Methodist Conference suggests a means of grace, accountability to God and to one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Conference for the early Methodists was about spiritual formation, encouraging people to serve and follow Jesus faithfully, let us pray that the delegates may be example of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in our local churches.

 One thing remains constant with Methodism, we never lack initiatives to advance the Church and efficiency for the gospel. In 2007, the initiative tagged ‘Mapping a Way Forward: Regrouping for Mission ‘challenged each and every Methodist circuit  and local church to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit in terms of shaping its life and structures in order to engage in mission.’ In 2009, there was a gathering of Methodist people called Holiness and Risk ‘to discern what God was saying to them as Methodist Christians in Britain, both as a Church and as individual disciples.’ In 2020, based on the result of a year-long consultation across the Connexion, we have adopted a new Church-wide strategy for Evangelism and Growth, God for All with the aims of ‘helping new people become disciples of Jesus, starting hundreds of new churches, and raising up new lay and ordained leaders…’

We give thanks to God for our initiatives, however, God demands the necessity of men and women and His dependence on them as a channel of change and vessels of honour (2Chr 16:9). Using the words of E M Bounds, “men are God’s method.” Towards the end of earthly ministry, John Wesley in his letter at age 87 to Alexander Mather, dated August 6, 1777 lamented the challenge to his vision, Methodism.

“… The danger of ruin to Methodism does not lie here. It springs from quite a different quarter. Our preacher, many of them, are fallen. They are not spiritual. They are not alive to God. They are soft, enervated, fearful of shame, toil, and hardship … Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God…” – John Wesley.

Wesley lamented the danger of ruin to Methodism and this speaks to us preachers today ‘clergymen or laymen,’ to come alive as herald called to proclaim Scriptural holiness and salvation through Jesus Christ.  Let us pray for more men and women filled with the Holy Spirit and humbled through repentance for the new dispensation of revival and renewal that would herald and prepare the way for Jesus Christ in our churches, communities, and nations. According to Bounds, “The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men—men of prayer.”

Sensing a wind of repentance and reorientation in the realm of the Spirit, our call as Methodists to be God’s prophetic people, requires our personal and corporate renewal. Let us arise and ask God for revelation and humility so that we may understand the changing seasons and remain faithful to God’s will and purposes in the life of our local churches and communities. Let us pray that God’s prophetic words will be released over the church leadership and that we may know and remain in His will (Is 55:11). Let us pray to God of our yesterdays and our tomorrows, to help us to be His faithful church today. Let us pray for our ministers on their first appointment and ministers from other conferences. Let us pray for those continuing in training that they may keep their eyes on Jesus. Let us pray for the new leadership that they may pray and work towards a personal and corporate reorientation and renewal of our Methodist spiritual and missional identity. Let us pray for Rev Dr Jonathan Hustler, the Secretary of Conference and his teams in the headquarters for more unction to function in Jesus name. To God be the glory. Thank you and God bless.