Hoosiers join gathering of Wesley

BRIGHTON, England - Wearing business suits and saris, kaftans and khakis, a virtual rainbow of Methodists from around the world, including 45 lay and clergy members from Indiana participated in the 18th meeting of the World Methodist Conference (WMC) in this old city on the English Channel.

A record 4,000 Methodists from 130 countries meeting July 25-31 represented the 74 Wesleyan denominations. The denominations of the WMC collectively have a total of 70 million constituents worldwide.

"Wesleyan" refers to the common theological root of those gathered: John Wesley, an Anglican clergyman who began the Methodist movement in the early 18th century in London. The emphasis - "Method" - was and is on holiness, prayer, good works and evangelism. The most recent member of WMC is the Church of the Nazarene, joining earlier this year.

The World Methodist Conference has convened approximately every five years since 1881, growing greatly in number each year.

Conference workshops, worship and prayer focused on a myriad of current social justice concerns.

Prominent among them are human rights, the disenfranchisement and abuse of women and girls, environmental protection and fair trade, among others.

Program Committee chairman, the Rev. Hal Brady, a United Methodist pastor from Columbus, Ga., described the conference's purpose as one of renewal and strengthening world Methodism. "It's important because it gives the (faith) community a chance to share, to learn from each other what is happening around the world" he said. "Being together enables us to minister more effectively to each other and to the world we live in."

Reports and testimony were presented from many of the world's trouble spots including Belfast, Kosovo, Korea, Congo, West Africa, South Africa, Macedonia, India and Israel.

Legislative action for the WMC (see related story, this page) is handled by a 500-member Council, of which seven Indiana residents are voting members and in attendance here: They are Indiana United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White, Indiana State Sen. Patricia Miller (Indianapolis), the Rev. Jim Jones (Indianapolis), Carolyn Marshall (Veedersburg), the Rev. Kim Reisman (Lafayette), Jim Shaw (Indianapolis) and the Rev. Brian White (Terre Haute). Reisman, Miller and Marshall also serve on the Council's Executive Committee.

Highpoints of the week-long gathering of 12-hour work days for delegates were the worship events provided by various churches around the world using song, dance and pageantry, as well as world-class preaching. As one participant put it, "This has been the most exhausting, exciting and spiritually renewing 'jobs' of my life."

Key actions of the WMC Council
focus on ecumenism, peace, youth

BRIGHTON, England - The 500-member Council, legislative body of the Conference, met for three sessions. A particularly sensitive point was addressed in lively discussion related to Christian etiquette among Wesleyan bodies. A not uncommon occurrence has been the establishment of new congregations by one church of the Methodist tradition within an area served by another.

The Council addressed this sore point by endorsing a proposal to create a task force to examine the issue and to frame some kind of protocol. Meanwhile, churches are asked not to start new congregations without the "courtesy of dialogue" with the Methodist denominations already established in a given geographical area of the world.

In other action, the Council .

received a report developed during the past five years of a commission representing the council and the Catholic Church with the goal of promoting Christian unity. The Methodist/Catholic dialogue, begun 30 years ago, has been authorized to continue for the next five years.
accepted an invitation to participate in a consultation in Columbus, Ohio this November with the Lutheran World Federation, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.
affirmed a commitment by an inter-religious assembly at the Vatican to work together to work to prevent conflict and to "overcome the crises existing in different parts of the world."
made commitment to a "decade in pursuit of peace" and the overcoming of violence, proposed by the World Council of Churches."
unanimously endorsed a motion calling for an observer presence to impartially monitor Israeli and Palestinian actions, in the absence of any other objective international presence.
affirmed the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities, a network of 700 institutions whose representatives met in Belfast the week before the WMC meeting.
added the World Fellowship of Methodist and Uniting Church Men to WMC membership.
approved the WMC Youth Committee's mission and purpose statements to "empower young people by changing the church through witnessing, worshipping, connecting and strengthening belief in God the Creator, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit."
approved resolutions from members of the Korean Methodist Church calling for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.

Based on United Methodist News Service on-site reports.

Hoosiers join gathering of Wesley's spiritual descendents

Key actions of the WMC Council focus on ecumenism, peace, youth

Hoosiers join gathering
of Wesley's spiritual descendents

Key actions of the WMC Council
focus on ecumenism, peace, youth