Becoming a growing, inclusive, evangelistic, justice seeking district… for such a time as this

For Such a Time as 2020 – 2024

For such a time as this was first envisioned in 2019, conversations beginning before the COVID pandemic. It was borne out of reflection on themes of exile, recognising that we were in a liminal moment. Our present was often painfully different from our recent pasts. We knew that our futures would be, and must be, different again.

It heard a call for change through spiritual renewal, not merely through organisational initiatives; keenness to listen, learn and discover our vocation; with ready access to the yokes we need, but free to choose those which fit well; being intentional in our mission but flexible to changing circumstances. We needed to be people of resilient hope, but not afraid of honest lament and grief.
Lacking Christendom privileges, societal influence, financial resources, membership demographics and self-confidence, from a position of brokenness we felt called to risk all that we still had to learn, change and join in for such a time as this.

The concept of for such a time as this seems to have resonated with many people across and beyond our district. Implementation of the strategy included investment in employment of more district staff, and focused activities and priorities, and we have seen step changes in related aspects of our mission, including:

• Children, families & youth – launch of ONE Programme, growing attendance at 3 Generate & relaunch of district youth weekend
• Property – gradually increasing confidence to explore opportunities to repurpose chapel premises, albeit with continued reliance on premises not in a good state or repair. Beginning decarbonising our churches.
• Communications – strengthened digital presence, greater awareness of the district as a source of support and networking and sharing of stories across our churches
• HR – increasingly professionalised approach to employment and recruitment matters
• Missional mindset – normalising the concept of pioneering new congregations as a core part of our mission, movement building e.g. encouraging warm spaces

We recognise that this has happened alongside significant turmoil, including a reduction in our numerical membership and ending of several of our congregations.

For Such a Time as 2025 – 2030

What sort of time will 2025-30 be?

Every place is a patchwork of individuals, families, networks, neighbourhoods and geographies. Each of these will have their own experiences and stories. However we expect significant trends across our district in the coming years to include:

• Social isolation across all demographics
• Significant levels of insecure work/ unemployment (one in five jobs are insecure; one in three jobs are in the public sector and so at risk from pressure on government finances)
• Poverty is widespread (one in four people in poverty, close to half of children in some places) and likely to become deeper and wider. This includes in-work poverty and shortages of affordable housing. Benefits and state funded support are likely to reduce.
• Ageing population – average age in our district is higher than the UK and is increasing
• Risk of loss of faith in democracy/ scapegoating of minorities. Many of our churches are in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods, often overlapping with economic marginalisation.
• Public transport provision is poor in many places, albeit bus franchising offers possibility of hope
• Significant levels of new house building, potentially with insufficient infrastructure, will change some communities

Current instabilities in global politics could also have significant and unpredictable local consequences.

Our credibility will rely on being alongside people and supporting them to meet practical needs. Feeling under pressure as an institution, we must not allow seeking the flourishing of our churches to be disassociated from working for the wellbeing of the places in which we live.

People in our churches are also subject to these experiences, which has implications for our expectations on people’s wellbeing, availability and contributions. As are many of the charities, community groups and churches of other denominations that we seek to work in partnership with wherever possible. Many of our churches, along with other key components of our social fabric, are reliant on contributions of people significantly past retirement age for their day to day operation.

Much of our scriptures were committed to paper by people in deeply strained circumstances: during invasion, exile or persecution. In a world and neighbourhoods that can seem irreparably broken, and a Methodist movement that can feel overwhelmed and inadequate, the words written on the following pages are written from the conviction that we are called only to notice, be transformed by, and join in with God-on-Mission using the gifts and charisms that God has given us. Under authority of God’s prevenient, justifying and sanctifying grace, for such a time as this.

Our priorities for 2025-30

Our aim is to maintain continuity with the core vision of the last few years, but to refresh our areas of focus in light of our evolving context and what we have learned along the way. We must every day see the world around us through God’s loving eyes and recognise afresh the ways in which we have been called and equipped for such a day as this. We seek to be rooted in the experiences and values of the people called Methodist in this place, from this to be collectively confident to reimagine church in the differing ways it needs to become for such a time as we are journeying into. Our updated strategic priorities are described below.