This article was first published in eMessenger in March 2021.
Those that attended the Methodist Alliance Forum in 2019 were described by Rev Setaita Kinahoi Veikune as “the Church’s hands and feet.”
All the Methodist Missions grew out of Methodist Parishes in a response to address inequality, injustice and social need in local communities. Now our Missions are independent charitable organisations with large numbers of staff that provide a wide range of services and are still responding to inequality, injustice and social need in local communities.
So where does that leave the church? How do we keep that strong Methodist tradition of Connexionalism?
The Methodist Alliance is intentionally working on strengthening relationships within the Connexion. We are asking those difficult questions about where we fit in the structure and where our voice could and should be heard.
We are also asking you those difficult questions about how we as a Church should respond to the economic recession resulting from the global impact of Covid-19 and the increasing impacts of global warming. On behalf of Conference, we are collecting your feedback on these two BIG questions:
What deep change is God calling humanity to make?
How are we ‘Good News to the Poor’ and our planet in these times?
We realise they are BIG questions and there are no easy answers. But as a Church we need to consider, reflect, discuss and debate them. We need to ensure we are all actively engaging in the work of the church.
A recent reflection at a Sunday Service used this hymn:
I am the church! You are the church!
We are the church together!
All who follow Jesus, all around the world!
Yes, we're the church together!
The church is not a building; the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place; the church is a people.
It reminded me that we are all in this together. It is a collective response and that is a good thing. We know that we are better together. We know that with input from everyone we make better decisions, as we can harvest the knowledge, skills, wisdom and creativity of many, not just one.
We are the church together.
If we want to change the world, we know we have to do more than GO to church. We have to BE the church. So what does BEING the church look like? Does it mean:
Being honest
Being vulnerable
Being brave to share our stories & hear those of others.
Matthew 13:16 says, “As for you, how fortunate you are! Your eyes see and your ears hear.” Jesus then explains the parable of the sower.
To be Church we need to keep our eyes and ears open to the people around us and show them love in whatever way we can. If we do this as Church, and we invite God to be present, then, with the abundance of resources around the motu, we can individually and collectively do our bit to respond to the inequalities, injustices and social needs in our community.
WE WILL NEVER CHANGE THE WORLD
BY GOING TO CHURCH
WE WILL ONLY CHANGE THE WORLD
BY BEING CHURCH
If we are BEING church, we are tasked with creating a safe space:
A safe place to be real
A safe place to doubt
A safe place to ask questions without fear of judgment or condemnation
If we are BEING church, what could this look like?
Everyone is invited
Reaching out and engaging with the community to find out what is needed
Having the courage to try something different
Engaging with the most vulnerable in our communities
Establishing meaningful connections
Our church buildings are being used more by the community
Our church resources are being used for social housing
Partnerships with Central Government, local Councils, community groups etc.
Making courageous decisions for our future and our environment
And many other things that you will tell us.
We thank you in advance for spending time to reflect and discuss those BIG questions above. We know that you will provide inspiration, motivation and creative ways of BEING church. We look forward to receiving your feedback.
If you would like more information about how you can support the Methodist Alliance, or the Methodist Missions, please check out their websites or contact me.
Carol Barron, Methodist Alliance National Coordinator
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