The Latin American Network of Methodist Theological Institutions (REDIME) held three virtual conferences during the year. The latest was a virtual conference on the theme “The World is My Parish: Good News of Salvation in an Age of Crisis.” This event was held on October 26 and included Dr. Pablo Ferrer (Ward Institute), who spoke on “How do we live the body? Cross-cultural reading of Philippians” and Mg. Claudia Lombardo (GBHEM LEAD Hub), who talked about “Methodist Education as an Alternative for the Future.” This conference was based on the theme of the 15th Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, which took place from August 4-11, 2024, in the city of Oxford, England. The purpose of this event was to invite two speakers from Latin America to present their contribution to that international event, share their impressions with their Latin American peers, and discuss how educational and theological institutions in Latin America can follow up on the objectives of the Oxford Institute, contribute to its diversity, and encourage greater participation and contribution of Latin American scholars in the Oxford Institute.
During discussions, participants argued that the Oxford Institute can be a space for reflection in the diverse areas of theology from a Wesleyan perspective, but it needs to more diverse and create more opportunities for engagement with other cultures and contexts beyond Europe and North America. Moreover, participants discussed how the repository of the papers presented at the conference can be shared in a multilingual way, so that it can become a space for research and theological deepening of leaders worldwide. To this end, it is necessary to initiate a process of formation of new leaders in Latin America who can produce reflections from a Wesleyan perspective and participate in this broader international space of discussion offered by the Oxford Institute.
The IAMSCU President, Adriana Murriello, attended the Oxford Institute for Methodist Theological Studies held at Keble College, in the University of Oxford, and used that opportunity to observe how the Oxford Institute brings together scholars from various parts of the world who go back to the birthplace of Methodism to reflect on the history, current impact, and future prospects of the Wesleyan tradition. The first Oxford Institute was held in 1958, when more than a hundred scholars from the United States and England came together to share their research. Today, the Oxford Institute can partner with IAMSCU and other regional associations such as REDIME, so that this academic experience can be more diverse and relevant to other parts of the world. For Murriello, based on these partnerships, future editions of the Institute may include a more diverse group of participants representing the five continents where IAMSCU is present – Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America. In this way, the Oxford Institute can contribute to a process of “regionalization.”