CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE

The Centenary Year Celebrations continue at Caversham Heights Methodist Church with three more visiting preachers this month, including Major Samuel Edgar of the Salvation Army who is currently the Chairman of the West Midlands Free Church Federal Council who will preach at 10.30am on Sunday, 4th October;.

Deacon Vic Downs, now serving in Hednesford, makes an eagerly-awaited return visit to Caversham (where he served for several years) on Back to Church Sunday, 18th October at both 10.30am and 6.30pm services.

Mr. John Bell, who was Vice-President of the Methodist Conference 2005-2006 is the special preacher on Sunday, 25th October at 10.30am. He will assist at the 6.30pm Communion Service and at 4pm will also be chairing a discussion group in the church at 4pm on the way ahead.

As the Centenary Year draws to a close, there are four further visiting preachers to look forward to. The Revd Chris Jones, the Southampton District Ecumenical Enabler for Berks and Wilts, but temporarily the acting Superintendent for the Winchester Methodist Circuit, will preach at 10.30am on 1st November. Prior to entering the Methodist Ministry Chris was a schoolteacher and ended that career as a headmaster in Essex. His father and grandfather were both Baptist ministers.

The Revd Andy Moffoot, from the Tilehurst Methodist Church, who has spent some years as a Mission Partner in Kenya, will preach at the 10.30am service on World Mission Day, 8th November.

Former Caversham Minister, the Revd Rosemary Fletcher, and her husband James Rowley will spend the whole of Sunday 29th November (Advent Sunday) at the church, with Rosemary preaching at both the 10.30am and the 6.30pm services and together at 4pm they will give a picture of Sri Lanka where they are currently serving as Mission Partners.

The final special preacher at the 10.30am service on 6th December will be the Revd Professor Frances Young, well-known author and theologian, who taught theology at the University of Birmingham from 1971 to 2005. Her books include both academic and more popular theological writings, drawing on her work on the New Testament and on Christianity in its formative centuries, but also on her experience as the mother of a son (Arthur) who was born with profound physical and mental disabilities.


A warm welcome is extended to everyone at these centenary services.

Racecourse Community School in Kitwe, Zambia

On Saturday, 14th November, the Reading Male Voice Choir will give a concert in Caversham Heights Methodist Church, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the Racecourse Community School in Kitwe, Zambia, which that church has been supporting for the past six years.

The Racecourse Community School was established in March 1999 in the township of Chimwemwe, Kitwe, Zambia. Its aim is to provide for the children of that community, orphaned by the death of their parents due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is having terrible consequences for millions of people in the developing world. As a result of this, many children were left without shelter, clothing, food and the finances needed to pay the fees and buy the school uniform needed to attend a Government school.

Racecourse School started with 410 pupils and 6 volunteer teachers. Today there are 2,000 children attending the school and 20 volunteer teachers. Classes run from Pre-school to Grade 7. The school now has one purpose-built classroom block but the majority of the children are taught in cramped, dark, mud-bricked rooms with earth floors and little light coming in from small openings high in the walls. These are in buildings scattered around the township. The pupils are crammed three to a desk and attend school in three shifts commencing at 7am.. text books are a luxury, mainly used by the teachers to transfer information to a blackboard using a stub of chalk. There is so little food; the children try to study on an empty stomach because they are so keen to learn.

Fiji Update

For information:

Nine Methodist Church leaders returned to court in Fiji yesterday to negotiate their bail conditions and seek greater religious freedom for their Church.

When they arrived they were informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions is away and that they should return to court next month. The leaders, including the Church’s President, Revd Ame Tugaue, and General Secretary, Revd Tuikilakila Waqairatu, remain bound by strict bail conditions, which prohibit them from travelling abroad, teaching, preaching, leading worship or attending Church tings.

The leaders will return to court on 27 October.


Source: Methodist News Service 25/09/2009

SPEAK OUT FOR DISPLACED CHRISTIANS IN ORISSA, INDIA.

Only one year ago, 50, 000 Christians were forced from their homes in Orissa state, India, because of their faith. In this ruthless persecution over 120 people died and 300 villages were destroyed, leaving many homeless.

We need 50, 000 people, one for each of the Christians who have suffered, to contact Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh of India and to urge him to seek justice for our Christian brothers and sisters. They should not have to worship in fear.

Current Situation
A year on from the decimation of the Christian people and their homes in Orissa, over 4,000 are still displaced and continue to face hardship and persecution.

They cannot return home because of their fear for their lives and the threat of forced conversion. Their situation is desperate, but you can make a difference.

Please go to www.premier.co.uk and fill in the form provided to ask the Indian government to seek justice for the victims of this campaign of hate. We want the government to try the perpetrators, protect the witnesses and compensate the victims. With your help we can do this.

Sourse: Premier Christian Media 24/09/2099

Fijian Church leaders return to court

Church is being intimidated by government

Today, nine Methodist Church leaders have returned to court in order to negotiate their bail conditions and seek greater religious freedom for their Church.

The leaders, including the Church’s President, Revd Ame Tugaue and General Secretary Revd Tuikilakila Waqairatu, appeared in court last month, pleading not guilty to charges of breaching public emergency regulations. They were released on bail, but prohibited from attending Church meetings, preaching or leading worship.

The Church, which includes more than a third of the population, has been outspoken in its criticism of Fiji’s military government, which is lead by Commodore Bainimarama. Bainimarama originally promised to return the country to democratic rule by April 2009, but is now saying this will not happen until 2014.

Steve Pearce, Partnership Coordinator, said; ‘Our communications with the Church in Fiji are being monitored and all Church activities and meetings are being scrutinised by government officials. This is intimidation and we applaud the Church in Fiji for its continuing attempts at dialogue rather than confrontation. The Methodist Church is the only faith group in Fiji to receive this treatment, but it remains committed to playing its necessary role in building a renewed and just society in Fiji.”

Earlier this year the Church was forced to cancel its annual Conference, at which the President and Vice President would have been sworn-in and new ministers ordained. The Church has to seek government permission for any formal meeting, one sign of hope this week was government assent for a meeting to station ministers for the coming year.

But there is hope that Fiji’s expulsion from the Commonwealth will lead to increased dialogue between the Church and government, leading to a quicker return to democracy. Steve said; “We continue to hope and pray for lines of dialogue to open and for God’s wisdom to prevail”.

Despite the adversity, Church life continues and the Church is delighted to have appointed its first ever female Divisional Superintendent, the Revd Kelera Wesele.


Source: Methodist News Service 24/09/2009

September meeting of the Methodist Council

The Methodist Council met on 21-22 September at Methodist Church House in London. This is the first Council meeting of the new Church year.

Discipleship was high on the agenda for this Council meeting. General Secretary the Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, introduced the discussion by asking Council members to consider the challenges that Christian discipleship presents to the contemporary church. Presenting a vision for discipleship, John Ellis, Secretary for Team Operations, said; “Christian discipleship isn’t just about self improvement and it’s certainly not about self promotion. We want to encourage people to grow in faith and action as their own lives change and grow. As the life of John Wesley has taught us, Christian discipleship can change the world.”

The Council also discussed a new fundraising strategy for the Church, which will now be developed in consultation with Methodists around Britain. Fundraising Coordinator David Bennett, said, “At the heart of this strategy is better communication with all those who give so generously to the Methodist funds. We want them to see the enormous difference their money makes to the lives of people all over the world. We couldn’t do any of this work without their support.”

The Council spent time in discussions about the progress of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant, which was signed in 2003. Groups discussed how the covenant might be further progressed in practical ways, including different models of episcopacy and how the churches might consult and make decisions together.

The Council also welcomed the Revd Kirsty Thorpe, a minister of the United Reformed Church (URC), as a participant observer. The Revd Alison Tomlin, President Designate of the Methodist Conference, will attend the URC Mission Council in November.

Other topics discussed at the Council included a new communications strategy for the Church and plans to lease Southlands College to Roehampton University, with continued Methodist involvement in the life of the College. The papers of the Methodist Council are available online at: http://methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=1325.


Source: Methodist News Service 22/09/2009

World Methodist Council

However busy you are, please don't forget to visit
the President and Vice-President's blog to follow the very interesting account by our Vice-President, Dr. Richard Vautrey, of the Methodist work in Chile, as he accompanies his wife to the Methodist World Council meeting - this year in Santiago. You will get an even better idea of the people and their work if you remember to click on each photo, to enlarge them and see them in greater detail. There is sure to be more to come yet before Dr. Vautrey and his wife return home on Saturday, and I shall be eagerly waiting to follow this exciting visit.

Then we can look forward to our President, the Revd David Gamble's, visit next week to the wonderful work funded by MRDF in India and his reports and photos from there.