12 April 2007
Methodist Church publishes guidelines on political extremism
Ahead of the May local elections, The Methodist Church has
launched guidelines for churches that find themselves represented
by a councillor from an extremist party. The guidelines address a
series of questions, such as whether councillors from parties whose
policies promote racism should be allowed to rent church rooms for
surgeries and how churches should respond to requests for
co-operation from extremist parties.
The guidelines are available free of charge from the Methodist
Church web site in an easy to print form.
Anthea Cox, Methodist Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and
Social Justice, says 'The Methodist Church continues to oppose all
forms of political extremism and racism. The existence of
councillors from extremist parties that support racist policies in
Britain raises difficult questions for churches that are active in
their local communities. These guidelines will help churches and
individuals to make the right decisions. The guidelines recommend
that churches resist putting themselves in positions which could be
seen as giving tacit support to parties or policies which promote
racism.'
The guidelines were approved by the Methodist Council at its
meeting on 30-31 March.