British Methodism: What Circuit Ministers Really Think - Tapa blanda

In the eighteenth century Methodism stirred revival and religious enthusiasm throughout the British Isles. At the beginning of the twenty-first century the urban and rural landscape is littered by disused, derelict and converted Methodist Chapels. At the same time a new Covenant has been forged between Methodism and the Church of England which offers both new opportunities and new challenges for the circuit system. In this honest and thought-provoking analysis the authors listen carefully to the views of ministers who have so faithfully maintained the structure of British Methodism. What do they really think about the strengths and weaknesses of circuit ministry today and about the opportunities for the future? John M Haley and Leslie J Francis argue persuasively that it would be unwise for anyone examining the future of British Methodism or the potential for the Anglican Methodist Covenant to ignore the insights, the convictions and the prejudices of the Circuit Ministers themselves.

John M Haley is a Methodist Circuit Minister and Research Associate at the Welsh National Centre for Religious Education, University of Wales, Bangor. Leslie J Francis is an Anglican priest and Professor of Practical Theology at the University of Wales, Bangor. His recent books include studies of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, The Naked Parish Priest (2003), and of the Church of England, Fragmented Faith (2005).