The Conference of the Methodist Church UK today passed a historic motion. It became the first British Church to ban its members from belonging to political parties that promote/endorse racism.
A resolution passed by the annual Methodist Conference, meeting in Wolverhampton, declared that “No member of the Church can also be a member of a political party whose constitution, aims or objectives promote racism. This specifically includes, but is not solely limited to, the British National Party”.
The news follows a similar ban on Church of England clergy, but weMethodists have gone much further, saying that no-one can even be a member of the Church while also belonging to the BNP.
The motion condemns racism and the BNP specifically, but also states “those who support racist parties are also God’s children, and in need of love, hope and redemption”. Supporters of the measure are keen to emphasise that no-one will be banned from attending a church – only from membership of it.
The Conference heard speakers in support of the motion who themselves had experienced racial abuse and suffered because of that. It is important to remember that we must "hate the sin, but love the sinner"
The BNP has tried to say that it wants to protect the UK's Christian Heritage but decisions such as the one made today by British Methodists will hopefully lead to more churches openly and clearly disassociating themselves from the BNP's "Christian Heritage" rhetoric (see http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9843)