ACS (International) Principal elected World Methodist head

SEOUL - The Principal of Anglo-Chinese School (International), the Rev Dr John Barrett, has been elected Chairman of the World Methodist Council.


At a council meeting in Seoul on July 18, 2006, preceding the 19th World Methodist Conference from July 20-24, he was voted in unopposed for a five-year term.


Thanking council members for the opportunity to serve the world body, he said there was a growing sense of expectation and "real concern" among them to "meet on world issues and move forward together".


"I am honored to be in a position to share in leadership of this great body," he said. "I have enormously appreciated the quality of contributions from all of us in the council and conference. I think they have been outstanding.


"I feel a great sense of pride today belonging to this company, and I am humbled by the prospect of giving some leadership. In doing this job, I need to rely on God's grace, and I need to ask for your prayers."


Referring to Singapore, he said he has witnessed how the country has experienced great church growth in recent years. "You see the Spirit of God daily," he said.
And on World Methodism, he said: "Over the past decade, Methodism has increased by almost 1 million members a year. We expect this to continue."


The Rev Dr Barrett was the Vice-Chairman of the previous council and served as the Programme Chairman for the 17th world conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1996.


He was Headmaster of the prestigious Leys School in Cambridge, England for 14 years until 2004. The Leys School is a Methodist private school founded in 1875 by the Wesleyan Methodist Conference.


On retirement, he came to Singapore in January 2005 to become the principal of the newly-established sixth Anglo-Chinese School, the ACS (International). He is an ordained minister of the British Methodist Church.