News

More than 200 leaders of the Methodist Church from around the world will gather this weekend at the Wesley Centre in Sydney for five days of talks on the Church’s future direction.

On Saturday [15 September], the Superintendent of Wesley Mission, Rev Keith Garner, will officially welcome members of the Executive Committee of the World Methodist Council (WMC) to the Wesley Centre for talks from 15 – 19 September.

Rev Dr John Barrett, Chair of the Committee, and WMC General Secretary, Rev Dr George Freeman, will be prominent in the deliberations.

The WMC is comprised of 76 member denominations representing 75 million people in one of the largest Protestant denominations in the world.

The Council works at increasing the participation of the Church in the wider community where there are numerous challenges for mission and evangelical work.

A former Superintendent of Wesley Mission, Rev Dr Sir Alan Walker, who was regarded as one of Australia’s leading evangelists and took a strong stand on many social justice issues, is held in honour for his work as the WMC’s former Director of World Evangelism. He and his late wife, Lady Winifred Walker, were awarded the WMC World Peace Award.

The current Superintendent, Mr Garner – a Minister of the British Methodist Conference with permission to serve as a Minister in the Uniting Church in Australia – will preach at a special service being held at the Wesley Theatre in Pitt Street on Sunday, 16 September.

Joining Mr Garner to participate in the service will be the President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Gregor Henderson, and the Moderator of the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia, Mr Jim Mein. Friends are invited to share in this worship.

On Tuesday, 18 September, a newly refurbished Ground Floor of the Wesley Centre will be opened and dedicated by the WMC General Secretary, Dr Freeman, and Mr Garner. It will also mark a new partnership with Kentigern Books with the opening of a new gift and resource centre in Wesley Mission’s headquarters.

The WMC’s full Council meets every five years. Last year, for the 19th World Methodist Conference, the WMC met in Seoul, South Korea, where there has been a spectacular expansion of Christianity in the past 50 years, including a vigorous Methodist Church ministry.

The largest Methodist Community is in the United States, where there are more than 8 million members. Other large Methodist Churches are based in Southern Africa, Asia and Britain.  Some of the smaller Methodist communities come from the Baltic States, Cuba, and other places where Christian witness has been difficult to maintain and has yet prospered through effective mission and ministry.

EDITORS:

Rev Keith Garner, Rev Dr John Barrett and Rev Dr George Freeman are available for interview.

The World Methodist Council Executive Committee meetings will be held at the Wesley Centre, 220, Pitt St, Sydney.

Dinoo Kelleghan 
Public Affairs Officer
Wesley Mission 
Ph: (02) 9263 5545
Mobile: 0434-076644
Email: dinoo.kelleghan@wesleymission.org.au