THE METHODIST CHURCH BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT
DISTRICT POLICY COMMITTEE

Minutes of District Policy Committee held on Wednesday 16th March 2005
at Hasbury Methodist Church, in the Halesowen Circuit.

Present: Revd Bill Anderson (Chair) Mark Aldridge (Secretary), 10 members of the District Policy Committee and one attendee.

1 Opening Devotions were led by Revd Bill Anderson.
2 Apologies were received from 8 members.
3 Minutes The minutes of the meeting held on 20th January 2005 were approved and signed.
4 Matters Arising
4.1 Trustees Responsibilities No progress to report.
4.2 District Children’s Secretary/Co-ordinator The need for this post would form part of the District Review.
4.3 District Web Site
4.3.1 Noted that Dave Pinwell had produced an outline proposal that had received broad agreement.
4.3.2 Agreed that a meeting should be arranged with Dave Pinwell to get an implementation team together. An appeal was made for names of people with the relevant technical experience to join the implementation team.
4.4 Memorial to conference relating to SO 922 Agreed the support the memorial submitted to Synod by Mark Aldridge and John Hellyer.
4.5 Year of Prayer
4.5.1 Confirmed that the Birmingham District had been allocated the period 26th August to 9th September 2005.
4.5.2 Reported that a group comprising of Rev Paul Donnison, Rev Pauline Warner, Rev Julie Hulme and Mrs Jan Nendick had been set up to co-ordinate the 24/7 prayer across the District. Circuits had been invited to make offers between the 8am and 8pm watersheds. It was hoped to be able to report to Synod in April that the period was fully covered. A 24/7 style prayer room would be available at Synod.
4.5.3 Reported that the Birmingham District fortnight would be launched from the Chair’s manse on 26th August and would culminate at Synod on 10th September.
4.5.4 Noted that it would be desirable to involve young people at the circuit level in planning the 24/7 prayer.
4.6 District Review The Chair reported that the review would take the form of a three pronged approach:-
1. Each circuit would be invited to respond, in the period April to July, to questions like “How do you perceive the District resourcing the work of the Circuit?” “How could the District be resourcing the work of the Circuit?”.
2. The District groups and those who do work at the District level would be invited to respond to questions like “How do you perceive the District work you are called to do” “Has your function come to an end?” “What should be the resources at the District level?”.
3. At the April Synod members of Synod would be divided into about 20 groups, with separate groups for lay and ordained. Each group would be allocated an enabler and a scribe. Each group would be asked to start with one of the five priorities of the Methodist Church (see Momentum Spring 2005 page 18). Thus 4 groups will be looking at each priority. The groups will be asked to spend about 50% of the time available on the allocated priority, 35% on the others and 15% on the question of how we organise our lives together as a District. The Scribes will produce a summary and Jan Nendick and Charles Worth will bring these reports together and report back to the Synod in the afternoon session.
4.7 District Delegation to Berlin A group of 13 people from the District where going to Berlin on 28th April. The Connexion were paying 1/3 of the travel costs and it was hoped that the Lay Training Fund and the Ministerial Training Fund would provide some financial support.
4.8 Post of Church in Rural Life Officer Reported that a formal application for Deacon appointment is in preparation and that a response about the Grant Application was not expected from the Connexion until the end of April.
4.9 The People of God in Herefordshire
4.9.1 Dr Colin May and the Chair gave a very encouraging report of the meeting held on 24th February that considered how to be the people of God in Herefordshire. The meeting had been attended by representatives of the four Methodist Circuits and Anglican, Roman Catholic, URC and Baptist churches.
4.9.2 Detailed notes were taken by Charles Worth and a report was in preparation.
4.9.3 The meeting resulted in a number of actions:-
4.9.3.1 The Chair to meet with other church leaders to make provision for ecumenical activity in the area.
4.9.3.2 The people in the circuits to be encouraged to go back to grass roots to consider how to resource their mission locally in an ecumenical context.
4.9.3.3 The need for a profile of the Cwm and Kingstone Circuit for the summer of 2006.
4.9.4 Noted that the Hereford Anglican Diocese had arranged a day to discus local ministry in June. Charles Worth would find out more details.
4.10 United College of Ascension
4.10.1 Reported by Rev John Ingyon and the Chair that the Governors of Queens and the Governors of UCA had met on 16th March and had both agreed unanimously to the idea of working together as laid out in the draft Memorandum of Understanding that had been drawn up by joint steering group.
4.10.2 Noted that there were still a number of financial implications that had to be resolved and that there was a lot of anxiety amongst current UCA staff.
4.10.3 The Memorandum of Understanding allowed for the work of preparing people for work overseas, receiving people from overseas on scholarships and research in mission studies to be based at Queens from 2006. Within Queens there would be a separate body for Mission Studies.
4.10.4 Agreed that the Secretary should write to both Rev Valerie Ogden and Rev David Hewlett expressing appreciation for all the work they had done and assuring them of the prayers of the District.
4.11 Visit of President and vice President 2005/6 Reported that the organisers of the Black Country Churches Engaged event at West Bromwich had invited the District to send representatives to a planning meeting on 21st March 2005 at 2:30pm. Chair to invited volunteers to join him at this meeting.
5. Financial Matters
5.1 Review of Assessment Formula Proceeding
5.2 Independent Examiner Recommended to Synod the appointment of Mr Brian Leather as Independent Examiner of the District Accounts. Mr Leather had indicated his willingness to continue.
6. Authorisation to preside at the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
6.1 Recommended to Synod the following new applications:-
6.1.1 Revd Gillian Heather Le Boutillier-Scott - Probationer in the Birmingham - Sutton Park Circuit(5/4)
6.1.2 Revd Jonathan Richard Musselwhite - Probationer in the Worcester Circuit (5/17)
6.2 Recommended to Synod the following continuing authorisations:-
6.2.1 Revd Jayne Kington - Probationer in the Malvern and Ledbury Circuit (5/18)
6.2.2 Mr Leslie Beers - Lay Worker in the Leominster Circuit (5/26)
7. Methodist Council
7.1 Received a report of February 2005 meeting of the Methodist Council prepared by Linda Innes.
7.2 Linda Innes was thanked for her excellent report.
7.3 Noted that there had been no movement on the Charity Law Reform which was likely to be delayed by the forthcoming election.
7.4 In response to a request from Rev David Deeks, the Policy Committee held a discussion on issues which, in the view of Rev Deeks, do not appear in the Council's agenda in the normal course of things namely:-
Issues of great significance which do not appear in the Council's agenda in the normal course of things;
Issues which appear on the agenda but in a form which does not meet the perceived concerns and needs in the Districts;
Areas of the Church's work or policy where more information is required;
Areas of the Church's work or policy which demand major review or refocusing in the light of changing circumstances.
7.5 During the discussion the following issues were noted:-
7.5.1 Recruitment of ministers - 20 ministers short this year
7.5.2 Finding out about successful schemes of finding other ways of being church.
7.5.3 Ways of cherishing the small and vulnerable congregations.
7.5.4 Identifying the call of God to ministry in different ways other than ordained ministry and making use of that ministry.
7.5.5 Finding out how God is leading the church through the year of 24/7 prayer.
7.5.6 Identifying different roles of Mission and Pastoral work of our churches.
7.5.7 Identifying the true effect on Districts, Circuit and churches of the review of the work of the Connexional Team (e.g. Churches may be willing to pay more when they know the reality of what will not be done at Connexional level and the effect on the workloads at District and Circuit level)
7.5.8 Reinstatement of the Superintendents Introduction course at Connexional level.
8 Chair’s Personal Assistant / District Office Agreed that the hours of Mrs Deborah Webb be increased from 20 to 25 hours per week from 1st September 2005.
9 Ecumenical Committee Agreed that invitation to be observers at Synod be extended to Ecumenical Officers including County Ecumenical Officers and 1 lay and 1 clerical observer from each of the Anglican Dioceses of Lichfield, Birmingham, Coventry, Worcester and Hereford irrespective of where the Synod was meeting.
10 Grants Committee A full report from the Grants Committee, which had not met since the last DPC meeting, would be found in the Synod Handbook.
11 Birmingham International Student Houses Appeal Noted that the appeal would be launched at a service at Selly Oak Methodist Church on 20th April 2005 that would be attended by the President and Vice-President.
12 Memorial from the Hereford and Ross Circuit
12.1 Noted that the Hereford and Ross Circuit had agreed to send the following Memorial to Conference. "The Hereford and Ross Circuit asks the Conference to urge Her Majesty's government to continue the welcome lead taken by the United Kingdom in addressing the issues of world poverty and to request it to do all in its power to increase aid, relieve debt, and establish justice in international trade".
12.2 Noted that a similar memorial had been submitted to Synod.
12.3 Noted that on 18th June, Simon Topping would be setting out from Birmingham to walk to Edinburgh in support of the Drop the Debt campaign.
13 Training Opportunities
13.1 Attention was drawn to the "The Bible @ Birmingham" course to be held on Saturday 11th June 2005 from 10.00am-1.00pm at Birmingham Central Mission, Corporation Street. The morning will offer a taste of some different approaches and resources to enable groups to explore the Bible using pictures, imagination and fresh ideas, led by Mrs Syble Morgan, Dr Anthony Reddie and Revd Liz Wills.
14 Next Meeting Wednesday 13th July 2005. The Secretary was asked to arrange for the meeting to be held in Malvern with the possibility of a walk on the Malvern Hills prior to the meeting.