A new place of welcome, hospitality, resource, learning & vision

The London Mennonite Trustees have resolved the complex question of where their future Centre should be. They will be moving their main ‘welcoming place of hospitality, resource, learning and vision’  to Selly Oak in Birmingham. This will be close to both the Baptists’ International Mission Centre and the Quakers’ Woodbrooke College, and both these can provide larger conference facilities in addition to the new Mennonite Centre’s own meeting room. Initially, the Mennonite Trust office will remain in London as part of an investment property, in which Will and Yvonne Newcomb will live, and Wayne and Lois Hochstetler will be based. 

There will be understandable sadness about this decision from those who hoped the new Centre might remain in London, not least because of long-standing connections with Wood Green Mennonite Church. Trustees expended considerable time and effort to find a financially viable way to be based in London, but the price of suitable property with good transport links was prohibitive. However, they believe that the decision to go to Selly Oak provides the opportunity for a new phase of Mennonite and Anabaptist witness in the UK, not least because several partner organisations have already found Selly Oak a good location for conferences and training events.

Detailed property searches and negotiations in Selly Oak and London are underway, with the intention to purchase and occupy by mid-summer 2012. More news will be posted as it becomes available. Trustees are grateful to all who have prayed for their decision-making and advised them through this extensive process.

Jeremy Thomson, on behalf of LMT trustees

SoundCheck

Soundcheck is the annual gathering of SPEAK, one of the organisations in the Anabaptist Network, of which the London Mennonite Trust is one.  Their focus is to pray and campaign for global justice.  For more information about this upcoming event of theirs visit www.speak.org.uk.

Don’t Mention the F Word! 10th March 2012

Don’t Mention the @*%! Word is a series of events which offer opportunities for open and respectful dialogue about topics often avoided.

In this first event of the series we will be mentioning the F word quite a lot!  We will be asking what Faith looks like in a multi-faith context and to what extent people of different faiths can learn from each other.

Through presentation, conversation, discussion and dialogue with our guest speaker, plus guests from other faiths, we will dare to explore a topic frequently avoided by many.

Online booking available at www.menno.org.uk

Event: Saturday 10 March 10.00am-4.30pm

Bookings great for 21 Jan

A good number of people have booked in so far for the Disorganised religion event on 21 Jan in Bristol.  The event, which will be looking at the topic ‘Reading the Bible After Christendom’ is attracting much attention as people look forward to Lloyd Pietersen unpacking some of the themes from his book.

For info and to book check out the previous post.

Disorganised Religion 21 January 2012

More details and booking options available at www.menno.org.uk/disorganisedreligion

The day will be an interactive opportunity to engage with some anabaptist approaches to understanding the Bible which might help us to live distinctively in an age of disorganised religion.  Perfect for those who are new to the Bible but also to those who have studied the Bible but are prepared to have their thinking stretched even further.

Using story, discussion, conversation and presentations you may come away looking at the Bible very differently!

With author of Reading the Bible After Christendom, Lloyd Pietersen

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Naked Anabaptist: Sat 3rd Dec

Click here to book now for The Naked Anabaptist online.  More details available at www.menno.org.uk/NakedAnabaptist

The day will be an interactive opportunity to engage with the anabaptist tradition and discover how it relates to living as a follower of Jesus in 21st century Britain.  Perfect for those who are new to the tradition or intrigued by the little they have heard so far.  Using story, discussion, conversation and presentations you may come away looking at things very differently!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Update from LMC Trust – September 2011

We have sold the former London Mennonite Centre in Shepherds Hill and have moved out. During this transitional period, our staff are living in community in north London where we have a Trust office. You can find up-to-date news via our blog, Facebook page and Twitter – see our www.menno.org.uk website for more details.

Excitingly, we are working towards co-location in central London with another educational charity. However, the planners finally thwarted the purchase of a building, following a professional feasability study over the summer. A detailed search for an alternative property continues and we hope to announce our ‘future’ before the end of 2011. Regrettably, our library has to be held in professional storage during this transitional period, but will be re-available in 2012

In the interim, we have appointed Juliet Kilpin as our (part-time – one day per week) Development Worker who is spearheading the initiative of a number of co-sponsored initiatives, including the seminar/workshop programme (beginning on December 3rd) and a potential 2012 summer camp. Your prayers for this programme, Juliet, the Trustees and staff as well as our ongoing property search will be greatly valued.

Please note our new phone number – 0845-4500-214 -  and address – PO Box 70108, London N12 7DW.

Andrew Francis