Constitution
How we are run.
If you are an ordinary member of the congregation you are probably not very interested in how the church is run. You think, rightly, that it is the message and the fellowship that are the most important. Nevertheless you may perhaps have heard the occasional strange word cropping up in conversation with older members and wondered what they meant. They probably derive from our constitution, so here is a quick over view of how we are run.
We are members of a worldwide Methodist Church. Each country is independent and runs its own affairs. The people who hold office may seem remote. We should remember that, as far as our own country is concerned, they represent us and we have played a part in some way in their appointment. In their decision making they seek God’s guidance and they should always be in our prayers.
The Connexion.
The Methodist Church in Britain is known within the church as ‘the Connexion.‘ Every year Methodists from all over the country meet to pray, pass legislation and enjoy fellowship. This is the governing body of the church and is called ‘Conference.’ Each year a President and a Vice-president are appointed. The President is a presbyter and the Vice-president is a lay person. The President is our equivalent, more or less, of an Archbishop-‘first among equals.’
The District
The Connexion is divided into Districts. We are in the Nottingham and Derby District. Our governing body is ‘Synod’ which meets every six months when representatives from the churches gather together. Each District has a chairman who is appointed by Conference and retains office from year to year. He is the Methodist equivalent of a Bishop.
The Circuit.
Each District is made up of a number of Circuits. The name derives from when churches were much further apart. The minister would travel on horseback from one to another staying overnight at each one until he finally got back to his home where he started, having completed a circuit. We are in the Nottingham Trent Valley Circuit along with churches in Breaston, Toton, Sandiacre, Stapleford, Wollaton and Beeston.. Our governing body is the Circuit meeting which meets at least twice a year.
Conference allocates, or ‘stations’ a number of ministers to each circuit. One of them is given supervisory duties-the Superintendent, or the ‘Super’ as they are usually called.
