Methodists celebrate their shared identity with all Christians

The Methodist Church has reiterated its commitment to ecumenicalrelationships at its annual Conference in Wolverhampton.

A vision statement received by the Conference stated that theMethodist Church would commit itself to worshiping, learning andworking with other Christians wherever and whenever possible.

Christine Elliott, Secretary for External Relationships, said:"This is about sharing the Christian gospel together with partnerChurches to make a difference in the 21st century and expressingour identity as Methodists in new ways."

The vision statement voices a commitment to pray and worship withpeople from other Churches regularly. It also affirms the Church'sdedication to learning with other Christians about common faith andheritage in order to support mutual growth.

The vision statement will be made available to local churches toencourage them in ecumenical working and help them to shareresources for worship and mission.

The report also acknowledged the Methodist Church's commitment toother denominations in particular its covenant relationship withthe Church of England and Churches in Wales. The report was focusedon the British context but also affirmed the continuing developmentof partner church relationships worldwide.