Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
annually to the Conference, including
within the report an assessment
of the performance, efficiency and
effectiveness of the Network in
meeting its purposes and goals
and an outline of its strategies and
planned activities; (b) reporting
annually to the Methodist Council,
and working with the Methodist
Council and the Strategy and
Resources Committee on all financial
and human resource matters; (c)
working collaboratively with the
Ministries Committee when reviewing
the purposes, values, goals and
direction of the Network and when
developing the strategies and
planned activities of the Network;
(d) demonstrating how the Network’s
processes and activities enable
accessibility and responsiveness,
and enable the Network’s activities
and ventures to be developed
through interactive relationships and
in dialogue with local communities
– their diverse and continually
developing contexts, needs and
aspirations; (e) overseeing a
communications plan which ensures
that accurate and timely information
is given to everyone with an interest
in the work of the Network.
251 Most of these responsibilities are
not new responsibilities within the
life of the Conference, the Methodist
Council and various institutions,
colleges and centres. However, they
are currently shared across a number
of governing bodies and management
committees, and are exercised
without the guiding framework
provided by clearly articulated and
shared purposes, values and goals
and a clear sense of direction.
252 The Committee was assisted
by reflections shared during the
consultation period about the
feasibility of moving from the existing
fragmented pattern to a governance
system which expresses greater
connexionalism, collegiality and
coherence. A submission made
by a learning institution during
the consultation period noted the
possibility of establishing “a single
council setting strategic direction,
consolidated financial accounts...,
shared resources and common
procurement processes.” Another
learning institution noted that
“we see the logic and theological
rationale of a connexional church
structuring its resources, shaping its
pathways and deploying its people
in connexional ways... While we
would wish that the dispersion of
resources led naturally to strong and
warm collaborative relationships our
experience is that the Church and its
institutions (not just colleges) quickly
adopt territorial, competitive and
separatist mentalities. We recognise
that at its best a clearer connexional
model could aid the development of
a network of people and places that
would work together; however, without
sufficient attention to issues of power
and authority the outcome at its worst
could be a model of command and
control, with the ‘centre’ dominating
the ‘margins’.” The Committee is
confident that the establishment of a
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