Vice-President

The LibDem Conference in Brighton last week was my first experience of a political party gathering. Being part of an inter-church group (with URC, Baptist, Quaker and Salvation Army)was a helpful sharing of differing expertise. Meetings with people such as Lord David Shutt (ex Chief Whip in the Lords), Steve Webb and David Laws enabled the group to voice concerns to ministers. It genuinely felt like a conversation in which the views of the Churches were being listened to. Clearly, it was a difficult Conference for the LibDems, so unused to being disliked; an unexpected reward of being in power and taking decisions! Leadership isn't easy, of course, especially so as instant universal knowledge is available to everyone via the internet and other media; giving rise to the tendency for too many to become armchair experts. Fortunately the Methodist Church is blessed by having young people who are willing to take leadership positions. An initiative that Stephen Poxon and David Walton began during their Presidency year was followed up on Saturday and Sunday in Birmingham with the Emerging Lay Leaders Conference. Nearly every District sent reps and it was inspiring and energising to share with a group of young people with so much to offer(See the photo). An NHS manager, Andrew Bennett gave a helpful opening address on Servant Leadership.

What will be so important now for these young people, so keen to follow Jesus, is to go back to church and circuit situations where they can be nurtured and encouraged into leadership. I wonder if as a Church we give enough thought or resources to mentoring programmes which allow leaders at all levels to grow into positions of authority in the church at an appropriate pace? Learning through example was, after all, what the early disciples did.

“Surprising truth about politicians”

I’ve met a number of politicians over many years from all parties and of all the ‘types’ of people you meet, (how unfair putting people into types!) I must admit to liking politicians the most.

They are energetic, enthusiastic, committed – and usually not driven by money or power for the sake of it.  They really want to make a difference.  I know we need to keep an eye on them, and sometimes the difference they want to make is very far from the difference I want them to make, but still – for an energising conversation over a cup of tea, choose a member of the House of Commons (or indeed ‘The Other Place’.

This visit to the Labour Party conference was all about meeting politicians and I have to admit my expectations of how fun they are was were fully met. I went with a party organised by JPIT and the Salvation Army and though we had some areas we were interested to explore, we were mostly  there to listen, encourage, and try and give a good impression of the Churches.

It was impressive how much the various people showed knowledge of the Churches, and how important they felt our conversations were.  Two things come to my mind at the end – one is to try and articulate a more positive story about politicians than we sometimes get, and secondly to resist the increasingly common desire to blame the poor for their poverty.  These politicians at least would find life much easier if there was a more sophisticated attitude to people’s need than, ‘they deserve all they get’.

A couple of pictures

David Lamy and Hilary Benn

Trying to make what is not doubt a very important Methodist point to
Stephen Timms (right) with colleagues from the Churches.

We saw between us:  David Lammy, Hilary Benn, Stephen Timms, Paul Goggins, Jack Straw, Stella Creasy, Jack Dromey, and after I had left Kate Green. 

All thanks and much praise and thanks to the Salvation Army and of course JPIT – and of course the MPs who found time from insanely busy schedules to talk representatives from the Churches.

Mark Wakelin

Roots and Branches

I had a ‘coming home’ sort of Sunday for the 50th Anniversary of Park Lane Methodist Church Wembley.  My paternal Grandfather found Methodism at Park Lane Methodist Church in Wembley in the 1920s.  I never knew him, but he took my father as a young boy with him, and thus that side of my family ended up Methodist.

Samuel Wakelin was much impressed with the Hymns of Charles Wesley finding great comfort in the sense of ‘all are welcome’ which up and ‘till then had not been something he’d come across.

It started a journey for my father, Paul, as a Pacifist going to Ethiopia in the 2nd World War, and then after the war as a Methodist Mission Partner in West and later East Africa.

I grew up a Methodist Missionary Boy – with my twin sister Mary and my brother Michael.  To come back, then to a church, admittedly not the same building, as my grandfather and to find the Church blessed with ‘every nation, ethnic group and language’ was thrilling.

What a fine church celebrating 50 years of the new building.  I preached, ‘place matters but people matter more’, and enjoyed the company of God’s faithful people.

Mark Wakelin

Retreating to move forward

Up to Northampton again – less rain but still the road improvements which seem to be a work without end.  I’m not sure how we will cope when they are finished, so much spare time!  I’ve been asked to share in the Discipleship and Ministries Cluster away day.  D&M cover loads of things that matter to the Church from Local Preaching, Youth, Children, Theological Education, Evangelism and Chaplaincy.  It is thus a very powerful and committed team and I felt duly honoured to be with them.

I had two sessions which I led as a mini retreat with some reflection on work and the Connexion.  It was a good time of fellowship and though it is easy to feel life is too pressured to pause and think, it is amazing how such discipline and sacrifice of effort and time is blessed.  It’s a big year for D&M as, among other things, they start pulling together the Fruitful Field project and ground it some creative and courageous decisions. Keep them in your prayers.

You can read more about the D&M team here: www.methodist.org.uk/links/contact-the-connexional-team/connexional-team-leaders-and-managers

Mark Wakelin

Leadership and Fellowship

I drove up through impossibly heavy rain to Kings Park in Northampton for the Connexional Leaders’ Forum.  In my previous job as Secretary for Internal Relationships I had been part of this group and had learnt to both dread and enjoy it in equal measures!  However going in a new role was different and everyone was so very kind and keen to find out how things were going for me.  We discussed as always an extraordinarily wide range of issues.

There are great many people in Methodism who care a great deal about a great deal and this has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s always difficult to trust others when you care a lot about something, and maybe we as a Church have lost trust in each other.

If is very important that we seek to regain it so our genuine care and concern for so many things can be delivered with a greater deal of comfort and happiness!  There’s an oblique point if you want one.  The best bit about CLF is when we share in small groups and we prayed for each other.  Thank you Connexional Leaders for such kindness and grace.

Mark Wakelin

Vice-President

The last ten days have been very varied. Wednesday Sept 12th was the official farewell to Christine Elliott as Secretary for External Relationships. I said publicly then, and repeat the slight paraphrase here, that we won't know what we've lost till she's gone. Chris was a great colleague for me to have worked with in the World Church Office, and has since worked tirelessly with the wide-ranging brief that the Conference gave her in 2008. I was reminded of the high esteem with which Chris is held worldwide when I attended (probably as much for my previous world church experience, as for representing MCB) a Sri Lanka consultation in Geneva over the last couple of days. It drew together members of the Christian Council in Sri Lanka and external partners - of which the Methodist Church in Britain is highly respected as accompanying SL on its long journey to reconciliation and a lasting peace. Notwithstanding the present excellent relations with MCB's World Church Relationships' staff, many delegates from Asia were genuinely sorry to hear that Chris was no longer in the Connexional Team, so soon after the successful All Partners Consultation in 2010. The photo below shows one of the sessions, hosted by WCC, and chaired jointly by WCC and the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. Much still needs to be done on the road to reconciliation, and MCB remains committed to the future, and possibly painful, process ahead for SL.

In between those events was a very happy evening at Oxford Brookes University, very closely allied to the Methodist Church through its merger with Westminster College. The event was specifically to open two new student residential blocks; and they were designed and finished to a very high standard. The great joy was that one of these blocks was being named after the Revd Professor Frances Young, who served on the Governing Council of Westminster College, was a Governor of Brookes and Chair of the Westminster College Oxford Trust. In 2010 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate by the University. It was a happy, largely informal and yet very significant evening. I know that for all of us our rewards are in heaven, but I am still left wondering whether we always do enough in the Methodist Church to honour appropriately those who have served us well?

Vice-President

A week-end of anniversaries and celebrations! Last Friday I was one of the Methodist Church reps at Yattenden, near Reading, for the 40th Anniversary of the Arthur Rank Centre, the ecumenical body which has helped rural communities so much in recent times. It was a lovely occasion rounded off by a service of worship, with Pam Rhodes interviewing both the Revd John Clark (Director 1988-99)(in the photo) and the Revd Graham Jones (National Rural Officer for the Methodist Church and URC).

On my way there I was pondering on the ARC initials, and for me they could stand for Approachable, Rural expertise, and Credibility. The Revd Gordon Gatward (present Director)at Conference this year reminded us that probably the only organisation that kept credibility with the farming community during the Foot and Mouth outbreak, was the ARC; acts of kindness, compassion, practical help and just being there for people when it was most needed. On Sunday, after leading a morning Harvest Festival in Chacombe (as part of which we exhibited the art work of the village group), having found a way across the paralympic marathon route, I went to Westminster Central Hall to be with the Ghanaian Methodist Fellowship and join in their 10th Anniversary service. Much celebration about what has been achieved, the big strides forward in integration, the ways in which the British Church is being changed by influences from beyond these shores. Yet the challenge throughout was the further need for Ghanaians and those of other Fellowships, to take more of a lead in ministry and mission here in UK. In the Body of Christ, in the Methodist Church in Britain, how we need to make the most of each other's gifts.

It was a week-end to give thanks to God, and especially for the Church being a credible presence in the lives of very different communities.