District-led Gatherings for Conferring Together on the God In Love Unites Us report and proposals
As you will be aware the Connexion is inviting wide-spread conferring about the “God In Love Unites Us” report, exploring marriage and relationships, and its proposals. The Representative Spring Synod on Saturday 25th April 2020 will have a further discussion and hold the necessary vote. All ministers in the active work have received both the report and the study guide. Copies can viewed, or ordered, at:
Our plans for conversation within the District, as agreed by both the Superintendents and the District Leadership Team are as follows:
- All local churches and circuits are encouraged to have local conversations, using the material provided, as they so wish. Two facilitation training meetings are being arranged within the District to support those who will lead these conversations and ministers are being advised of these separately.
- Four District led gatherings for conferring will be held around the District in February/March 2020 as set out below. These meetings will be widely advertised and open to all and I very much hope that all Synod members will attend one of these gatherings. They will be important opportunities to share and confer sensitively and graciously across circuits.
10.30am Saturday 29th February 2020 – Masham Methodist Church, Ripon & Lower Dales Circuit (HG4 4HN)
2.00pm Wednesday 4th March 2020 – Copmanthorpe Methodist Church, York Circuit (YO23 3SU)
7.30pm Thursday 12th March 2020 – Toll Gavel Methodist Church, Beverley Circuit (HU17 9AA)
7.30pm Tuesday 17th March 2020 – Pickering Methodist Church, Ryedale Circuit (YO18 8AA)
- Additionally, having read the whole report, if anyone would like to offer a reflection in writing, this can be submitted to the District Office by 20th March 2020. A paper summarising reflections from the gatherings and offered in writing will be prepared for distribution to Synod members prior to the Representative Synod.
- The Representative Synod on Saturday 25th April 2020 will have further conversation and will then express its mind as requested. It is important to note that Synod members are ‘representatives’ rather than ‘delegates’. We will all come to that Synod aware of views expressed locally, at our District gatherings and in writing, but we gather to confer together and then prayerfully express our mind through the vote we are asked to make.
