The Methodist Church is restructuring its training.
I'm afraid the details were a little too vague for this former Wesleyan to understand, at least from the press release. But on the bright side - there's a hi-res picture of Mr Ken Jackson presenting it. He looks like a very nice man, but I'm not sure why he needed hi-res.
Also,they've made it clear that "comments and opinions on Twitter and the blog do not necessarily represent the Methodist Church's position". The Conference blog might have been controllable, I guess, but they've realised that the whole of Twitter would probably be beyond even John Wesley's ability to control.
I understand that they are moving forward to integrate more modular training and distant learning, and reducing residential or college based training. Very much like the mixed economy model of the Church of England.
ReplyDeleteThe Methodist Church is refreshingly different in that it doesn't have Bishops, but when you look at their Organisation into Districts, with a Leader at District level, they might as well as have Bishops and overcome the bias against the Apostolic succession thing.
It will be interesting to see how their new 'Fruits of the Spirit' mission initiative pans out over time. Hoping that they can make more connexions.
Why would we have the apostolic succession for God's sake, it's got no historical basis whatsoever! You can't go to our churches (remember we're a lay movement at bottom) and tell them that they've got to accept an empty myth they've never heard of, they'd laugh you to scorn, and quite right too. I just hope the new plan works out but as usual it's driven by finance not mission. If you plan for decline, that's likely to be what you get.
ReplyDeleteDear all
ReplyDeleteThis is an Oasis of Fuzzy Thinking and we don't do arguing. And "myth" is always to be referred to in a positive manner. Also, if the UK Methodists tried to introduce bishops (remembering that they have them elsewhere) the Parousia would occur shortly before it cleared the Committee stages.