Salvation Army representatives, including international leader of The Salvation Army General Lyndon Buckingham, joined with members of the World Methodist Council (WMC) for discussions on the theme ‘To Serve the Present Age, My Calling to Fulfil, O May it All My Powers Engage to Do My Master’s Will’.
Building on previous conversations, the six delegates met at Wesley House, Cambridge, UK, from 13 to 15 December for continued discussions, to foster collaboration and to review a report.
The participants were: Major Britius Munkombwe, Lieut-Colonel Dr Karen Shakespeare and Commissioner Jane Paone (all IHQ) and the Revd Dr Paul Chilcote, Prof Dr Ulrike Schuler and the Very Revd Opeyemi Awe (all WMC).
Significant features of the weekend included collaborative conversations with a diverse group of international students and staff of Wesley House (a place of study for students and scholars in the Wesleyan tradition), an introduction to previous conversations between the WMC and The Salvation Army, and a public lecture.
The President of the WMC, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, also attended the Revd Dr Julian Pursehouse's lecture to which the WMC General Secretary the Revd Dr Leão Neto and General Lyndon Buckingham gave responses.
Working together in mission
The exploratory conversations were framed around the 2011 report Working Together in Mission, produced by The Salvation Army and the WMC. The delegates reviewed the final recommendations.
Five sessions focused on witness, education, service, recent developments and future plans of the respective church bodies. Together they considered: Since the last round of talks, what has changed in our world? What examples of witness do we have that are being fruitful for God’s Kingdom? How can we be learning from one another? How can we encourage mutually supportive ministry?
In reviewing the reception of the previous report, the group concluded that it would be helpful to hold a webinar for key stakeholders to share the substance of their conversations, inspire engagement and determine a singular focus for conversation moving forward.
Secretary for International Ecumenical Relations, Commissioner Jane Paone, said: ‘Our hope is to identify “the one thing needful” in the ongoing collaboration and determine a realistic plan of implementation.
‘It is also our hope that this creative approach to the outcome of ecumenical conversation will both inspire the approach to future dialogues and will serve and lead to wider engagement at the local level.’
