The Rev David Gamble, president of the Methodist Conference, said the church would be prepared to go “out of existence” as part of a covenant with the Church of England if this helps spread the Christian message
The Methodist church is very integrated with the Church of England behind the scenes, for example in the Diocese of Gloucester, Methodist and Anglican Vicars are trained together. Still, this quite a statement from Rev David Gamble:-
The Methodist Church is prepared to go “out of existence” as part of a covenant with the Church of England if this helps spread the Christian message, its leader indicated today.
The Rev David Gamble, president of the Methodist Conference, said the church would be prepared to change and even end its separate status for the sake of the “Kingdom”.
‘We are prepared to go out of existence not because we are declining or failing in mission, but for the sake of mission,’ he told the Church of England’s national assembly.
‘In other words, we are prepared to be changed and even to cease having a separate existence as a Church if that will serve the needs of the Kingdom.’
A wonderful and most inspiring act of Christian self-abnegation has just awoken a sleepy Synod. No-one ever expects much from presentations with titles such as ‘An Address by the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference’.
So it rather surprised us all when we suddenly realised that David Gamble, President of the Methodist Conference, told us that the Methodist Church was prepared to sacrifice its very existence and return to the Anglican fold, for the sake of the greater good of the Gospel.
Listen here to the full presentation including the warm welcome from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who will be addressing the Methodist conference at Porstmouth in June. Here are the words with which Mr Gamble ended his speech:
‘Methodists approach the Covenant with the Church of England in the spirituality of that Covenant prayer. So when we say to God, “let me have all things let me have nothing,” we say it by extension to our partners in the Church of England as well. We are prepared to go out of existence not because we are declining or failing in mission, but for the sake of mission. In other words we are prepared to be changed and even to cease having a separate existence as a Church if that will serve the needs of the Kingdom.’
Of course there are a few problems.
Tags: Church Life
February 12th, 2010 at 7:34 am
I notice that Dr. gamble hints at a possible re-union of Methodism with Anglicanism. I would have thought, if he is so concerned to spread the Kingdom of God for which I applaud him and his denomination, that Methodists should continue to distance themselves from hierarchical churches such as the C of E and join with fellow non-conformists, especially the Quakers whose whole theological raison d’etre is indeed the Kingdom.
(Dr.) Gerard Guiton