
Conference backs Youth Conference resolutions
The
Methodist Conference, meeting in Scarborough, has endorsed a number of
resolutions brought by the Youth Conference. Amongst other things, these call on
the Church to campaign to highlight the plight of the Burmese people, and to
investigate how local churches can address the issues that lead to violence
among young people, including knife crime. Other
Youth Conference resolutions passed by the main Conference called for more
Bibles to be available to give away to new Christians, and to recognise the
pressures on young people undertaking local preacher training, especially when
combined with other educational commitments. Four
Youth Conference representatives are in Scarborough as full voting members of
the Methodist Conference, which is just one part of the Church’s ongoing and
increasing commitment to involving young people at the very heart of
decision-making. Another expression of this is the Youth Participation Strategy
that Conference was agreed on Wednesday. This will be a multi-year investment in
involving a network of young people in many aspects of Church life. Sarah
Tomes, a Youth Conference representative at Scarborough, said “these are
things that are very important to us, and it means a lot to have Conference’s
support. Some people say that young people are the future of the Church, but we
are part of it and have lot to offer right now.” Notes 1)
The full texts of the Youth Conference report and the Youth Participation
Strategy report are available here: http://www.methodistconference.org.uk/confreports.htm 2)
The Youth Conference met in Cardiff Bay on 16-18 November 2007 under the theme
of “Let My People Go!” ___________9
July, 2008
Church
to make major investment in youth engagement The Methodist Conference has agreed to invest more than £4 million in a major initiative to develop and enhance the participation of young people in the life of the Church. The Church’s Youth Participation Strategy is a five-year initiative involving a specialist team of youth workers and young people employed to address how the Church engages with youth culture on local and national levels. Each Methodist district will receive a grant for the part-time employment of a young person aged 16-23. For most of their time these Youth Enablers will work within their district, but a proportion of their time will be used for national initiatives. Each year every district will take on a new ‘Mission Possible’ project proposed by young people and designed to put the Gospel into action in local communities. Mike Seaton, Under 19’s Team Leader for the Church, says; ‘Young people need to be empowered to live as Christians, to witness to their peers and to participate as equals in the Church. Participation is all about involvement – it can be anything from providing opinions to setting agendas and decision making. In adopting this report, the Church is making a huge investment for future engagement with young people and youth culture. This decision demonstrates that the Church is serious about bringing youth participation into the heart of the life of the Church.’ District Youth Enablers will be supported by Connexional Participation Workers and seven full-time regional Participation Workers (five in England and one each in Scotland and Wales). Conference received the report and endorsed its recommendations. The pilot project will begin in September with an ongoing programme of monitoring and evaluation with a full report in 2011.
Methodist
Conference elects new President and Vice President Designate
Methodist
Conference votes to review position on abortion A
major report on abortion, assisted reproductive technologies and stem cell
research has been received by the Methodist Conference. The report, Created
in God’s Image, also discusses embryo screening and egg and sperm
donation. The report was jointly produced by the Methodist Church, the Baptist
Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church. Created
in God’s Image
looks at the ethical and theological issues raised by these technologies, and
aims to give church members a useful framework for discussing them, and other
breakthroughs yet to come. Conference
also voted that the Methodist Council should form a group to revise its position
on abortion, which was last reviewed in 1976. Since then, medical advances have
changed the ethical landscape, especially the discussion of the 24-week limit
for abortions. Anthea
Cox, Methodist Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice, says
“these are all difficult and confusing areas for ordinary people, yet also
potentially exciting for those who might benefit from them. This report helps us
to discuss and understand them better. Many people hold deeply held views on
early human life, and we need to ensure that we do not compromise our core
values in pursuit of medical developments. Modern medical technologies promise
great things, and we need to make sure that we as Christians are able to have
fully informed discussions the ethical dimensions of these.” Notes: 1)
A summary of the current Methodist position on abortion can be found here:
http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=1540 First
major equalities and diversity report presented to Methodist Conference The Methodist Conference has received a major report challenging the Church to eliminate discrimination in an increasingly diverse Christian community. This report is the result of a project initiated in 2004 by the Conference and carried out by the Equalities and Diversity Project, a representative group including members who have experienced oppression due to race, gender, sexuality and disability. The report shows journey the Church has taken in considering these issues since 2004 and indicates the direction of future developments. The report was presented for exploration by the wider Church, offering an opportunity for the Church to engage in its first comprehensive dialogue about the broad agenda of equalities and The report identifies areas for further work on equalities and diversity in the Church including a diversity. It addresses the many different kinds of discrimination faced by groups both with the churches but also in wider society including, sexism, racism, disablism and homophobia. It also outlines some of the stories that people in these situations have shared with the group. The stories will be collected into a series of booklets to accompany a further report in 2009. Alison Parker, Equalities and Diversity Project Worker for the Methodist Church, says; ‘This is a major step on the road to creating a more inclusive, welcoming and credible Church. The Church as the Body of Christ is an expression of unity in the great variety of God’s creation. This report has offered a challenging and exciting opportunity to hear the voices of the marginalised and those working for change in the Church.’ theological exploration of the issues and the formulation of an equal opportunities policy for adoption by the Church in 2009. Conference received the report and commended Equally Different?, a new equalities and diversity campaign resource for use in local churches, circuits and districts. This includes worship and Bible study materials for use by individuals and groups, resources for children and young people considering the issues and display materials such as posters and postcards. A supporting website, www.methodistchurch.org.uk/equallydifferent, also offers the chance for people to share their own experiences and ideas. Notes1. The Equalities and Diversity report is available online at www.methodistconference.org.uk. 2. For more information about Equally Different? visit www.methodistchurch.org.uk/equallydifferent. 9
July, 2008
Major
report on five years of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant ·
Recommendations include extending Covenant
talks to Scotland and Wales. A major report received today by the Methodist Conference addresses the progress made over the last five years of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant. The Covenant between the Methodist Church in Great Britain and the Church of England was agreed by both churches in the summer of 2003. It was signed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference and the general secretaries of both churches in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen on 1 November that year. The quinquennial report of the Joint Implementation Commission (JIC) commends the work done so far by the churches to implement the Covenant, and features a number of ‘cameos’ illustrating how the Covenant is being put into action in a variety of contexts. These include a joint Anglican-Methodist primary school in Kent and volunteers from both churches working together to run a night café and creative arts centre in Manchester. The Conference commended the report for further study and endorsed the recommendations, which include appointing a successor body to the JIC for a further five-year period. The scope of this body would extend to involve representatives of the Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church and from the Methodist Church in Scotland and Wales as well as relating more closely to Ireland where there is already a Covenant between the Methodist Church in Ireland and the Church of Ireland. Professor Peter Howdle, Co-Chair of the Commission and past Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, says; ‘As the Covenant nears its fifth birthday, this report offers a chance to reflect on a major initiative for unity and mission in the history of our Churches. We have heard so many encouraging stories from those living out the Covenant both in church life and in serving their communities. But it is clear that there is still much to learn and much to do in order to make the journey towards fuller visible unity.’ The report recognises that further work is needed for the Covenant to move forward, particularly in encouraging and resourcing local churches. Expert support and advice is being made available to Bishops and District Chairs wishing to encourage deeper engagement with the Covenant in their area and take up the opportunities it gives for unity in common life and mission. Notes1. The quinquennial report of the Joint Implementation Commission is available from MPH (www.mph.org.uk). 2. For more information about the Covenant, visit http://www.anglican-methodist.org.uk/. 3. The Church of England discussed the report on Monday 7 July at General Synod.
8
July, 2008
Methodist
Church condemns UK Government’s failure of Zimbabwean refugees The Methodist Conference has condemned the UK government’s failure to care for Zimbabwean refugees and is urging the Government to immediately stop all deportations to Zimbabwe and grant indefinite ‘right to remain’ to Zimbabwean refugees. The Conference expressed support for all international efforts to bring about a peaceful, sustainable democratic future for Zimbabwe. Kevin
Fray, World Church Secretary for Africa, says; ‘We are deeply concerned for
the wellbeing of all people. With this in mind, it is right that the Church
expresses solidarity with all Zimbabweans at this time.’ Local churches are being invited to contribute to the Fund for World Mission to help the Zimbabwean churches respond to urgent humanitarian needs in the country. The churches have requested funding for a lorry for aid distribution and secure transport of Methodist ministers to their new stations. An initial gift raised by the Conference’s Sunday offering will be sent to support this. Resources will be made available to help Methodist churches in Britain understand the ongoing situation and respond appropriately. The Conference has also directed that these concerns be brought to the attention of the British Government, United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community and the African Union. In 2008 the British Methodist Church has sent solidarity grants totalling more than £70,000 to support humanitarian work in Zimbabwe. 7
July 2008
Church seeks ‘pioneers’ to reach out to young adults The
Methodist Church has approved a major new initiative designed to reach out to
those with no experience of church, especially young adults. The
Pioneering Ministries scheme will see the establishment of new Christian
communities and congregations in a variety of locations from city centre and
suburban areas to more rural settings. There
will initially be twenty new projects, with the first beginning as early as
possible in 2009. Each project will be designed to serve the spiritual and
practical needs of those who have previously had little or no experience of
Church. Although
the projects are envisioned as eventually becoming independent, the scheme will
involve a major investment of Church resources and funds, with an initial setup
cost of more than £4.3m. Revd
Graham Horsley, Secretary for Evangelism and Church Planting, says; ‘This is
clearly a risky strategy, but sometimes the Church is called to take risks. In
saying “yes” to pioneer ministries the Church is sacrificing control for the
sake of creativity. Rather than setting the agenda for evangelism and mission
centrally, Pioneer Ministers will be free to discern the shape of their mission
in their particular context. What grows may not look like a traditional
“church” but will enable young adults to worship God and be equipped as
disciples.’ The
Church will seek to recruit as Pioneer Ministers lay and ordained people who
demonstrate vision, motivation and the ability to inspire others. They will be
offered support and training and will be able to build new, viable independent
Christian congregations rooted in the Methodist tradition.
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