ACE 2025: The Conference for Local Lay-Pastors

We are incredibly excited to invite Local Lay-Pastors in the life of the Methodist Church to the first connexional conference. The conference aims to

• affirm Local Lay-Pastors as an important part of the collaborative ministry of the whole people of God
• connect Local Lay-Pastors for mutual support and encouragement, professional networking, and shared prayer and worship
• equip Local Lay-Pastors to meet the needs of a rapidly changing context, and enable them to more confidently join in with God's mission in their local context.

ACE 2025 is open to all Local Lay-Pastors in the life of the Methodist Church, including those who do not have this title, but fulfil the duties of a Local Lay-Pastor. You can find out more about Local Lay-Pastors on the Local Lay-Pastor pages. If you are unsure whether the conference is right for you, please contact LLP@methodistchurch.org.uk for further information.

ACE 2025 counts towards Local Lay-Pastors' continuing development and can be recognised as learning towards maintaining accreditation as a Local Lay-Pastor. Attending ACE 2025 should be recognised as part of a Local Lay-Pastors' role and seen as supporting their local ministry.

*Please note that places will be provisionally booked until payment is received. Please ensure payments for invoices are received promptly to enable us to fully book your place.

Confirmed contributors

Gary Hopkins | Hosting ACE 2025

Gary is the Ministry Development Officer for lay ministry and chaplaincy within The Methodist Church. He is a local preacher, church musician and hymn writer.

Matthew Forsyth | Keynote speaker

Matthew Forsyth is Vice-President of the Methodist Conference for 2025/26. He is a local preacher, steward and the Mission Team Leader in the Northampton Methodist District.

Holly Adams | Evangelism

Holly Adams is the Director of Evangelism Development in the Evangelism and Growth Team of the Methodist Church in Britain. She is passionate about equipping diverse people for speaking of their faith in accessible, inclusive, and life-giving ways.

Gail Adcock | Life-long faith development across stages of life - seeing the big picture and thinking systemically about faith formation

Gail Adcock is a Discipleship Faith Development Officer for Family and Home in the Evangelism and Growth Team. Gail is a writer and practitioner in Family and Intergenerational Ministry, who has designed and facilitated learning spaces in this field.

Jane Bingham | Sustaining yourself in the role – how to use reflective practice well

Jane is an experienced supervisor and adult educator whose current role focusses on pastoral supervision and reflective/conversation spaces for ordained & lay ministers as part of her work in the Methodist Church.

Anna Bishop | Death and dying

Anna Bishop is a Methodist presbyter and the Programme Leader for Short Courses and Exploring Theology at Sarum College, where she also teaches doctrinal theology to students training for ministry. Previously she served in Circuit Ministry for 12 years, during which she developed a passion for doing excellent end-of-life care, funerals and bereavement care.

Melvina Brown | Connecting with our communities

Melvina is a Pioneer Community Chaplain in Overstone Northamptonshire. Since 2020 she has been cultivating connection and belonging in a new housing community through listening, outreach and community events.

Jane Butcher | Ageing well and how the church can help

Jane has a background in intergenerational ministry working with various UK networks and organisations. She joined the Anna Chaplaincy team in Feb 2025 having been part of BRF Ministries for a number of years.

Richard Byass | CPD is your friend, honest!

Richard has served for over 20 years in Circuit ministry as a Presbyter, and is currently a Superintendent in Nottingham North East.

Andy Fishburne | Discipleship

Andy is a Discipleship and Faith Formation Officer in the Evangelism and Growth Team of the Methodist Church in Britain.

Penny Fuller | Life-long faith development across stages of life - seeing the big picture and thinking systemically about faith formation

Penny is a Discipleship Faith Development Officer for Children in the Evangelism and Growth Team. Penny is a writer and practitioner in children’s ministry.

Sarah Hulme | Local Lay-Pastors and Rural Ministry

Sarah is the Methodist Church's Rural Ministry and Mission Officer. She heads up the ecumenical Rural Hope network. As a lay person, she is passionate about local lay folk playing their part in mission & ministry, connecting with others for encouragement.

Rachel Lampard | Faith in action: doing justice, loving mercy, walking humbly where you are

Rachel Lampard has worked for many years to help churches to engage with justice issues. She led the ecumenical Joint Public Issues Team, is currently the Director for Social Justice and Social Action for the Methodist Church, and served as the elected Vice-President of the Methodist Conference in Britain between 2016-17.

Rachel McCallam | Getting the most from your reflective line-management

Rachel McCallam is the Learning Network Manager in the North East. Her background is in teaching and she is passionate about enabling people to grow, learn and reach their goals.

Leslie Newton | Leslie will be leading the closing act of worship which includes Holy Communion

Leslie currently serves as Chair of Yorkshire North and East District. Throughout his presbyteral ministry he has been keen for the church to reclaim its heritage of equipping and releasing lay leaders in mission, ministry and pastoral care.

Corin Pilling | Thrive or Survive? Sustainable Lay Ministry

Corin Pilling is Vocational Flourishing Officer for The Connexional Team, a facilitator in wellbeing, with a background in community development.

Kerry Scarlett | Faith-Rooted Community Organising for congregations

Deacon Kerry Scarlett is the Connexional Faith-Rooted Community Organising Officer for the Methodist Church in Britain, a new role which supports local churches to use community organising practices to develop existing congregations, for justice-seeking, and to begin new forms of Christian communities.

Heather Shipman | God can... you can’t... I might... we will: responding to God's call

Heather has been the Lead Local Lay-Pastor in the Yorkshire North and East district since 2019 having been a Local Pastor since 2006 in the Tadcaster Circuit.

Andrew Stobart | Thinking that helps: learning for mission

Andrew serves at Cliff College as the Acting Principal, and will become College Principal on 1 September 2025.

Charity Tozivepi-Nzegwu | Local Lay-Pastors as agents of justice and transformation

Charity Tozivepi-Nzegwu is a presbyter in the Cambridge Circuit and Chair of the Connexional Justice, Dignity and Solidarity Committee.