Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
about the location of a second centre,
the Committee was particularly
conscious of the grave responsibility
placed on its shoulders, the more
so if it was to seek the Connexion’s
blessing to continue to be radical and
challenging. The discernment which it
was called to exercise in this instance
was, in many ways, a culmination
of nine months of engagement
with a wide range of data, legal
and property-related advice, cogent
argument and detailed consultation
submissions. This information had,
in turn, been digested during private
study, during discussions within small
groups and during plenary sessions
of the Committee.
239 Two groups, comprising between them
all the members of the Committee
in attendance, undertook a final
assessment of the configurations
outlined in paragraphs 233-237
above at the committee’s April
2012 meeting. Both groups came,
independently of one another, to
the conclusion that the relative
strengths and weaknesses of the
configuration which includes the
Queen’s Foundation and Cliff College
were preferable to those of any of the
other configurations which had been
considered. Further interrogation of
this conclusion took place during a
lengthy plenary session.
240 Having assessed and reflected on
the marks of the contribution which
two centres at Cliff College and the
Queen’s Foundation should be able to
provide to the Church and to the wider
Network, the Committee highlighted
the following considerations:
240.1 The Committee was confident that
centres at Cliff College and the
Queen’s Foundation could serve as
communities of faith which nurture
and support a deep expertise
in formation, learning, training,
theological education, scholarship and
organisational development. In terms
of their particular contribution to the
Network, the Committee highlights
the following: (a) Cliff College’s
experience of offering support to over
230 dispersed students through a
pattern of intensive modular training
weeks delivered at the College
combined with virtual or telephone
individual tutorial support, and the
College’s experience of supporting
and delivering a number of modular,
non-validated courses; (b) Cliff
College’s expertise in nurturing a
collegiate sense among a diverse
cohort of students and friends –
including residential students, parttime
students, those who attend
shorter courses, and those who
attend the Cliff College Festival and
other gatherings of supporters and
alumni; (c) the Queen’s Foundation’s
experience of operating as a
“foundation” consisting of a number
of centres (including the Centre for
Ministerial Formation, the Graduate
and Research Centre, the Selly Oak
Centre for Mission Studies, and
the Centre for Black Ministries and
Leadership), where each centre
has its particular focus and area of
responsibility, but all centres work
742 Conference Agenda 2012