Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
below). The Committee also notes the
Foundation’s willingness to explore
the possibility of a change of name
so that the Foundation’s name can
capture both what the Network values
in one of its centres as well as what
an ecumenical institution aspires to
be. In this context, the Committee
noted the very significant investment
made by Wesley House’s founders
and by the Methodist Church over
several decades at Wesley House
and in its Trusts. The Committee
discussed the Trusts’ purposes at
length, and the Committee hopes
that it will be possible for the Trusts
to continue to serve the Methodist
Church and the Network’s activities,
albeit in a different context.
241 At the end of its final interrogation
of the configurations, the Committee
members present voted unanimously
to recommend to the Conference the
establishment of two connexional
centres, one based at Cliff College
and the other based at the Queen’s
Foundation.
242 This recommendation is accompanied
by the recommendation that the
Methodist Church should, in an
organised and structured manner,
move to end its activities at Wesley
House, Cambridge and the Wesley
Study Centre, Durham. Given that
the Wesley Study Centre operates
under the auspices of the Methodist
Council, and given the close
relationship between Wesley House
and the Methodist Conference, the
Church owes a particular duty of care
towards these institutions, and in
particular towards the staff stationed
and appointed to them. Careful
processes will need to be put in place
as their activities are incorporated
within the Discipleship and Ministries
Learning Network. The Committee
has assessed the risks and costs for
the Methodist Church of withdrawal
from the institutions concerned,
and consideration has been given
to the impact of withdrawal on
partners and other stakeholders.
In both cases, the Committee is
confident that its recommendation
is sound and reasonable. The
Committee records its thanks to
St John’s College, Durham and the
Cambridge Theological Federation,
and will wish to express its gratitude
for their ready partnership with the
Methodist Church through appropriate
representations over coming months.
Implementation
243 Implementing the recommendations
outlined above will be a complex
task, not least because it will properly
involve further discussions and
negotiations with a number of parties,
some of whom are independent of
the Conference and other Methodist
governance bodies.
244 Key priorities which will guide
implementation include ensuring that
those currently following pathways
at institutions, centres and colleges
(for example, and most notably,
existing student ministers) can
complete those pathways during a
746 Conference Agenda 2012