A reflection on the consultation process

Local Preachers' Office update

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Dear Friends

My previous experiences of 'consultation' leave me somewhat sceptical about the process. I prefer to think of consultation as a genuine exercise of offering a set of proposals, inviting feedback and then moving forward with plans which take proper account of the feedback. All too easily, some consultations I've known have cut corners in this process. From my perspective, it feels that the process for 'A New Vision' conducted jointly by LPMA and the LP Office has been a thorough consultation. Everyone's concerns have been discussed and considered fully (sometimes face-to-face) in order to come to the best possible set of proposals. So far, the proposals have been largely to do with the transformation of LPMA into the Leaders of Worship and Preachers' Trust (LWPT). There is also a need for transformation of the work which the Methodist Church has so far labelled simply, 'Local Preachers'. Papers on the following pages are initial drafts of proposals which have emerged from work carried out by the Connexional Local Preachers' Committee which oversees the work of the LP Office.

'Proposed organisational changes' is the main paper, but this needs some amplification in three other papers: What is a Local Preacher?, What is a Worship Leader? and Proposed Guidelines for addressing matters of discipline and pastoral concern. The proposals in these papers have arisen from suggestions by Circuits (for example, that a Worship Leader should be a Circuit appointment) but they also come from the implications of the consultation which led to the formation of LWPT. To make this consultation work well, it would be most helpful if:

you would read the papers carefully and reflect on them
your Circuit Local Preachers' Meeting would discuss the papers this autumn
feedback from your discussion (on any or all of the papers) is sent to the LP Office before 31 December 2004.

Questions that Local Preachers and Worship Leaders might consider include:

How could the papers What is a Local Preacher? and What is a Worship Leader? be improved?
How helpful to people in your Circuit are the proposals for Worship Leaders?
How helpful are the suggestions about 'Local Arrangements'?
What good practice from your Circuit Local Preachers' Meeting could shape or endorse these proposals?
What good practice from your Circuit Plan could shape or endorse these proposals?
How helpful is the guidance on matters of discipline and pastoral concern?

For each of these questions, there are additional questions, for example: What do you like about these proposals? What needs to be strengthened? What is missing?

The feedback from your discussions will go to the Connexional Local Preachers' Committee at the end of January 2005 and then the revised proposals will go to Methodist Council in time for Methodist Conference 2005.

Thank you very much for taking part in this consultation. All your views and suggestions will be considered. The Connexional Local Preachers' Committee wants to offer the best possible set of proposals to Methodist Council in February next year. Discussions in your Circuit are vital in helping us achieve that goal.

Every blessing to you
Peter Relf