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MAY 28
May 2010 Churches disappointed by weak commitments on nuclear disarmamentAn alliance of nine UK Churches has expressed
disappointment at the failure of nuclear weapons states to agree deadlines for
actions on nuclear disarmament. While
the Churches welcomed progress made on discussions on the Middle East
and a declaration by the UK on number of warheads, they were highly
critical of the refusal of the nuclear powers to agree timeframes for future
discussions at the conference in New York, which ended today. Rt
Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Reading, said, “Nuclear weapons are a legacy
of the cold war era and have little relevance to the threats that we face today.
There is a growing recognition that having one set of rules for some nations,
and a different set of rules for everyone else is unsustainable.
Moving towards the elimination of nuclear weapons is not only morally
right but the best possible guarantee for our nation’s security.”
The Churches' campaign, entitled Now
is the Time, calls on the British Government to make a commitment to
achieving a world free of nuclear weapons, building
a safer future for all. Revd
David Gamble, President of Methodist Conference, said: “Consensus
on non-proliferation is a major achievement, and one that reflects a growing
understanding that nuclear weapons are a threat, not a guarantee, to our
security. But in failing to agree a
timeframe for further discussions, world leaders appear simply to be paying lip
service to the concept of nuclear disarmament. We didn’t expect the conference
to produce a detailed plan for banning nuclear weapons, but we were looking for
a commitment to move forward on the issue. The International Commission on
Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and a whole host of others, from NPT
state parties, former ambassadors and NGOs have all produced versions of a road
map that could take us to zero nuclear weapons. The nuclear states stand alone
in shying away from discussion of the detail.” Revd
Pat Took, President Designate of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said: “If
the nuclear armed powers do not go further to demonstrate that they are prepared
to relinquish nuclear weapons, then the existing international commitments on
non-proliferation could unravel, leaving us all in a much more dangerous and
insecure situation. The call to work towards a world free of nuclear weapons
comes not only from the majority of the world’s governments but also
overwhelmingly from people of all nations. I pray that we will raise our voices
loud enough such that our governments have no choice but to be spurred into
action.” The
three church leaders were a part of a delegation that delivered a petition to
the Prime Minister at Downing Street on Wednesday. The petition urged the UK to
declare a ‘no first use’ policy and to support the process for negotiation
of a new international agreement leading to the elimination of all nuclear
weapons. The
alliance includes the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist
Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers), the United Reformed Church, the International Affairs Department of
the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, the Catholic Bishops
Conference of Scotland and the Archbishop of the Church in Wales.
To
find out more about the campaign, visit www.endnuclearweapons.org.uk.
24 May
2010 Methodist
youth to celebrate last Breakout of its kind ·
Early-bird ticket deal extended to 25 June This July will see the last
Breakout event of its kind, at Cliff College in Derbyshire from 9-11 July. This
year’s theme is ‘Connect’, encouraging young people to connect with God,
with each other, and with the world. The programme includes worship, comedy,
sports, music, dance and workshops, and the ’well’ - a new venue for
youth workers to escape, chill out, meet new people and share resources and
ideas. “This is the end of an
era,” said Mike Seaton, Director of Children and Youth.
“Breakout is part of a proud 65-year history of youth festivals, at which
we’ve had a unique opportunity to share the Christian message in a relevant
way with tens of thousands of young people. But it is time for something new. We’ll
be building on the best of Breakout and weaving it into new formats so that the
Methodist Church continues to be at the forefront of supporting and engaging
young people in life of the Church. This
year’s Breakout is going to be a massive celebration, a prayerful “thank
you” to God and the hundreds of volunteers who’ve worked hard to make it
happen over the years.” The
early-bird ticket deal of £65 has now been extended for bookings until 25 June,
and those who need financial assistance may be able to apply for funds from
their local Methodist circuit or district. For more information the event, or to
learn more about the MAYC London Weekend and Breakout,
visit www.breakout2010.info.
The
Church’s Children and Youth Team is now embarking on its new five-year
‘Connect’ strategy, which will focus on seven key themes: valuing children
and young people; thinking, talking and being with God; being 21st
Century Church; supporting youth and children’s workers; teaching and
challenging; participation, and speaking out.
17
May 2010 Methodists
to play a key role at Greenbelt Festival in new partnership · Methodist-Greenbelt deal offers free tickets to presbyters, deacons, preachers and worship leaders. The
Methodist Church will play a larger role than ever before at this year’s
Greenbelt Festival – Europe’s longest running Christian event celebrating
the arts, faith and justice. The
Church has sealed a three year partnership deal with Greenbelt organisers, which
will see free tickets made available to Methodist ministers, deacons, preachers
and worship leaders who have not attended the festival for the past five years.
The free tickets, which must be claimed before 31July via the Greenbelt office,
will be on offer during the first two years of the partnership. Over
time, the deal will allow the Methodist Church to have as influential a presence
at the festival as the Department of International Development and Christian Aid
– Greenbelt’s existing major partners. A
Methodist-branded venue with a capacity to hold up to 400 people will feature at
this year’s Greenbelt for the first time. Seminar sessions on the theme of
discipleship will run in the tent every morning during the August Bank Holiday
weekend festival held at Cheltenham Racecourse. Mark
Wakelin, Secretary for Internal Relationships, said the new partnership will
raise the profile of the Methodist Church within the ecumenical community and
encourage discipleship. “We
are very excited about the potential of this partnership,” said Mark Wakelin.
“This is an opportunity for us to live out our shared ethos of ecumenical
working, giving people the chance to experience new and creative expressions of
faith; and grow as disciples of Christ”. An
estimated 3,000 Methodists make up the 20,000 people who attend Greenbelt every
year. Gawain
Hewitt, Festival Director, said: “The Methodist Church and Greenbelt both have
a history steeped in a commitment to social justice and community engagement. We
also share a commitment to dialogue, trade justice, environmental and
development issues and human rights. Ideologically, it's a perfect
partnership, and practically it makes sense too. Around 15 per cent of people on
site are Methodists. This partnership will allow these relationships to be
strengthened and help the Methodist Church to engage with a much broader
audience."
11 May 2010 Methodist
app now available on App Store The
Methodist Church today announced the launch of their first app for iPhone and
iPod touch. The Methodist App enables people to view daily bible
studies, prayers and news from the Church. The
Methodist App features include: - Daily
audio and written Bible studies, featuring a different author each week - Prayer of
the day - The latest
news stories from the Methodist Church in Britain - Topical
podcasts from Methodist Web Radio - The latest
tweets from the Church’s Twitter feeds The Methodist App is available now for free from the App Store or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore. 7
May 2010
Take
a Glimpse of the Word... A
new booklet, entitled Glimpses of the Word,
offers readers an inspiring collection of images, prayers and reflections on the
Bible. Readers are encouraged to listen to scripture and consider what God might
be saying to them personally. The
booklet is designed as a starting-point to help people to get more engaged with
the Bible in their daily lives, in advance of Biblefresh - the Year of the Bible
in 2011. Readers will find contributions from authors as diverse as Martin
Luther, Helen Keller and Oscar Romero. “The Bible is foundational
for Christian faith,” said Revd Alison Tomlin, President Designate of the
Methodist Conference: “But often people feel that it is not easy to
understand, or that it might not have anything to say to them personally. I
hope that people will be encouraged to find their own way of listening to God
through what they find here, because I believe that God continues to seek a
deepening relationship with all of us, no matter who we are.” It
also features contributions from British Church leaders, including Revd Dr Martyn
Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, Commissioner
Elizabeth Matear of the Salvation Army, Revd Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary
of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Revd John Marsh, Moderator of the United
Reformed Church, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr
John Sentamu, Archbishop of York and The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols,
Archbishop of Westminster. 6
May 2010 Young
Methodists geared to get Generous
Generous
is a safe, online space designed to enable young people to discuss and act upon
decisions made at Youth Assembly – an interactive body designed to maximise
the impact of young people’s influence on the Methodist Church in Britain.
Young people can sign up to the site and pledge their commitment to different
goals, such as confronting racist behaviour or challenging Churches on the
opportunities available to them. The
website offers young people the opportunity to work together on maximising the
impact they can have on the wider Church. Every young person who signs up and
joins the debate becomes an activist and voice for social change. Pete
Brady, Methodist Youth President, said: “Generous is a great way
for young people to keep in touch with others they met at Youth Assembly. It
offers the chance for young people to share things that affect them on a daily
basis in their lives and churches. This is an opportunity for young people to be
part of the decision-making process emerging from the Youth Assembly that will
then play its part in re-shaping the Methodist Church. I am very excited about
how this will increase youth participation across the Districts. Generous
is easy and free to join. The more young people leaving comments, signing up to
actions, meeting in the chat rooms; the more dynamic the forum will be.” Pete
Brady has piloted the website with a group of ‘Generous DJs’ – young
people from Youth Assembly who have tested the site’s usability. The DJs will
also serve as promoters for Generous – getting their peers
enthused about the site and working on developing its content, direction and
moderation. Check out Generous at http://methodist.generous.org.uk/. The site will form a key component of the new Children & Youth website set for launch this summer.
4
May 2010 Churches
appoint new Safeguarding Adviser Elizabeth
Hall has been appointed to the post of Safeguarding Adviser for the Church of
England and the Methodist Church in Britain. Revd
Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, said: “Our
churches take the safety and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults very
seriously, and we have a responsibility to offer the highest standards in
safeguarding. This role is central to that work and we are pleased to welcome
Elizabeth to our team.” The
Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, Chair of the Church of England’s Central Safeguarding
Liaison Group, adds: “Elizabeth’s range of experience in the statutory
sector will be of great benefit in helping churches across both denominations
keep up to date with the latest good practice in this area, and in offering
professional support to our network of diocesan safeguarding advisers.” Elizabeth
brings to the role 25 years’ professional experience in the social work field
as both a practitioner and as a manager within the Probation, Family Court
Welfare and Guardian ad litem Services. She has also worked as a youth worker
and foster carer. Most recently, Elizabeth has worked for Cafcass, the Children
and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, since April 2001, initially as
Regional Director for the North East Region and later as Head of Safeguarding. Elizabeth
replaces Revd Pearl Luxon, who will be leaving the role in September, following
a four-month handover period, to become an independent safeguarding consultant. Elizabeth
said, “I am excited about taking on this role. I look forward to the
opportunity to use my safeguarding and child protection expertise within the
church communities.” Elizabeth
worships at a joint Anglican/Methodist church in central London and is a
Methodist local preacher, but also preaches from time to time at the Anglican
churches in the parish. |
