2010 October

  • 23/10/2010Jacquie Evans Summer Placement

    This was a different type of placement in that it had three parts:

    3 September – 8 September

    Initial visit to Rome

    11 September – 15 September      

    European Methodist Council in Barcelona

    18 September – 29 September

    Return to Rome

    The reasons behind this were simple, my placement supervisor, the Rev. Dr. Trevor Hoggard, was coming back to the UK between trips to Rome and the European Methodist Council in Barcelona. 

    As the placement was untypical, the decision was made to look at orientation to Rome and the church in the first part of the placement, gain some understanding of how European Methodism worked in the second part of the placement, and in the final part to both preach and look more fully at Trevor’s role as Methodist representative to the Holy See.  Those of you who watched the Papal visit to the UK will realise that although I was in this country for part of the visit, I had returned to Rome before its conclusion.

    The role of the Methodist Minister in Rome is an interesting one, as half time it is an ordinary ministerial station and the other fifty per cent of the time is involved in ecumenical dialogue and activities particularly concerned with Methodist/Roman Catholic relations.  One of the main people who Trevor liaises with regularly is Msr. Mark Langham who is the Vatican representative responsible for relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and the Methodist Church (he also has this role with the Anglican church).  The dialogue is warm and cordial, and it is very obvious that strong friendships have been forged.  It is not only members of Vatican staff that there are contacts with.  As the role has an ambassadorial element to it, it came as no surprise that regular contact with Ambassadors to the Holy See was an integral part of this role.

    The church itself is an English speaking one which has typically 70 – 80 people attending each Sunday.  There is a wide age range and ethnic mix amongst the membership.  Many students who are studying in Rome attend for a year or two and then return to their own countries.  The permanent population of the church consists of a large number of people from various countries in Africa, the Philippines, and the USA.  In addition there are some British people who have settled in Rome, and also some Italians who enjoy the challenge of preaching in English!

    During my time in Rome I was able to see a variety of activities taking place in both the church and relation to activities with the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, these included:

    • Church Council;
    • Formation of young adults group;
    • Bring and share lunch;
    • Papal audience;
    • Visit to the Australian Ambassador, including meeting to prepare for the canonisation of Mary Mackillop;
    • Discussions with the Very Rev. Canon David Richardson at the Anglican Centre in Rome, and Monsignor Mark Langham of the Vatican.

    Of course there were many other people spoken to, all of whom responded with warmth and openness towards me.  I will always remember the people that I met and the hospitality I received during this wonderful placement experience.  May God Bless all who facilitated it!

  • 21/10/2010Liz Dunning’s Trip to South Africa

    Three Weeks in South Africa…

    Being asked to write about my time in South Africa on placement this summer is a bit of a challenge… where do I start?

    I could talk about the diverse congregation of Pinetown Methodist Church in Durban.  Its church building wouldn’t be out of place in Britain, but the presence of a glossy starling which has managed to get into the church adding to Sunday worship through song (and droppings) makes me realise I’m somewhere else… as does the fact that by 10am I’ve already finished two services.

    I could talk about Sizanani a project which offers tailoring training, thus enabling women to find employment (and also made a fantastic new clerical shirt for me with South African sunset embroidery across the back).

    I could talk about Steve’s Kitchen, part of the ecumenical Inter-denominational Christian Care charity, which provides a daily meal for about 80-100 poor and unemployed.  Basic stews of samp beans or pap is served in old margarine tubs, with bread and cake donated by local supermarkets.  I spent a morning scooping the remains of cake from large plastic bags into which the supermarkets had thrown their unwanted food… that which even British soup kitchens would have discarded was handed out.  I witnessed the stark contrasts of poverty and riches.

    I could talk about Phakamisa (Zulu = ‘to lift up’) which provides basic training for pre-school teachers, employs a few crèche teachers for the poor townships, and offers economic, emotional and spiritual support for older women who have taken in HIV/AIDS orphans.  I could tell you about a visit to an informal settlement (i.e. lots of shacks crammed onto a hillside) to see one of their crèches held in a room which ought to be condemned.  In this one tiny room an amazing woman looks after at least 30 small, smiling, beautiful children.  Or I could tell you about the community-run vegetable gardens providing good food to those who tend the gardens (nutrition being vital if you’re taking HIV/AIDS retroviral drugs), as well as extra veggies to sell at market.

    I could tell you about the humbling experience of worshipping with the Phakamisa ladies, who share their joys and sorrows with each other and before God, singing and praying… and despite the burdens on their own lives they offered to pray for me and my own family.

    I could talk about the wider Methodist Church in Kwa-Zulu Natal, going on retreat with the District Ministers where we talked, prayed, ate, laughed, lamented and were silent together.  And then there was the official opening of the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary which was filled with a sense of hope and optimism for the church – a church which had been a strong voice against Apartheid and was being challenged to once again be that voice against injustice.

    I could talk about the sheer natural beauty of South Africa – the soaring hills, the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean, the amazingly intricate flowers, the colourful birds, the wonderful animals (including the warthog being so ugly it is gorgeous).

    I could talk about the sense of a people who struggle with the pain and hurt of their past, who are still discovering together (and sometimes apart) what it means to be a rainbow nation, who are facing their future with a mixture of hope and concern, people who are warm and welcoming.

    In my three week trip, I packed in so many experiences almost to the point of being over-whelmed.  Hopefully the above just gives a hint of my time in Durban… and I’ll be happy to talk more if ever you ask.

  • 20/10/2010Wesley Study Centre Handbook 2010-2011

    HANDBOOK plus COVER Blue web version

  • 07/10/2010BigBible

    CODEC (Christian Communication in the Digital Age) has linked up with Premier Radio and SPCK for an exciting new initiative entitled BigBible.

    This ecumenical project which is part of Biblefresh http://www.biblefresh.com involves producing a website about bible engagement, particularly in a community setting, and plans to deliver a lent house group series following last year’s highly successful BigRead2010.

    The site can be found at http://bigbible.org.uk.

    If you’d like to know more about the project or if you’d like to do a guest post for the site, please contact Pete Phillips at CODEC. (p.m.phillips@durham.ac.uk).