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partnerships

June 23, 1998	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
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By Kathy Gilbert*

United Methodist education returns to its Oxford roots in July for an
international conference aimed at developing partnerships among
church-related schools around the world.

Under the banner of "Methodism and Education: From Roots to
Fulfillment," representatives of the United Methodist Church will be
among the more than 230 participants from 21 countries attending the
1998 International Association of Methodist-related Schools, Colleges
and Universities (IAMSCU) conference and tour, set for July 18-23 in the
United Kingdom. The conference and tour will be held in four locations:
Bath (Kingswood School); Bristol (New Room); Oxford (Westminister
College); and Grantham (Harlaxton Manor). The participants will discuss
the challenges for the church and its schools while working on a global
vision for the next century.

"The importance of this event is its celebration of 250 years of
Methodism's commitment to education by commemorating the anniversary of
the founding of Kingswood School by John Wesley in 1748," said the Rev.
Roger Ireson, top executive at the United Methodist Board of Higher
Education and Ministry in Nashville, Tenn. 
IAMSCU aims to develop partnerships and connections among Methodist
institutions. The association was formed during the World Methodist
Council meeting in Singapore in 1991, and its first meeting was in Rio
de Janeiro in 1996. The association has more than 700 institutions.
The event is open to anyone connected to a Methodist school, including
administrators, faculty, trustees, and, for the first time this year,
students.
 "The convocation on July 18 in the Kingswood School chapel will
highlight the global impact of Wesley's commitment to education," Ireson
said.  Participants in academic regalia will dedicate a commemorative
plaque, with the 21 participating countries listed, for display at the
school, he said.Students from the United States, Great Britain, Japan,
Brazil and Argentina will participate in the formal sessions and in
group discussions designed to nurture understanding of their individual
educational and personal experiences. In Bath and Oxford, students will
lodge with local families. At the end of the conference, they will
travel to Northern Ireland for two days to learn about peace and
reconciliation efforts there."The presence of students will be a vivid
reminder of the reason for the founding of Kingswood School -- the
students -- as well as the mission of the Methodist family of
educational institutions today," said the Rev. James Noseworthy, a staff
member in the denomination's division of higher education. 

Several prominent Methodist educators will address participants during
the six-day event. They include:

*	The Rev. Kathleen Richardson. This month, Richardson became the
first ordained woman appointed by Queen Elizabeth II to the House of
Lords and the first minister from the Free Churches to be given a
peerage since 1965. As recipient of a life peerage, Richardson's new
title is baroness. She is moderator of the Free Churches' Council,
president of Churches Together in England, and coordinating secretary of
the Methodist Church for Inter-Church and Other Relationships.
	
*	Bishop Paulo Ayres Mattos. The retired leader of the Methodist
Church in Brazil has served local churches in Sao Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro. A former professor and director of the Methodist Theological
Seminary in Rio de Janeiro, he is president of Koinonia-Ecumenical
Presence and Service and Diakonia, two ecumenical organizations
exploring the interconnections between church and society in Brazil.
	
*	Gary Martin Best. Headmaster of Kingswood School since 1987,
Best has provided educational leadership through teaching,
administration, and research. Best is author of Seventeenth Century
Europe, Wesley and Kingswood, and Continuity and Change: Kingswood
1748-1998.
	
*	Tim Macquiban. Macquiban is the director of the Wesley and
Methodist Studies Centre at Westminister College, Oxford, and is head of
the Church and International Relations Office in the college. He has
served as convener of the Archives and History Committee of the
Methodist Church, conference secretary of the Wesley Historical Society
and vice president of the Historical Society of the World Methodist
Council.
	
*	Hoyini Bhila. The dean of the faculty of education at Africa
University, Bhila is also the former chair of the school's department of
humanities and social sciences. He has written numerous books and
articles on the history and politics of Africa, and his honors and
fellowships including study as a Fulbright scholar at the Center for
African Studies, Boston University, and as a fellow of the Royal
Historical Society, University College, London.
	
*	Elizabeth Sunita Charles. The principal of Isabella Thoburn
College for Women in Lucknow, India, Charles has provided leadership in
defining the educational role of autonomous colleges. She has been a
strong advocate for women's education, both at her own school and
throughout India.
	
*	James T. Laney. Laney served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea
from 1993-97, and before that was president of Emory University for 16
years. In 1996, he was awarded the Wilbur Cross medal by Yale University
for contributions to academic and public life. At the end of his tour as
ambassador, he was honored by both South Korea and the United States for
his service. He chairs the United Board for Christian Higher Education
in Asia and is a trustee of the Harvard-Yencheng Foundation, the
National Humanities Center, the Henry Luce Foundation and CARE.

The event will draw participants from around the world, including
Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Ghana, India, Japan, Korea,
Mexico, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines,
Russia, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Zimbabwe."This is a
time to celebrate our glorious heritage," Ireson said. "We have been
charged with preparing a new generation of Christian leaders by
providing an education which is rooted in shared values, nurturing
community and religious insight."

# # #

*Gilbert is a staff person in the office of interpretation for the
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
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