Reflection on Past Cases Review – 10 Years On

Sonia Hicks, Chair of the Connexional Council, Chair of the Northampton District and former President of the Conference shares her thoughts 10 years on from the Past Cases Review.

For me, I think that the Past Cases Review gave, the British Methodist Church, time to take stock of what sort of church we want to be. If we want to be true to our calling, as servants of the living God, what does it mean in terms of the way we had dealt with one another in the past? What changes would be necessary in the future?

Imagine living in a house and knowing that there is a cupboard which we put things but never take time to sort out. It becomes the ‘dumping’ ground for the things we know exist but would rather not have to think about daily. Ten years ago, the Past Cases Review took time to open that ‘cupboard’ for the Methodist Church. The Review made time to carefully examine all that had been pushed into the background. The PCR brought to light all that had been hidden in the shadows. Therefore, wrong behaviours and actions hidden in the shadows, in that ‘cupboard’, were not addressed and neither were those who had been harmed. It was a painful time for our church but repentance, turning away from all that is against the God of justice and love, is a necessary part of Christian living.

I think as a church we still struggle with opening the ‘cupboard’ where we place all the things we do not want to address: racism, sexism, homophobia but this is the only way to create a better church, a more inclusive church, a church where we try as much as possible to lessen the potential harm that we might inflict on one another whether intentionally or unintentionally. For me, the Past Cases Review gave me the opportunity to call out the wrong actions that even I had witnessed as a young teenager and to realise that this church was willing to change. That is a good thing, a God thing.

Sonia Hicks