Executive summary:
This report outlines the findings of a preliminary study, funded by the Susanna Wesley Foundation, on the awareness of local congregation members of the different structural layers of the Methodist Church carried out by Dr Krystin Zigan, with Dr Alan Le Grys. Based on 24 semi-structured interviews with Circuit leaders, Ministers, lay leaders and regular members of the congregation, the researchers identified a lack of a clear understanding of the relevance of Circuit, District and Connexion to local church life. While church members felt the closest to the Circuit, they were hardly aware of the District, and Conference decisions were only relevant if there existed some personal connection or unless they directly impacted them, such as the same-sex marriage debate. Overall, we identified very different perceptions about the role and meaning of the different institutional layers among all three groups of respondents, even among some Ministers. In general, there was not a strong feeling of Connexion and identity amongst regular members of the congregation other than with the local church community and with Methodism as such. By contrast, Ministers and lay leaders with Circuit responsibility tended to have a stronger sense of a shared identity across the network.
Many respondents would love to see the Methodist church as an active and vibrant church. Yet, this research revealed several issues that prevent local churches from thriving. The main issues identified in the interviews included the maintenance of buildings, the effective use of resources and the issues around recruiting volunteers. Potential ways forward suggested by the research participants include the effective management of resources such as the building and the Ministers. The report concludes with some recommendations offered by the researchers as to how to prepare the Methodist Church for the future.
Read the full report here.
