Listening to experiences of continuing ministry in changing contexts - Methodist Connexional Economic Justice Consultation

Thursday 15th October 10.30am-12pm

The Methodist Church in Britain is currently undertaking work to explore how the principle of economic justice can be better lived out in our life as a Church together. A group bringing together representatives from different parts of the Church is looking to establish a process to do three things:

To fund mission and ministry where the need is greatest, and where church ‘income’ is comparatively less due to poverty and economic marginalisation;
To practice the connexional principle the Church says it lives by (meaning an interdependent way of being church together locally and nationally which pays attention to different contexts and enables the effective deployment of resources in the service of God’s mission);
To respond to the principle for justice that “God consistently shows bias to people experiencing poverty and those who are excluded”

In this online session, we are inviting leaders who have been part of continuing ministry and mission in contexts where the church building has closed, to share their experiences.

Recognising that financially sustaining and managing property can be a major barrier to the flourishing of mission and ministry in low income areas, this call will listen to your experiences of the impact of church building closures on mission and ministry in communities, and the opportunities and challenges of sustaining a Methodist presence in different ways. We will be listening to your experiences and ideas as to how ministry and mission can be supported to continue in low income communities.

This session is particularly aimed at Deacons, Pioneers, and other ministers and lay staff who have worked to close church buildings and develop new approaches to ministry in a local context.