The President and
Vice-President meet with the new Archbishop of Canterbury

The President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference held a high-level meeting with the new Archbishop of Canterbury and other leading Church of England figures to discuss unity between the Churches.

The President, the Revd Richard Andrew, the Vice-President, Matthew Forsyth and the Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler, the Secretary of the Methodist Conference, were present at the Lambeth House gathering with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally,  the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, and Mr William Nye, Secretary General of the General Synod, on 24 April.

Closer ties between the two Churches were on the agenda. At the meeting were the co-chairs of the Life in Covenant group which has been exploring how to develop the commitments of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant.

The Covenant was signed in 2003 that recognised each other as true, apostolic Churches and committed them towards working together towards full and visible unity.

It has opened the way to new partnerships on the ground between local Church of England and Methodist congregations, ranging from joint worship and sharing church buildings, to shared community projects and staff such as youth and family workers.

Both Churches will debate developing the covenant further this year, at the Methodist Conference and at the Church of England General Synod.

The Revd Richard Andrew said: “It was a huge joy for Matt and I to meet with Archbishops Sarah and Stephen today.

“Our relationship with the Church of England both nationally and on the ground is of huge importance, especially in a fragmented world. It was good to affirm our life in covenant together and our continuing commitment to work towards closer unity.”

The Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler said: “It was a privilege to be hosted by the new Archbishop in the refurbished Lambeth Palace.

“We had a full, open and productive conversation, and look forward to developing our ‘life in covenant’ with renewed energy, both at this year’s Conference and in the next quinquennium of the General Synod.”

In a statement from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Archbishop Sarah declared the meeting a “great joy”.

The statement read: “It was a great joy to meet the Revd Richard Andrew and Mr Matthew Forsyth, The President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, at Lambeth Palace.

“The Archbishop of York and I have an annual meeting with the Methodist presidency. Our Churches are covenant partners, committed to greater visible unity. This was an opportunity to reflect on our shared pilgrimage and what we can learn from each other.

“As we look to the future, we pray that our friendship will be a blessing to others and a sign of hope for the world.”

In November 2024, the two Churches marked the 21st anniversary of the covenant with a special re-dedication service at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, followed by evensong at Westminster Abbey.

Archbishop Sarah made history this year with her enthronement as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England’s history.