24 June 2006
New Methodist President calls for renewed discipleship
The Revd Graham Carter, new President of the Methodist
Conference, today called on the Church to take up the challenge of
discipleship. Graham told the Conference 'the kingdom needs
wholehearted disciples. Nothing must be allowed to get in the
way.'
Graham said that too often the church has equated discipleship with
holding office or doing some work. 'This is nonsense!' he told the
packed hall at the Edinburgh Conference Centre. '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. Graham said this is a tough challenge, and the role of
the Church should be to provide practical support for people's
discipleship in a complex world.
Building on the work of his predecessors as President, Graham
reminded the Conference of Tom Stuckey's talk of the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit; Will Morrey's theme of listening to God and Neil
Richardson's challenge for the Church to focus on God in Christ.
'Christ calls us to be prepared to leave home and follow him. Our
'home' is whatever we are familiar and comfortable with É but the
call to discipleship is a call to walk with strangers, tread
unfamiliar paths and risk doing new things.'