Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
for short and longer periods of time,
and as places which are able to
connect with partners across the
World Church and members from
Partner Churches who are part of
the Methodist Church in Britain
for longer or shorter periods of
time (see paragraphs 200.1-200.3
above). The Committee has, to the
best of its capacity, made an initial
assessment of the impact of such a
change on MIC. Further discussions
about the implementation of this
recommendation should be taken
forward with the Management
Committee and the directors of
MIC Ltd, the trading company which
is already in place to manage the
commercial activity undertaken on the
site. The Committee is confident that
its recommendation is sound and
reasonable.
The Guy Chester Centre
216 The Committee recommends that
the Methodist Church should, in an
organised and structured manner,
move to incorporate the spirituality
and training activities undertaken at
the Guy Chester Centre within the
wider Network, while designating
the Centre as an institution which
generates an income to support the
wider activities of the Network.
217 The Centre’s spirituality and training
activities include the provision of
quiet days, retreats and a range of
short courses and day courses in
a number of spiritual, pastoral and
organisational fields. The Committee
is confident that such activities can
be incorporated within the Network.
The rationale for doing so is similar
to that offered in paragraph 206
above – namely that the pathways
offered by the Centre could, through
their incorporation, be offered through
the Network in a manner which is
more efficient and robust, allowing
them to be shared more widely and
removing the need for a separate
infrastructural framework to support
their delivery. There are many creative
resources which have been developed
and delivered within the Centre which
the Committee would wish to secure
and retain in their present form, and
careful processes will need to be
put in place as these activities are
incorporated within the Discipleship
and Ministries Learning Network.
218 The Centre’s other activities
(which account for 90-95% of the
Centre’s overall activity) focus on
the provision of accommodation
for students and a smaller number
of career-starters. The tranquil
gardens and grounds of the North
Bank Estate, which currently houses
the Guy Chester Centre, are also
maintained by its trustees for the
benefit of the students, as well as
a number of other users, including
the membership of Muswell Hill
Methodist Church and the residents
of two MHA homes which are
adjacent to the site. The rationale for
reassessing the provision of student
accommodation at the Centre is
similar to that offered in paragraphs
214 above when discussing the
Conference Agenda 2012 733