New British
Methodist
President speaks
of 'the God
who inspires'

TORQUAY (England) -- The Rev Tom Stuckey, new President of the Methodist Conference, used his inaugural address in June to talk about "the God who inspires". He began his year of office at a ceremony at the start of the annual Methodist Conference, meeting here.


He told the assembled 384 representatives and the public gallery that he wanted to build on the messages of his two immediate predecessors. The Rev Dr Neil Richardson had talked about a Christ-centred Church, while the Rev Will Morrey spoke a year before about a God who listens.


The Rev Stuckey said he wanted to address two of the stated priorities of the Methodist Church: Developing confidence in evangelism, and encouraging fresh ways of being church.


"Talk about God works best when it stimulates talk with God," he said. "Evangelising and spirituality are inter-dependent. There is a single word which encapsulates 'conversation with God'. It is the word 'theology'. I believe we shall become a God-centred Church when we genuinely engage in theology."
The Rev Stuckey said that the Methodist Church needs to be reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit, without losing touch with the Word of God. "Word and Spirit need each other," he said.


"When the Word is without the Spirit the Church dries up. When the Spirit is without the Word the Church blows up. When Word and Spirit come together the Church grows up.


"If we are to re-capture vision we must give attention to theology and the work of the Holy Spirit." -- The Methodist Church, London.