Tim Macquiban ’ s Speech to Synod 2022
Sisters and brothers in Christ : I bring you greetings from the Methodist Church in Britain , and its President Graham and Vice President Anthony who ask God ’ s blessing on the Synod . Their themes for their term of office are ‘ Love of God and Love of Neighbour ’ and ‘ Revival : The Methodist Dream ’. The latter is very important for the institution I currently serve , the Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum of Primitive Methodism , as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Primitive Methodism , Hugh Bourne . He was a revivalist preacher who formed the Primitive Methodist movement over 200 years ago , seeking to recover that early primitive zeal of the Wesley brothers , John and Charles , in spreading the
Tim Macquiban at Synod ( right ) The interpreter is ‘ our ’ Peter Ciaccio , now minister in Trieste .
gospel in all places , particularly in and to the margins of society , with and for the poor of their age / day .
I have just read the recently published book by Tobias Jones called The Po . It is a wonderful journey from the delta to the source of the river Po . Here are two reflections he has which resonate with two important issues for our Churches today .
First , he says that we need to respect the river , fearsome as it sometimes is , as a source of life for many . Without water we die . The current situation in our world as rivers dry up or low places are inundated by rising waters in the oceans or the destruction of floods , because of the climate emergency we face and the harm we have done to the natural world : these matters need to be addressed . Like the poet T . S . Eliot reminds us ( in The Dry Salvages ), the ‘ strong brown God ’ ( the river ) is almost forgotten ; its retreat a ‘ reminder of what men chose to forget ’. An apt metaphor for the human condition which turns its back on the Creator God and does not act as a proper steward of God ’ s world .
Secondly , Jones reminds us of the geopolitical position of the Po hinterland . It has given birth to the Northern League Party that is an expression of
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