Monday 8 December 2008

Presidents and Vice Presidents at Swanwick

Pauline Webb
Richard Vautrey, Colin Morris

Stephen Poxon, Leon Murray


Pat Parkins, Margaret Parker




Peter Howdle




Judy Jarvis, Brian Beck





Ivan Weekes, John Bell, Ruby Beech






Christina Le Moignan, Stella Bristow, Ann Leck






Rev Amos and Mrs Cresswell









David Walton, Eluned Williams










David Gamble, Kenneth Greet









Ian White, Myrtle Poxon
(back) John Taylor











Bill Davies, David Ensor












Jan Sutch Pickard, Ivan Weekes













Susana Varela, Pat Parkins (organisers)













Martyn Atkins, Richard Jones (above)
Stephen Poxon, Myrtle Poxon (below)

















This was an historic occasion. As far as we are aware it was the first time that former Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Conference had been brought together for a 24 hour period of study and conversation.
The gathering was stimulated by this year's President to give an opportunity to share some our senior colleagues' insights on the present state of the Church and vision for its future.
It was all set within the context of prayer and worship. The senior Vice-President present was Pauline Webb (1965 -pictured top) who led our opening devotions. The senior President was Colin Morris (1980 - pictured with Richard Vautrey, the Vice-President-designate) although in years it was Kenneth Greet, the former Secretary of the Conference, who has recently celebrated his 90th birthday (pictured with David Gamble, the President-designate).
We were stimulated by Bible studies led by Neil Richardson and Tom Stuckey and by the prayers of John Taylor and Ann Leck.
It was also an opportunity to meet the new strategic leaders of the Church - Martyn Atkins, the General Secretary (pictured with a colourfully-attired Richard Jones), Christine Elliott, John Ellis and Mark Wakelin - and understand some of the recent and ongoing changes in the organisation.
We expressed our gratitude to Mark Wakelin, Pat Parkins and Susana Varela for their careful planning of the event before a final Service of Holy Communion.
I came away more aware of the great wealth of the spiritual heritage we share, but also with a renewed sense that God still has a purpose for the Methodist movement within the Church universal - and a determination that we use those particular gifts we have inherited with greater energy and purpose in a changing world.
'To serve the present age
Our calling to fulfil,
O let it all my powers engage
To do my Master's will'










6 comments:

Fat Prophet said...

This post was very interesting and there were a few faces i recognised but to those of us who are fairly new Methodists it would be helpful to have captions with each picture of who the people are. I did make a similar appeal before and while I realise there is an attempt here by mentioning the person in the top picture and one or two other names not everybody may know who the people are or which ones were President or Vice President.
Is there any possibility we may see some captions in the future PLEASE???

Fat Prophet said...

Thank you for adding the names to the photos of the Presidents and Vice Presidents - some of these are names I have heard and it is good to put names to faces as they say.
I hope that future photos will have some detail on them as well.
Thanks again

David Walton said...

Many thanks for you comments. It is really good to know that you and others are following the blog and want to now about the people we are meeting. We do our best but sometimes (a) we run out of time or (b) we don't always have a full list of names. Every blessing as the time draws on to Christmas.

Fat Prophet said...

David, Many thanks for your response, I have been following the blog almost since it started and enjoyed seeing what the Presidential team are doing, written I think in your own words rather than reporter speak.
I trust that you and the President will have a blessed Christmas and a fruitful new year as you continue your travels around the connexion.
Every blessing,
Ian (aka Fat prophet).

Anonymous said...

Colin Morris was in fact President in 1976.

Anonymous said...

Dear Elder Sir,

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord jesus christ from sonu kumar and
pinky .
Sir, i am sonu kumar . i am serving of God in Uttrakhand North india. we
are serving of God in this state last 7years. so really i am very happy in
this serve..
Dear Brother,, i am serving of God as a selfsport preacher last 7 years
with my wife. in this area. here all hindu peoples they do not know abut
jesus christ. so we want to reach unreach peoples they do not know about
jesus chtist. really all Uttrakhcna peoples are in Darkeness so please
pray for our ministry...


sonu kumar

in His serve