02 July 2014
The Conference elects President and Vice-President Designates for 2015/16
- Photos of the new President and Vice-President Designate here
The Methodist Conference has elected the Revd Steve Wild to be
President of the Conference in 2015/16, and Dr Jill Barber to be
Vice-President. Both will start their year of office when the
Conference meets in Southport on 27 June 2015. They will succeed
the current President and Vice-President, the Revd Kenneth Howcroft
and Mrs Gill Dascombe, as the first item of the Conference's
business.
Steve Wild has served fifteen years in circuit ministry. In 1998,
he became Cornwall District Evangelism Enabler and the Connexional
Evangelism Enabler Co-ordinator, as well as working part time with
West Country TV presenting programmes about Christianity in the
South West. From 2004 he worked at Cliff College as Director of
Evangelism and tutor. He returned to Cornwall in 2008 to become
Chair of the Cornwall District.
Steve said: "I am overwhelmed by this news. It will be a privilege
to be President of the Conference, and a deep honour. I hope and
pray that I can give something worthwhile to the Church during my
year in office."
Jill Barber, a local preacher in the Cheshire South Circuit, is
currently Director of the Heritage for Mission Project at Englesea
Brook Chapel and Museum of Primitive Methodism. As a trained
teacher and librarian, with a PhD in Archives, she has worked in
Cambridge, Aberystwyth and London. Until taking up her present role
in 2011, she was Head of Heritage Services for Hertfordshire County
Council. She is passionate about the potential of using our
heritage to challenge and inspire as we explore what it means to be
the church today.
Jill said: "I feel both humbled and excited as I look forward to
sharing experiences and working with Methodist people across the
Connexion, and face the huge responsibilities that come with this
role."
The role of President of the Conference is reserved for
Presbyters, and Vice-President for lay people or Deacons.