Methodist Conference celebrates Fresh Expressions

The Methodist Conference has warmly received a report onthe Church's involvement in the Fresh Expressions initiative. FreshExpressions is an ecumenical initiative backed by The MethodistChurch and the Church of England.

At the moment about 136 of the 600 registered Fresh Expressionsactivities are run by Methodists, involving about 6,800 people.About one third of those participating in Methodist freshexpressions are children.

Fresh Expressions was launched by the Right Revd Dr RowanWilliams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Revd Tom Stuckey, thenPresident of the Methodist Conference. The Revd Martyn Atkins,current President of the Conference, says "fresh expressions ofchurch have always emerged out of a Christian desire to love andserve God in the world. What is wonderfully encouraging today isthe growing commitment of Methodist people to explore fresh ways ofbeing church in all sorts of places around the country. The breadthof imagination and enthusiasm with which people are responding tothe challenge of creating fresh expressions is really exciting. Asa result we can bring the best of our old ways of being church,together with these new ways into the task of bearing witness toour faith and serving our society."