Plight of the Burmese People and Investigating Causes of Knife Crime

NEWS RELEASE
10 July, 2008

Methodist Conference backs Youth Conference resolutions

Knife crime, Burma and the pressures on young people on the agenda
Conference also to discuss wide-ranging Youth Participation Strategy

The Methodist Conference, meeting in Scarborough, has endorsed a number of resolutions brought by the Youth Conference. Amongst other things, these call on the Church to campaign to highlight the plight of the Burmese people, and to investigate how local churches can address the issues that lead to violence among young people, including knife crime.

Other Youth Conference resolutions passed by the main Conference called for more Bibles to be available to give away to new Christians, and to recognise the pressures on young people undertaking local preacher training, especially when combined with other educational commitments.

Four Youth Conference representatives are in Scarborough as full voting members of the Methodist Conference, which is just one part of the Church’s ongoing and increasing commitment to involving young people at the very heart of decision-making. Another expression of this is the Youth Participation Strategy that Conference was agreed on Wednesday. This will be a multi-year investment in involving a network of young people in many aspects of Church life.

Sarah Tomes, a Youth Conference representative at Scarborough, said “these are things that are very important to us, and it means a lot to have Conference’s support. Some people say that young people are the future of the Church, but we are part of it and have lot to offer right now.”

ENDS

1) The full texts of the Youth Conference report and the Youth Participation Strategy report are available here: http://www.methodistconference.org.uk/confreports.htm

2) The Youth Conference met in Cardiff Bay on 16-18 November 2007 under the theme of “Let My People Go!”