NEWS RELEASE
8 July, 2007

Address by the new Vice President of the Methodist Conference

Ruby Beech calls for Christians to listen to what God has to say today

Ruby Beech, new Vice President of the Methodist Conference, called for Christians to "listen to what God had to say to us today." She pointed out that, as people celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Act to abolish the slave trade in Britain, there were many at the time who claimed to have Biblical support for slavery. "We have to be open to the movement of the Spirit as those Christians were who worked as abolitionists over 200 years ago," she said. "They had to make a stand about whether a particular interpretation of scripture really reflected the inclusive love of God, the Christ who brought shalom, the peace of God, for all - and fulfilled the commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves."

Ruby, whose day job is Assistant Serjeant of Arms at the House of Commons, has already travelled to India to visit a Peacebuilders project supported by The Methodist Church.

The full text of her address is here. People can also hear a recording of it online at
http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.webradio