The Youth President of the Methodist Church
The Youth President is elected annually at 3Generate, the Methodist Children and Youth Assembly. Assisted by a team of Youth Representatives, they work full-time for one year as a member of the Connexional Team (Connexion is what we call the work of the Church across Britain) to serve the children and young people of the Methodist Church in Britain.
They are not part of the formal governance of the Methodist Church in Britain, but act as the voice of children and young people across the Church and beyond.
Their duties include:
- Visiting children and young people across the Connexion to hear their views on issues
- Encourage, enable and advocate for children and young people to be fully involved in all aspects of the life of the Church
- Ensure the voice of children and young people, their needs, issues and concerns, are considered by leaders and decision-making bodies in all levels of the Church
- Act as a spokesperson for, and a channel for the voices of, young Methodists both within and outside the Church
- To host 3Generate
- To be a member of various committees, including the Methodist Council
- Writing and presenting their report to the Methodist Conference
To see what Tom is getting up to throughout the year, you can follow him on Facebook, Instagram or X.
You can also email him direct on youthpresident@methodistchurch.org.uk.
Tom Hart
Youth President 2023-2024
Tom was elected by delegates at 3Generate 2022 and is our Youth President from September 2023 to August 2024. He is aged 19 and lives near Grimsby.
Tom was brought up a Methodist and became a member when he was 14. He felt God calling him to represent the young people of the Church and, with some friendly encouragement from his congregation, applied for the role of Youth President. Friendship and a sense of community make Tom who he is and he enjoys conversations with people of different and no faith, and wants to ensure that the message of God and Christianity is something that everyone can understand.
He enjoys travel – which comes in useful as his role takes him on visits to youth events and conferences all over Great Britain and beyond. Every Youth President undertakes an overseas trip and in October Tom visited Argentina. While there he played the organ at Primera Iglesia Evangélica Metodista, one of the largest church organs in the country, and even had a chance to play his trumpet with a band. He visited Methodist schools there and met with the young people who are keen to create a truly inclusive space for people to come to know Christ.
Tom loves music and is keen to promote the use of secular music and different music styles in our worship. He is a member of the Methodist National Youth Brass Band, and from September 2024 will be studying for his BMus (Hons) in Popular Music at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
Five questions with Tom
We sat down with Tom to ask him more about being our Youth President...
What's the best thing about being the Youth President?
Without doubt, it is meeting with children and young people across the Connexion. Everyone I have met has been really welcoming, really keen to talk to me, and keen to tell me what they think the church should be doing about issues they see and face in the world.
What’s the biggest challenge?
For me the biggest challenge is having to say no events or meetings I’d really like to go to. As the Youth President, I get invited to many events, meetings and conferences – but often these clash and I have to make tough decisions as to which are the most effective use of my time. It is a joy that my diary is so busy and I find it so rewarding to be a part of these events, but I also need to prioritise my time constructively.
What does a normal week look like?
No two days are the same when you are the Youth President, so a week never looks the same due to the varied nature of the role. One week, I could be away from home, visiting youth groups, attending meetings, or going to Conferences. However, the next week I could be working from home, reading and writing reports. I really enjoy looking ahead at my diary, from week to week, seeing what exciting people I will be talking to and what meetings and committees I will be contributing to.
What would you say to someone considering becoming the next Youth President?
I would really encourage them to discern where God is calling them to be, through prayer and by engaging in conversation with lots of different people. Sometimes the process of discernment is scary and unknown, but just remember to trust in God!
What is your favourite biscuit?
Tough question – my instant reaction is custard creams, but I could be persuaded otherwise!
