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Methodist Church and the regional courses

by
28 June 2013

iStock

From Mr Ken Wales

Sir, - As a Methodist, I was interested to read Peter Crumpler's views on the withdrawal of the Methodist Church from the Eastern Region Ministry Course (Letters, 14 June). This is a consequence of a decision reached by the Methodist Church at its annual Conference in July 2012, which received little pub- licity in your columns.

I am one of a substantial number in the Methodist Church who regard those decisions as calamitous. Among their deleterious effects, we fear that relationships between the ordained ministers of the two Churches will have been set back a generation.

What has disappointed many of us is how negligible, at least publicly, the Anglican response was before the decision and afterwards. Of course, we cannot know what was said behind the scenes.

All this is a long way from the aspirations of the Covenant's Joint Implementation Committee in 2008 that future decisions about theological training should be taken jointly. As he says, Mr Crumpler has drawn attention to what is a very sad and regrettable development.

There is still time for some adjustments to be made to the Methodist Church's intentions, if the desire is there. But those who care must speak up - now.

KEN WALES
2 Wentworth Place
Broughton
Preston PR35LQ

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