01 November 2006
The Methodist Council, 31 October-1 November
Major papers discussed include senior leadership structures,
grant making and urban mission.
The Methodist Council met yesterday and today at High Leigh
Conference Centre in Hertfordshire. For the first time ever, the
reports and papers to be discussed were made publicly available
before the meeting on the Methodist web site.
The Methodist Church is currently reviewing many of its
decision-making bodies and processes, and is also looking at the
future structure and role of the Connexional Team, the staff who
provide services and support to the Church. As a result, much of
the Council's business focussed on these areas.
Nonetheless, Council also gave a lot of time to other matters.
These included the response to the Church of England's Commission
for Urban Life and Faith (CULF). Although CULF's report Faithful
Cities was produced to address issues affecting Anglican churches,
it was chaired by Revd. Kathleen Richardson, former President of
the Methodist Conference and many its recommendations also apply to
the Methodist Church.
The differences between Methodist and Anglican structures and
traditions mean that some further work is needed to implement the
relevant recommendations of Faithful Cities. Nonetheless, the
Council welcomed the report as highlighting the issues relating to
urban mission. The Methodist Church funds, in conjunction with the
Evangelical Coalition for Urban Mission, Erica Dunmow as Urban
Mission Development Advisor. Based in Sheffield, she works to
develop networks of people and groups involved in urban mission
both locally and nationally.
Council welcomed and encouraged further work on a proposed
provisional pattern for the future leadership and senior management
of the Connexional Team. This proposed pattern envisages a small
group of senior leaders working under the General Secretary,
replacing the current Coordinating Secretaries Group who currently
are responsible for both strategic leadership and managing the
Connexional Team.
All of the work of the Connexional Team is currently being reviewed
with a view to producing a Team that is more flexible and better
able to serve the needs of the whole Church. This new Team will
also cost less, in order to leave more resources in the hands of
districts and circuits.
Another major item being reviewed in this process is the allocation
of grants. In the current budget year the Connexional Team alone
will give grants totalling £9.8 million, with decision-making held
in several places. The goal of the review is to put all
grant-making into one place, with the exception of emergencies
under a single coordinated range of procedures. This will make for
a simpler, quicker system for grants that will be more flexible and
more accountable. Different types of grants will still need
different means of applying, but because of the coordinated
approach it will be easier for churches and other groups to make
the right applications at the right times.
The Revd. David Deeks, General Secretary of the Methodist Church,
said "in 2004 we agreed the Priorities for the Methodist Church,
which recognised that we cannot do everything we would wish to. We
are now putting those priorities into practice, and this will lead
to a Church with the flexibility and strength to be part of God's
mission to 21st century Britain."
Other issues discussed included a process to review the 1993
resolutions on human sexuality. The 2006 Conference repeated its
commitment to the earlier resolutions, but also asked for a group
to study whether or not the Church membership wants to revisit them
at a future Conference. Another matter under consultation is the
question of what a Methodist understanding of Bishop. Council heard
an update and appointed members to a group to review the responses
received to date and to make recommendations on taking the process
forward.
The Methodist Council meets three or four times a year. It is
responsible for preparing business for the annual Methodist
Conference, and for continuing work overseen by the Conference. It
has a membership of about 65 drawn from across the Methodist
Church.
All the papers for the Council are online at
http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=information.content&cmid=130