06 April 2009
April meeting of the Methodist Council
The Methodist Council met on 3-4 April at All Saints Pastoral
Centre in London Colney. This is the third and final meeting
planned for the current Church year.
Climate Change was a key issue for the Council, which approved for
presentation to the Methodist Conference a joint report from the
Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United
Reformed Church. The report, entitled Hope in God's Future, calls
on the three Churches to act urgently to reduce carbon emissions
across all three Churches in line with the national goal of 80% by
2050. Members of the churches are encouraged to campaign locally
and nationally for government policies that will achieve this
commitment.
The Council also received an update on the Church's Youth
Participation Strategy. The Strategy aims to develop and improve
the way in which young people are involved in the life of the
Church at all levels and was launched in September 2008. Council
members heard that considerable process had been made in developing
and implementing the Strategy, which has so far seen the
appointment of a full-time Youth President and eight part-time
District Youth Enablers, all between the ages of 17 and 23.
Youth President Sarah Malik, said; "Although the strategy is still
in its infancy, we're really excited about the possibilities. This
is not just about letting young people have a say on youthwork
issues; it's about them being able to make decisions and exercise
influence at every level of Church life."
The Council was also encouraged to consider the Church's
relationship with other Christian denominations, committing to work
and worship together. The Council agreed that the celebration of
the differences between denominations and the desire to seek a
common life are at the heart of such relationships.
Other topics discussed at the Council included the
Anglican-Methodist Covenant, equalities and diversity policy and
stories of how local churches are engaging with their communities
in creative and innovative ways.