Preparations for the Methodist Conference 2005, which will be held on 24-30 June in Torquay - UK, are now in full-scale. Apart from the Methodist Conference, ecumenical movements are also expected to play a large role in the gathering.
The conference will discuss issues regarding the relationship between the Anglican Church and the Methodist Church, and more specifically concerning topics such as homosexuality within clergy, same-sex unions and women bishops within the Anglican Communion worldwide.
According to the latest news, the Methodist Church is expected to debate the issue of consecration of Methodist bishops which proceeds nearly 50 years and by the conclusion of the conference could bring out the first British Methodist bishops consecrated in 2010. This result could bring full unity with the Church of England and even increased unity between Methodists and Anglicans worldwide.
Methodism broke the line of apostolic succession, which emphasises that Christian bishops are the spiritual successors of the Apostles, when John Wesley began to ordain ministers for service in the United States.
Consequently, for Methodist bishops to become a part of the apostolic succession, they would have to be consecrated by a bishop or archbishop from another Church which keeps the tradition, and is also in full communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Most likely, from United Church of South India – combined of Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists.
As the Methodist Church in the United States is very influential, there has been a large amount of attention and very careful observation given to developments and happenings in the British mother Church. Combining the Anglican-Methodist Church would create the second largest Church in Christendom, after the Roman Catholic Church, with at least 150 million souls.
