10 July 2007
Methodist Conference celebrates Fresh Expressions
The Methodist Conference has warmly received a report on
the Church's involvement in the Fresh Expressions initiative. Fresh
Expressions is an ecumenical initiative backed by The Methodist
Church and the Church of England.
At the moment about 136 of the 600 registered Fresh Expressions
activities are run by Methodists, involving about 6,800 people.
About one third of those participating in Methodist fresh
expressions are children.
Fresh Expressions was launched by the Right Revd Dr Rowan
Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Revd Tom Stuckey, then
President of the Methodist Conference. The Revd Martyn Atkins,
current President of the Conference, says "fresh expressions of
church have always emerged out of a Christian desire to love and
serve God in the world. What is wonderfully encouraging today is
the growing commitment of Methodist people to explore fresh ways of
being church in all sorts of places around the country. The breadth
of imagination and enthusiasm with which people are responding to
the challenge of creating fresh expressions is really exciting. As
a result we can bring the best of our old ways of being church,
together with these new ways into the task of bearing witness to
our faith and serving our society."