Minutes of the Birmingham District Methodist Synod

21 April 2007 at John Kyrle High School, Ross on Wye

The Synod of the Birmingham District of the Methodist Church met on Saturday 21st April at John Kyrle High School, Ross on Wye in the Hereford and Ross Circuit.

We were welcomed to Ross by Rev David Meachem the Superintendent Minister who told us something of John Kyrle and how John Wesley had quoted a poem in praise of Mr Kyrle in encouraging the people called Methodists to selfless service.

Our opening worship was led by the District Network Group.

In noting apologies and dispensations the Synod agreed to send a greeting to Rev Neil Johnson our District Minister at Central Mission in Birmingham and to the newly installed Epicopal Bishop of Jerusalem The Right Reverend Suheil Salman Ibrahim Dawani , and our congratulations to Margie Kendrick on being a joint winner of the Connexional Hymn writing contest for the celebration of the 300th Anniversary of Charles Wesley’s birth.

Naomi Dyer shared with Synod the Youth Conference review process and its hopes for restructuring, producing a new network of representation and support for both Youth Conference and Breakout.  Naomi’s report was warmly received.

The Synod then was introduced to our main item of the day ‘Chaplaincy – a means of mission and ministry in the 21st Century’ by Rev Stephen Willey, our District minister of ministry in the world of work and Chaplain to the National Exhibition Centre.  Stephen asked us to think of mission in terms of “making space”, even sacred space for people and places, and ministry in terms of listening people into being.  We then divided into groups so that each circuit would hear the six different stories of chaplaincy being told.  This was in order to carry the stories back to the Circuits, asking what does this have to say to our mission and ministry.  Our groups were focussed on work in Hospitals, Hospices, Higher Education, Work Place, Prisons and the Forces.  In gathering together before lunch we prayed for people in the District engaged in such ministry.

After lunch we engaged in conversation about the life and work of the District.  Our attention was drawn to preparation for ‘Hope 2008’ and to ‘Spirit of Life’ at Coventry Cathedral on 7th May 2007.  We received the written reports of the work of the District expressing thanks for all that they represent.  We paused, as the District made history in raising the budget for 2007-8 by contributions from the Circuits.  We were reminded of the significance of schedules in helping us to be good stewards of the resources of property and money.

Concern was expressed regarding the impact on Network of the Team Focus process in the light of the valuable contribution Network make to the life of the whole church.

We passed unanimously a Memorial to Conference regarding Human Trafficking.

"The  Birmingham  District of the Methodist Church congratulates
 the government on the signing of the European Convention on Action
against Trafficking in Human Beings, and anticipates the
government's ratification of this Convention at the earliest
opportunity."

We therefore ask Conference to urge the government to work with churches, NGOs and others to put in place, in time for this ratification, the increased human, financial and physical resources that this convention stipulates to assist victims in their physical, psychological and social recovery, and to provide in its internal law a recovery and reflection period for victims, of a minimum of 30 days.

Proposed by: Jenny Fuller

Seconded by:Rev Julie Hulme

148 for         0 against

We commended our three ordinands to the Conference for reception into full connexion and ordination.  Deacon Janet Jenkins, Revs Gillian Le Boutillier-Scott and Jonathan Musselwhite.

We were encouraged to engage still further in the issue of Debt Cancellation, fairtrade and Ecological awareness.

We were glad to hear of the work of Burundi Bear through FacilitAid in building bridges between schools in Britain and Burundi.

We were prayerfully aware of the Team Focus process and agreed to see the outcomes of Conference before spending more detailed time on the subject.

Rev Nichola Jones shared out of her recent visit to Palestine the growing despair among the people and sense of forsakenness among the churches.

We closed our day in worship.

To meet next on 8th September 2007 in the Elmdon Circuit.