New Methodist President Challenges Church with Discipleship

The new President of the Methodist Conference, Rev Graham Carter, has called for the Church to fully take up the challenge of discipleship.

|PIC1|As the Methodist Conference gathered together for its annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, Rev Carter told delegates: “The kingdom needs wholehearted disciples. Nothing must be allowed to get in the way.”

In particular, the new president pointed out that a problem often encountered by the Church was that too often discipleship was equated with holding office.

However, he declared, “This is nonsense!”

The delegates at the Edinburgh Conference Centre heard him explain: “Christ calls all his people to serve Him with the whole of their lives.

“This discipleship is about how you live at work, at home and in the community.”

Although he accepted that this was a tough challenge, he urged the Church to renew its identity that it was a body to provide practical support for people’s discipleship in a complex world.

Rev Carter, in efforts to build on the foundations already laid down by his predecessors, reminded the Methodists of a Tom Stuckey speech on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; Will Morrey's theme of listening to God; and Neil Richardson's challenge to the Church to focus on God in Christ.

He said, “Christ calls us to be prepared to leave home and follow Him. Our 'home' is whatever we are familiar and comfortable with. But the call to discipleship is a call to walk with strangers, tread unfamiliar paths and risk doing new things.”

|TOP|The Methodist Conference has headed north of the border for the first time this year to the Edinburgh Conference Centre at the city’s Heriot-Watt University from June 24th to 29th.

The ruling body of the Church are set to come together for the five-day meeting to set the rules and policy and explore key issues for the Church.

The 384 voting members of the Conference have been joined by thousands of visitors for the event that has seen the induction of the new President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev Graham Carter, and the new Vice President, Mr Dudley Coates.

Conference Sunday also has seen about 60 new Methodist presbyters and deacons received into full connexion and ordained at services around Edinburgh and Lothian.

|AD|A major new report, ‘Peacemaking, a Christian Vocation’ will also be launched at the Conference. Jointly produced with the United Reformed Church, the report investigates the ethics of war, the need to work actively for peace, the role of peacekeeping troops, and the response to terrorism.

One of the key issues to be debated by Conference is the use of funds in relation to conflict in Israel and Palestine as part of a wider discussion on ethical investment.

Conference will also explore issues related to human sexuality including what advice should be given to ministers asked to bless a same-sex civil partnership in the Church. The discussion will follow the launch of a major report into the Pilgrimage of Faith, the Church’s ongoing discussion about human sexuality, at last year’s Conference.

Other issues up for debate include the terms and conditions on which ministers serve, the future structure of the Methodist Church in Wales and a proposal for a major review of stationing – the Church’s policy on deploying ministers and deacons.

The Methodist Conference will end on 29th June 2006.