Conference Report

The Annual Conference was held in Blackrock on the Dublin District from Thursday 4 th June until Sunday 7 th June. The Rev Donald Ker was elected as President of the Methodist Church in Ireland. At the Installation Service in St Paul's Parish Church in Glenageary, Conference was honoured by the presence of the President of the Republic of Ireland, Her Excellency Mrs Mary McAleese, and her husband.

Conference decided that the Irish President should in future preside over the Irish Conference. Until this year the British President had fulfilled that role in a tradition that dates back to John Wesley. Members of the British Delegation were happy with this decision and there will continue to be a warm spirit of co-operation between the two Churches.

Conference appointed for the first time, a Lay Leader, Mrs Gillian Kingston from County Tipperary who will take up office in 2010. The Lay Leader is elected for three years.

The President Designate is the Rev Paul Kingston (C), who is stationed in County Limerick.

The Board of Education reported on the failure to reach agreement on the issue of Post Primary Transfer in the North. Many Grammar Schools are now setting their own admissions test adding to the pressure, confusion and uncertainty of parents, children and schools. Concern was also expressed that the wider issue of poverty of aspiration and under-achievement among sections of the Protestant Community and particularly boys is not being addressed. The Southern Executive was greatly concerned about the cut-backs in funding as a result of rescession.

Conference adopted a Dignity in the Church Policy to protect anyone, ministerial or lay, who might be the victim of bullying or harassment while engaged in the work of the Church.

The Home Mission Forum brought forward proposals, as requested by Conference 2008, to remove the District layer and replace it by approximately 20 Circuits. Key to this is a need for a transformation in attitudes to embrace the concept of Team Ministry with members, both Lay and Ordained, using their gifts to help prepare the Church to participate in God's Mission. Following a lengthy debate, the Home Mission Forum were directed to set up pilots which Conference could consider.

On several occasions Conference expressed social concerns. It deplored the indiscriminate use of rockets by Hamas against civilian targets in Israel and the massively disproportionate retaliation by Israel in Gaza; it expressed dismay that Israeli forces had uprooted and appropriated many of the olive trees which were given to Palestinian farmers following the Olive Tree appeal last Christmas; it expressed concern that the Irish Government, which has a good record in providing overseas aid, had severely cut back on its commitments due to the economic downturn: the poorest are the most vulnerable in hard times.

The climax of the Conference was the Ordination Service on Sunday evening when two young men, Rev Nick McKnight and Rev David Turtle, were ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament: Rev Nick McKnight.