On Sunday 26th June some of our churches watched the live-stream of the Conference Worship led by the President, Rev Graham Thompson and the Vice-president Anthony Boateng from this year’s annual Methodist Conference in Telford. This was the first time I had watched Conference Worship and it was an interesting experience. Live-streaming is not, of course the same as a service broadcast for TV or radio so it came over somewhat differently. For example, whereas the BBC’s Songs of Praise will make sure viewers hear a congregation singing with great gusto, I don’t think the congregation at Conference Worship was ‘miked’ so you couldn’t hear them very well. The worship band came over strongly, but the more traditional hymns came over a bit limp, which I’m sure did not do the congregation justice (they are Methodists after all).
The sermon was preached by the President on Matthew 20: 1-16, the parable of the workers in the vineyard who all got the same pay even though some had been hired late in the day. I’ve never quite clocked this one as it always seems to me a bit unfair that the workers labouring all day only get the same as those labouring for an hour. Rev Thompson put the parable in the context of coming to faith. God’s grace and generosity is the same whenever someone comes to faith, whether early in life or late. And so with the workers in the parable. Now, that makes sense to me.
As part of the service, ordinands for both presbyteral and diaconal ministry including our deacon, Theresa Simons-Sam were presented and received into “full connexion”. Later in the day, they were all fully ordained at special services. Deacon Theresa was ordained at St John’s Methodist Church in Bloxwich that afternoon. Here are a couple of photos taken at the service.
Our congratulations go to Theresa on her ordination and our thanks and prayers for her ministry now and in the future.