Northfield Methodist Church

I have been reading Rev Dion Forster's blog for a little while now (click here to go there). It's an amazing resource of thoughts, reflections, audio references and musings on the movements within the broader Methodist Church in South Africa.

Until I found his blog, I realised that I knew very little about what was happening within the broader church. I mean, I'd heard of "synods" and "conferences", but knew little about the issues that were dealt and wrestled with in these forums. I guess a worship service does not really cater for an announcement section that relays news from within the denomination. I wonder if this is the way it should be? How much richer would our faith and sense of connection with the church be if we were updated on this sort of news.

For example, over the last few decades there has been a vociferous debate on same-sex relationships within the Methodist church. Have you been aware of it? Do you know what our church's formal stance/statement is on this hot potato?

I didn't either, until I had read some of Dion's writings. Besides ministering at Bryanston Methodist , he is actively involved in the leadership structures of our denomination and writes prolifically on the happenings from a policy and political perspective as well as considering seriously where we are going from a discipleship point of view.

As a teaser, here is a statement from the document on same-sex relationships:

Conference therefore resolves:
i) That the grace, affirmation of diversity, and commitment to the unity of the church central to the same-sex resolutions of the 2001 and 2005 Conferences be re-affirmed;
ii) That our ministers and people continue to engage this issue in Christian conversation and
respectful listening, so that all of us may more fully understand and articulate the variety of viewpoints held within our church;
iii) That we will seek to be a Christ-honouring community:
Celebrating the rich diversity of those called
to follow Jesus, honouring the sacred worth of all people and practicing our Wesleyan heritage of warmth, welcome and hospitality;
Recognising the authority of Scripture, and noting that in our quest for understanding, there is no one, monolithic and incontrovertible interpretation of it;
Acknowledging that there are therefore some issues upon which there may never be total unanimity within the church and upon which we must "agree to differ" without reducing our respect for, and trust of, one another.