One Bread and One Cup

I went to an interesting meeting of the Ecumenical Oversight Group last week at which we discussed the Anglican Methodist Covenant. The interesting thing is that we didn't feel that there was much point discussing the formal theological differences between our denominations - since terms like Arminianism and Calvinism are not particularly significant to most church members - but we did discuss the symbolic value of various actions.

A group has been set up to "implement" the covenant and they recommend that Anglicans and Methodists should follow their own guidelines and have one piece of bread that they can break and one cup that they can share. This might seem a fairly simple thing but it would make a big symbolic difference and wouldn't be difficult to do.

Some Anglicans might feel that they want to use wafers - and they could still do this - but they would need to use a large wafer that could be broken into smaller pieces. Individual wafers would be discouraged - as would little cubes of precut sliced bread.

Obviously the common cup would be an issue for those afraid of swine flu - but we all expect the present crisis to pass at some point.

The great thing about this discussion was that we had two Baptists in the room who were able to add the diversity of the discussion. They pointed out that Baptists also encourage a common cup and would be happy to give similar advice.

The issue here is that many local congregations in Milton Keynes have a deeply held belief that little cups are what Baptists (and others) do. This belief is based on local tradition, but it is very strong: Anglican Communion = one cup / Baptist Communion = little cups. The interesting thing is that local tradition is creating a division which does not exist in a global sense... intriguing!...

The challenge here is tricky. Do we encourage churches to adopt a common practice that reflects the public statements of their denominations - thereby nurturing unity - or do we allow them to maintain an artificial distinction based on a local understanding of their traditions.

As I say this isn't an easy choice - particularly for those of us who believe in the freedom of the local church. It is the right of local Christians to define who they are - even if their own denominations might think they are wrong? And yet, is it fair to leave people in the dark about their own traditions - allowing them to promote disunity for the sake of ignorance?

Personally I think you can never have too much information. I think it's perfectly fine for those of us who know something about the bigger picture to pass on what we're learnt - always acknowledging that it's up to local people to make up their own minds and do what they think and feel is right.

Brenda and Stephen

Today we welcomed Brenda and Stephen Mosedale, who are taking up a shared position as superintendent ministers for the Milton Keynes Methodist Circuit.

Brenda is a doctor and wants to find part-time work in her specialist area - which includes drug abuse and issues of exclusion. Stephen is busy finishing off a PhD.

As part of this appointment process, the circuit has noted that Watling Valley and Cornerstone have not had a historic input of Methodist ministry. The Mosedales will therefore be providing a proportion of their time to these two communities - which will need to be paid for in the 2009 budget...

While this is a good idea, it has implications for the organisational life of local partnerships. The methodist circuit (and probably increasingly the URC in MK) think in terms of the city/borough/area as a whole. The Anglican deanery has also begun to contemplate half/quarter posts as a way of providing small pockets of mission investment. I suspect that this appointment (from a Watling Valley point of view at least) represents part of a shift from entirely local teams to ministry teams made up of a range of partial/non-stipendiary posts. This will have implications for planning, strategy and team-building - although it may take a while for consequences to become clear - and many of them will be positive - just different - prepare for change... (For those who have read "Joining the Rainbow" could I refer you to my chapter on non-local ministry - "The Big Picture")

Anyway, putting such thoughts to one side for a moment, I wish Brenda and Stephen well for the next period of their Christian ministry and look forward to working with them.

Beginnings and Ends

It has been a busy day. I popped into Bletchley this morning to buy my own Birthday present, then attended a meeting with the Methodist Superintendent(s). It was then time for the leavers assembly at Christ the Sower at which I presented Bibles to the year sixes and sunflowers to the departing staff.

Since this was end of term I took the three girls out for tea at the harvester.

Ministry in the Local Church

Edited by Howard Belben, 1986

I've been challenged to look seriously at Methodist thinking about Local Ministry, so when I saw this book in SPCK in Cambridge (quite an achievement to find a book in SPCK these days) I picked it up.

It's a collection of essays about local ministry from a variety of methodist theologians and practitioners, including my old New Testament prof, I. Howard Marshall. His essay was the most interesting and I've already passed it to few others to look at. It's basically a challenge to traditional concepts of ordination which raises some very significant questions. He points out that many people in the NT were set aside for particular ministries through the laying on of hands. Why do we limit such "ordinations" to a few "professionals"?

He was writing in 1986, of course, but this is a useful discussion to run alongside Steven Croft's Ministry in Three Dimensions, which focusses on a dynamic understanding the traditional "orders" of deacons, presbyters and bishops (1999).

Time to go

Went for a three mile run this morning - my first since we went to France and I got a cold. Still not feeling great and my running reflected this - not quick.

Met Chirs Batten from the Methodist Circuit this morning for "wide-ranging talks" as they say on TV... It was good to catch up and think together about the next stage of our shared history in Milton Keynes...

This afternoon we had a good Local Shared Ministry Project Group Meeting. We tidied up our proposal for the Exec next week - a new remit for the group which will make it a more active project in MK - very exciting!
I am involved in no-less than four major proposals that will all be put forward while I'm away: LSM, Miniterial Support in LEPs, Strategic Planning in the Deanery, and the creation of a part-time Area Dean post - all big and interesting projects... I hope people remember to let me know what happens.... This evening was my farewell service - combined with Ascension Day festivities. Jesus went on sabbatical on the first Ascension Day - after all, he did promise to come back! Mins will only be three months and I'm not going anywhere...
We celebrated with Bucks Fiz and non-alcoholic drink served by an ecclesiastical barman (above). Time to go...