Methodist Conference at Scarborough

This year's Methodist Conference will take place in Scarborough at the Spa Complex, from 5-10 July. It is the first time that the Conference has been to Scarborough in ten years.

The annual Conference is the governing body of The Methodist Church, debating and determining policy and legislation for the Church and considering issues of national and international concern. Over five days, 384 voting members of the Conference will be joined by thousands of visitors at the Spa Centre to celebrate church life and debate issues of both church and public interest.

Topics for discussion include embryology and early human life, equality and diversity in the Church and the Church's new Youth Participation initiative. There will also be an update on the Anglican-Methodist Covenant.

The full timetable for the Methodist Conference, including downloadable versions of all the reports to be debated, will soon be available online at http://www.methodistconference.org.uk.

CHURCH VOICE IGNORED ON FERTILITY AND EMBRYOLOGY BILL

Bishops who backed a series of amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill were defeated in each case on Monday. Despite opposition from bishops and others, the House of Lords voted to delete the rule on the ‘need for a father’ for children conceived through IVF. This paves the way for the creation of IVF children for lesbian couples. Seven bishops and Archbishop John Sentamu also gave their support to an amendment that would restrict embryo selection for ‘saviour siblings’ only where a child’s condition was ‘serious and potentially life-threatening’ rather than simply ‘serious’. They then supported an amendment defining ‘serious’ as ‘life-threatening or impairing severely’ the child’s ‘quality of life’. In a related protest, the Bishop of Liverpool joined Roman Catholic and Free Church leaders in signing a letter condemning the Bill’s provisions for hybrid human and animal embryos for research.

Source: Church Times (25/1)