March_2025 FFL

First Friday Letter The World Methodist Council

March 2025

Lenten Greetings, Ash Wednesday, just passed, marks the beginning of Lent. A period in which we prepare to yet again journey with Christ from fasting in the desert to resisting the three temptations; from the condemnation before Pilate to the Via Dolorosa; from the Cross on Calvary to the Holy Sepulchre; and from descent into hell to the Glorious Resurrection Sunday. What is the fasting that the Lord requires of us, the people called Methodists?

May this lent be a spiritual pilgrimage for each one of us: externally, as the Ashes rest on our foreheads, as fellowship, prayers and alms given are increased; but even more importantly, internally, when we face our demons and overcome their temptations; as we pick up our daily cross and follow Jesus, and as we find new life in him. A fitting prayer for Lent from St Jerome (c. 342-420) is in the Prayer Handbook of the MC in Britain, 5th day of the month, which was Ash Wednesday this March: “Blessed are those, O Christ, in whose souls, you are constantly born, those in whose lives you are daily crucified and those in whose hearts you are risen for ever” Through the holy season of Lent, Passion and Easter we confess our faith by special observations and by internalising the journey in our hearts. This year in particular Christians celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed. The World Methodist Council is marking the anniversary through three commemorative webinars. The Creed offers an ecumenical basis to confess with other Christians present and past that: “ … for our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again …”

This is for Methodists a living faith:

“Endless scenes of wonder rise From that mysterious tree, Crucified before our eyes Where we our Maker see; Jesus, Lord, what hast thou done?

Publish we the death divine, Stop, and gaze, and fall, and own Was never love like thine!” (Charles Wesley)

Suffering is also a present experience. The world’s geopolitics is going through a period of realignment. With all the challenges it brings, there are plenty of reasons to fast, pray, and act. A Pilgrimage for Peace is being organised by WMC Youth and Young Adults in conjunction with the MC in Korea and UMC/GBGM. This is part of the commemoration of 140th anniversary of Methodist Mission in Korea, with whom we rejoice. You can find out how to engage and participate in it in this Newsletter. You can also find out in this FFL about a solidarity visit organised by the Methodist Liaison Office in Jerusalem. This was an opportunity to visit those who are suffering the effects of the conflict, bear witness to the truth, and to do some advocacy work. Watch a video of the visit here: https://youtu.be/vjiIM5T7lqM There is also a reflection and some resources on the work of the WM Evangelism and of the WMC Evangelism Committee.

I give thanks in particular for the work of the Nominating Committee and all those who offered to serve through the Standing Programme and Operational Committees. Guided by the nominations presented by the the Committee, several appointments were made by the Steering Committee. Work done, work begun! Thanks be to God, with recognition of your dedication.

May the Lord hear our prayer and attend to our fasting as we journey with Christ this Lent,

Stations of the Cross from St George’s Cathedral Jerusalem Photo 136007839 © Kabayanmark | Dreamstime.com

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An Unsophisticated, Powerful Gospel And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) I listened intently as this man, probably in his early seventies, eyes filled with tears, told us his testimony. We had been visiting house churches in Cuba. This one church was in a very modest village about two hours southwest of Havana. The pastor had planted nine different churches over the years, and was now introducing us to his leadership team. After each introduction, he and his wife watched with incredible pride as leaders would tell us a bit of their stories. Their audience? A group of leaders, all holding Phd’s, Doctorates of Ministry, and masters degrees from respectable schools. Some of us were there for three days of teaching. Yet, we were the ones being taught at this moment.

That’s when one of the leaders stood up, introduced himself, and told us about the two missions he leads (missions are church plants in the Cuban Methodist Church). He was about to be done, but the pastor’s wife wisely interrupted him, asking him to tell us the story of how he became a Christian. Before he could begin telling us the story, his eyes were filled with tears. Then he went on to tell us that his wife had come to know Christ. Her involvement in the church made him very jealous. She became a leader and was leading a cell group a few kilometers away from the house church. One day, having had enough of it, he decided to run after her. He was so angry, he brought a machete with him with the intent to kill his wife. However, upon arriving at the house church, he was met by the pastor and a couple of other people who boldly stood in front of him, calling on the power and presence of Jesus in that moment.

That man was met by God on his way to killing his wife. Tears flooded his eyes as he told us how grateful he was that God saved him in that situation, restored his marriage, and transformed his life. He spoke with humility, trembling, and fear. He was not particularly eloquent, nor did he have an agenda. All he wanted was for us to know what God had done for him.

Personally, I was wrecked by that man and his testimony. It moved me because he reminded me of my late grandfather’s unsophisticated wisdom.

It moved me because I was reminded that our God still has the power and will to turn people’s lives around. Indeed, our God is the only hope for our broken world. However, ultimately it convicted me.

It convicted me of my proneness to hide behind my sophistication.

You see, one of our greatest temptations, particularly in ministry, is the desire to be seen as important, to be respectable, to fit in with cultural norms. This was the temptation of the church in Corinth as well. They had been influenced by the sophists (where we derive the word “sophistication” from), itinerant teachers and intellectuals in ancient Methodist Church in Cuba Pastor and church Greece who taught rhetoric and other subjects for member giving their testimony. a fee. Consequently, they saw Paul’s commitment to preaching Christ crucified as foolish. This is the context for Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.

In other words, Paul is reminding the church in Corinth that the power of his message does not come from his eloquence, persuasion, and sophistication, Rather, it comes with weakness, fear, and trembling, and by demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Continued on next page ...

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An Unsophisticated, Powerful Gospel continued...

As David Prince, professor of Preaching at Southern Seminary once wrote, “He sought to distance his preaching ministry, not from oratorical skill, but from the sophist rhetorical pomp, which considered a bloody crucified Messiah to be scandalous and moronic (“but we preach Christ crucified, a skandalon to Jews and morian to Gentiles” 1 Cor 1:23).”

Paul’s conviction was shared by John Wesley as well, who said “You are a Christian minister, speaking and writing to save souls. Have this end always in your eye, and you will never designedly use a hard word.

Use all the sense, learning and fire you have, forgetting yourself, and remembering only that these are the souls for whom Christ died.” Wesley’s context was not much different. The church in England had become much too sophisticated, much too respectable. The result was a lukewarm, socially acceptable faith that could be lived out comfortably, without causing much scandal in British society. As the Methodist revival unfolded, Wesley became intent on simplifying his words in order to reach the masses who hungered for hope. The result, as many of us know, was a great awakening that affected primarily working class people.

That movement is alive today, hundreds of years later, in a small church in Cuba, where a 70 year old man heard the simple message of the gospel, and his life changed forever.

My prayer is that you would be awakened once again to the simple, unsophisticated, yet powerful message that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again. Through Him, we can be reconciled to God, and freed to live in fullness of life by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is true for each of us, and it is true for a suffering world, desperate for hope. This is the message we share, the words we preach, and the testimony we give.

Amen Also, we would like to highlight a few resources related to evangelism in the wesleyan tradition: Book Highlight: “Born To Shine” by James Lofton (former missionary in China) Find a summary of the book here: https://worldmethodist.org/we-are-born-to-shine/ More about the Methodist Church in Cuba: https://worldmethodist.org/thoughts-from-10000-ft/ More about the Methodist way of being in ministry to the world: https://worldmethodist.org/the-world-isour-parish/ Submitted by Paulo Lopes, Director of Emerging Leadership for World Methodist Evangelism paulo@worldmethodist.org website: www.worldmethodist.org

1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea The year 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the Council which initiated the formulation of the Nicaean-Constantinopolitan Creed. In three Webinars we invite to reflect on a Wesleyan response to NICAEA, under the topics Faith, Unity and Mission. Don’t miss the final Webinar on March 18!

Register here today to attend!

You will receive a Zoom link to enter the meeting once you register.

March 18 (Focus on Europe and Africa) 2 pm GMT, 10 am EDT Moderator: Revd. Dr. Martin Mujinga, Methodist Church Zimbabwe, General Secretary of the Africa Methodist Council, based in Accra, Ghana Revd. Jackline Makena, Methodist Church Kenya, St. Paul University, Limuru, Kenia, Vice Moderator of the WCC Faith and Order Commission Prof. Dr. Simangaliso R. Kumalo, Methodist Church Southern Africa, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, SA Revd. Dr. Jane Leach, Methodist Church Britain, Wesley House, Cambridge Revd. Dr. Sergei Nikolaev, United Methodist Church, Moscow Theological Seminary World Methodist Council

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One in Christ Book Review: One in Christ Magazine, The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification at twenty-Five, Volume 57, number 2, 2024, pages 211 to 223. Also available online at: https://www.oneinchrist.org.uk/ subject to subscription. Earlier volumes/numbers are available on the website for free.

There was an ecumenical Conference to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification that took place in Strasbourg, France, in January 2025. See an article about it in last month’s First Friday Letter, i.e. the February 2025 issue, written by Jane Leach, the principal of Wesley House, Cambridge, UK. There was a depth of appreciation for what was achieved by the Declaration in that JDDJ Conference. Everyone was grateful for the work of God, through the Holy Spirit to bring healing to the Body of Christ.

Continuing to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Joint Declaration, this most ecumenical Magazine, One in Christ, published five short reflections written by church leaders from each of the five World Communions signatories to the Declaration: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican and Reformed.

They made clear, each in their turn, that the denomination they represent celebrates the achievement that the Declaration represents. An agreement on a doctrine that for so many centuries divided the Church in the West. But that now was overcome with a methodology applied that allows for differentiating consensus. This is, we agree even though my emphasis might be different from yours. In the essential we are in agreement. In the non-essential, we respect our differences of emphasis, in all things we exercise the gift of love.

The articles from each of the world communion leaders do exactly that. They uphold the Declaration, they celebrate its achievement, they look forward to working together more closely, and then they put their own spin on it. This makes the Declaration radiate new light. It makes it also invite others into its sphere, to also give their own spin on it and uphold its achievement. For the Lutherans, the doctrine of justification is of central importance. It is the doctrine in which the Church stands or falls. The Roman Catholics came to agree in Augsburg with the signing of the Declaration that Christ justifies us by his grace, though there remained some differences, the two sides could affirm that salvation by grace through faith for good works. An agreement with the Roman Catholic Church on this doctrine removed the historic condemnations and also increased the hope that the communion between the churches will be finally restored.

Through the co-signatories of the Declaration, it became not only a Roman Catholic - Lutheran document of convergence but a wider ecumenical one. Methodists/Wesleyans agreeing with salvation by grace through faith but going further, to their characteristic emphases on what comes after, sanctification and seeking perfection in love. The Anglican point was that the Declaration maybe an indication that the reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants is on the way. The Reformed view brings a different dimension asking not only about justification but about justice too: racial, ecological, economical. Old Catholics find in this document a common understanding of the doctrine of justification and indicated that they would like to be a signatory too.

Amongst other articles in this volume, there is also an article marking the Global Christian Forum’s 25 years of existence in 2024. Ecumenism has grown in different ways than was once predicted. It is rather organic. There is hope that Communion may be restored amongst the churches, even if within the differentiated consensus. One thing is for sure, Ecumenism is alive and kicking.

World Methodist Council

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Young Adults Pilgrimage of Peace South Korea | June 23–27, 2025

In a world marked by division and injustice, the call to be peacemakers is urgent. Inspired by the 2024 World Methodist Council Conference resolutions, this transformative journey equips young leaders to build peace within their communities and beyond.

Organised in collaboration with the Korean Methodist Church Mission Board and the United Methodist Church–General Board of Global Ministries, YAPP 2025 is part of the broader WMC YYA Peace Programme (2024–2029), which promotes justice, reconciliation, and non-violent action.

Who Can Apply?

What to Expect?

• Ages 18-35 member of a Methodist and Wesleyan, United or Uniting faith communities within the WMC

• Interactive workshops on conflict resolution & reconciliation

• Theological students and those on vocational discernment • Young leaders, or potentially emerging leaders on justice and reconciliation

• Immersive experiences in peacebuilding & justice advocacy • Engage in ecumenical & interfaith collaboration • Networking with a worldwide community of young Methodist & Wesleyan leaders

ID 75220317 © Mbolina | Dreamstime.com

Bursaries available!

Apply by March 14, 2025 For more details, visit the application link https://form.jotform.com/250286654763364 or contact us at yya@worldmethodistcouncil.org.

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From the General Secretary’s Diary Visit to the Methodist Liaison Office Jerusalem As soon as the Ceasefire on Gaza was announced, the stakeholders for the Liaison Office in Jerusalem planned a visit to the Region. The stakeholders are: the WMC, GBGM and MC in GB. We were accompanied by some from the Church of Scotland and the URC in GB. We stayed in East Jerusalem, a part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, at St George’s College, within the Cathedral’s close. This is where the Liaison Office is. The staff, David Hardman, Jane Eesley, and Samar Hashweh organised visits to the West Bank, and other relevant meetings.

We saw, and witnessed the restrictions imposed on the Palestinian people, on their movement, their freedom, their dignity.

We saw the Palestinian pieces of land taken by the settlers, some demolished houses, we met the displaced people. We saw the expansion of the illegal settlements. The fences and walls of separation. We ourselves travelled on the exclusive roads for Israelis. Palestinians are not allowed to use them. We passed by the Ofar Prison, notorious for the systemic humiliation and abuse of Palestinian prisoners and the imprisonment of children. This is the prison where Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, the head of orthopaedics at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City died. We saw Palestinian young men being escorted by Israeli Military in the Old City. We witnessed and lamented the segregation, the restrictions and the injustices imposed on Palestinians. We met Israelis too, and we heard that Israel is afraid and wants security. How will security come if the injustice continues? We lamented with the people and we prayed for peace and justice to join hands.

We visited the Princess Basma Rehabilitation Centre perched on top of the Mount of Olives. We met a boy who, though 5 years old, could not walk because of the psychological traumas the situation inflated on him. We saw him walking with difficulty but also with confidence. His mother explained to us that his first reaction to the environment in the Centre was to stand up on his own. This turn was the second time he was being helped, each time lasts for 3 weeks. There are children who suffered injuries, amputees, and others with different disabilities being treated.

We learned at Wi’am ecumenical centre in Bethlehem, with Zoughbi its founder and director, about Sulha, a traditional Arabic practice of conflict resolution. It is more than mediation. Sulha is about conflict transformation. It is nonviolent response to conflict. It is based on listening to others, listening with the heart, its compassionate listening, everybody has to move into the other’s position, and as one moves to the other person’s position, the movement humanises the participants. That is shuttle diplomacy.

I pray that Israelis and Palestinians, and each of us, all to be on the move, using the Arabic Sulha methodology for transforming conflict. On the move, Sulha, as the theme for the Conference in Gothenburg, and the WMC quinquen- Bob is an Israeli activist for justice and peace nium call us to do.

Group photo with the British Council General to Jerusalem: Helen Winterton Photos by Kevin Snyman

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Last Call to Nominate a 2025 Peace Award Recipient If you have been planning to nominate someone who exemplifies Courage, Creativity, and Consistency for the World Methodist Peace Award, please act.

Applications must be submitted by 14 April. Note, all supporting documents must be included.

The nominee should show courage in regard to physical danger or putting personal interest at risk. Creativity should include opening new initiatives and attracting others in working for the cause of peace, Consistency is judged by effort over a period of time and intensity, despite setbacks.

Here is the link to read the full criteria: http://worldmethodistcouncil.org/ whatwedo/world-methodist-peace-award/ The recipient receives a medallion, citation and US $1000 which is symbolic of the larger recognition achieved in working for peace, justice and reconciliation. The recipient is included in the World Methodist Council Peace award booklet and the photo will be featured on the WMC webpage.

Click here to complete the online application. Please send all nomination forms to the General Secretary at info@worldmethodistcouncil.org.

A humanitarian plea from the Churches of Jerusalem As custodians of the Christian faith and conscience in this sacred land, we raise our voices in sorrow and steadfast resolve in the face of the ongoing suffering in Gaza. The devastation that has unfolded before the eyes of the world is a profound moral and humanitarian tragedy. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost, and entire communities stand in ruin, with the most vulnerable— children, the elderly, and the sick—enduring unimaginable hardship.

Amid this anguish, we are compelled to speak against the grave threat of mass displacement, an injustice that strikes at the very heart of human dignity. The people of Gaza, families who have lived for generations in the land of their ancestors, must not be forced into exile, stripped of whatever is left of their homes, their heritage, and their right to remain in the land that forms the essence of their identity.

As Christians, we cannot be indifferent to such suffering, for the Gospel commands us to uphold the dignity of every human being. The words of our Lord remind us: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed” (Isaiah 10:1-2).

In this critical moment, we acknowledge and support the position of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, President El-Sisi of Egypt, and others, whose firm and principled stance have remained clear and unwavering in rejecting any attempt to uproot the people of Gaza from their land. Their relentless World Methodist Council

efforts to provide humanitarian aid, appeal to the world’s conscience, and insist on the protection of civilians exemplify leadership at its highest level of responsibility.

In this same spirit, we also call for the release of all captives from both sides so that they can be safely reunited with their families. We additionally appeal to all people of faith, to governments, and to the international community to act swiftly and decisively to halt this catastrophe. Let there be no justification for the uprooting of a people who have already suffered beyond measure. Let the sanctity of human life and the moral obligation to protect the defenseless outweigh the forces of destruction and despair.

We call for an immediate unfettered humanitarian access to those in desperate need. To abandon them now would be to abandon our shared humanity.

As we lift our prayers for those in mourning, for the wounded, and for those who remain steadfast in the land of their forefathers, we remember the promise of Scripture: “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14). May the God of mercy strengthen the afflicted, soften the hearts of those who hold power, and bring forth a peace that upholds justice, preserves human dignity, and safeguards the presence of all people in the land to which they belong.

—The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem First Friday Letter page 7

WesleyMen Lenten & Easter Devotionals 2025 ON THE MOVE God is on the move! John Wesley was known for his “on the move” preaching and ministry, traveling across England to spread scriptural holiness. WesleyMen and the World Methodist Council family are also “on the move” through worship, mission, service, and witness both locally and globally. We all had “moving” and “migration” stories. We also realized that we had stories of ministry with migrants.

Therefore, the World Fellowship of Methodist & Uniting Church Men, or WesleyMen, is offering the “On The Move” Lenten and Easter Devotionals 2025 to everyone for personal or congregational use.

Inspired by the theme of the 2024 World Methodist Conference held in Gothenburg, Sweden, the weekly online devotionals are written by leaders of WesleyMen and the World Methodist Council and include Scriptures based on this year’s Gospel lectionary, moving stories, calls to action, and prayers. The devotionals will be shared via the World Methodist Council and WesleyMen email, websites, and Facebook pages.

It is our hope and prayer that your spirit will be refreshed, that you will encounter Jesus Christ in a new way through sacred words, moving stories, and prayer, and that you will, in doing so, gain the resolve to act.

WesleyMen is a global hub for men’s ministry at the World Methodist Council, with 80 member churches in 132 countries representing over 80 million people. Our mission is to lead men in Christian fellowship with a foundation rooted in Jesus Christ’s actions and words.

Contributors: March 5 – Ash Wednesday Rev. Edgar De Jesus, WesleyMen World President March 9th – First Sunday in Lent Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, WMC Geneva Secretary March 16th – Second Sunday in Lent Mr. Anthony Seale, WesleyMen Caribbean March 23rd – Third Sunday in Lent Rev. Dr. William Allotey-Pappoe, WesleyMen Africa March 30th – Fourth Sunday in Lent Mr. Barnabas Emmanuel, WesleyMen Asia April 6th – Fifth Sunday in Lent Mr. Andy Morris, WesleyMen Treasurer April 13th – Palm Sunday Rev. Dr. Leão Neto, WMC General Secretary April 17th – Holy Thursday Bishop César Zavaleta, WesleyMen South America April 18th – Good Friday Rev. Miguel Ulloa Moscoso, WMC At-Large Member April 19th – Holy Saturday Rev. Denny Nainggolan, WesleyMen Asia April 20th – Easter Sunday Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, WMC President April 27th – Second Sunday of Easter Dr. Üllas Tankler, General Board of Global Ministries May 4th – Third Sunday of Easter Rev. Steve Hickle, Past WesleyMen World President May 11th – Fourth Sunday of Easter Rev. Sikawu Makubalo, WesleyMen Africa May 18th – Fifth Sunday of Easter Rev. David Friswell, WesleyMen Europe May 25th – Sixth Sunday of Easter Rev. Fotu Salusalu, WesleyMen Pacific June 1st – Ascension Sunday Bishop Bannie Manga, WMC Regional Officer Africa

Receive The Weekly Offering: Join our mailing list, and the weekly devotion will be delivered directly to your inbox.

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Photo credits: Perkins School of Theology/ R. Hipps

Please send press releases, articles and resources! Submissions should be a page or less (450-500 words), edited and ready to publish. Contact us by Friday, 21 March at communications@worldmethodistcouncil.org if you would like your story to be included in the April edition of the First Friday Letter.

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About the First Friday Letter

This and past First Friday Letters can be found online at FirstFridayLetter.worldmethodistcouncil.org.

The First Friday Newsletter is a monthly publication of the World Methodist Council.

The World Methodist Council’s website may be found at worldmethodistcouncil.org.

Publisher: Rev. Dr. Reynaldo F. Leão Neto, General Secretary

To subscribe to this newsletter, please email communications@worldmethodistcouncil.org.

Communications: Michaela Bryson All stories and photos, unless otherwise stated, are protected by their respective copyrights. Please do not copy without expressed written permission from the Council.

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