After having started its business on April 26 at the University of Roehampton, London, the IAMSCU General Assembly planned to meet again on April 30 to conclude its business and hold a Closing Service at The New Room, the chapel built by John Wesley in Bristol in 1739. In a brief session bringing together the various streams of the conference, President Wolfe planned to reflect on the meaning of the Conference; invite the Vice-President of the World Methodist Council, Gillian Kingston, to address the plenary; to receive the report of the IAMSCU Nominating Committee for the 2023-2026 period and proceed to elect the proposed candidates; present the Strategic Statement approved by the IAMSCU Board of Directors on April 26; and share IAMSCU’s statement on “Wesleyan Methodist Heritage”; and proceed to perform the transition to the next leadership of IAMSCU by passing the gavel to the newly elected President.
By having this meeting in the New Room, participants reaffirmed their commitment to the Wesleyan and Methodist tradition of education and its impact worldwide, as schools, colleges, seminaries, and universities worldwide witness to John Wesley’s renowned statement: “The World is my Parish.” After this session, the Presidents of Regional Associations participated in the Closing Worship, having Bishop James Swanson as preacher. In his sermon, based on II Corinthians 3:12-18, he challenged IAMSCU members to be inspired to celebrate the victories of their institutions and move “from glory to glory,” moving on toward perfection.
The worship included the hymns written by Charles Wesley as well as songs from different regions. The Presidents and representatives of Regional Associations from five continents led the liturgical program.
