Janet and I were mission partners in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga from 1993 to 2000. So many other aspects to the work of the World Church Office are important. In addition to the scholarship programme, there is the World Church in Britain programme that brings ministers from partner churches to work in British Circuits for up to five years. There is the Mission Live programme, which enables short-term visits to British churches from minister and members of partner churches. There is the Encounter and Exchange programme that enables ministers and members of the Methodist Church in Britain to go to spend a few months with a partner church in another part of the world. There are many facets to the work of relating the Methodist Church in Britain to our partner churches overseas.
The key to the manner in which we relate to the world church is in the use of that title 'Partner Churches'. The Methodist Church in Britain is in partnership with so many other churches around the world - most of them within the Methodist 'family', but increasingly also United and Uniting churches. The church in Britain is part of the same world church - it is no longer a paternalistic relationship between developed and developing. We now recognise the nature of the partnership in which we each have something to share with and learn from the other.
When Janet and I were mission partners with the Methodist Church in Tonga, we were always conscious of receiving as much as we gave. We were there simply because the church in Tonga did not have enough personnel to run their work. We both shared our skills with Tongan colleagues, enabling them to develop their own work. The people of Tonga shared their lives with us. I remember, as we were leaving for the last time in 2000, we had a conversation with the President of the Methodist Church in Tonga. The Rev 'Alifaleti Mone had been a good friend to us during the six and a half years of our stay. We reminded him that, even though we were returning to the work in Britain, we would continue to care about them. With typical British reserve, we reminded him that he would have friends in Britain. He refuted the comment, with typical Tongan ebullience, saying, 'No! I have no friends in Britain - I have brothers and sisters, we are family".
Is that not what being in the world church is all about? Partnership between Christian people, partnership in the World Church, is about

Christian fellowship for judges and court staff. I know all of those involved were active in the response to the Selby rail crash, providing that vital support in the most trying of times.'
The expansion of court chaplaincy to other centres is a cause for celebration and for thanking God - for this is a clear example of answered prayer. The DCA is about to produce a brochure about multi-faith chaplaincy in the courts. It is hoped that this will stimulate other courts to take up the idea of chaplaincy. The brochure is to be launched very soon. I ask for your prayers for this venture, so that what you have helped to create in Leeds can be spread right across the country.
I still have very fond memories of my time in Leeds and, in particular, of being part of the fellowship at Oxford Place. I hope it will not be long before I see you all again. I send you greetings, love and good wishes.

Clifford Bellamy
12 March 2006

More News from Wenchi Methodist Hospital
The following is based on an e-mail received in early March from Bernard Botwe the Hospital Administrator. (More about our Charity of the Year on our web site)
The year 2005 ended successfully with the hospital attending to a total of 31,933 clients at the Outpatients Department and taking 3277 admissions. These figures were slightly lower than that recorded in the previous year mainly because of a shortage of medical staff during the first half of the year As usual malaria was the most common illness, attendance accounting for 63.4% of the outpatients and 48.1% of admissions.
HIV/AIDS was still a major reason for admission with 41 cases. Our laboratory is able to screen and test people for the virus. A blood analyser would enable us analyse blood faster and save time for our patients.
During the year, the hospital trained a total of 1710 students from twenty different Junior Secondary Schools as 'peer educators'. They go out into the community to communicate with their fellow students and young people on the menace of HIV/AIDS. The team is equipped with audio visual aids and videos to use whenever they visit schools. As a result of this work, a Young and Bold group has been formed in each of the twenty schools. (The members of these group are 'young and bold' to say 'No' to all vices of youth because of what they have learned). We hope for funding to keep the clubs active.Twenty teachers have also been trained to support the hospital team.
The hospital now has two Ghanaian medical doctors, two Cuban doctors and a medical assistant who will be with us throughout the year. We have 22 nurses in training and 10 more will join us in July or August to start work with us for the next five years, but this has serious implication for housing. We shall have to build five sets of duplex houses. The provision of relatively decent housing for health professionals has become very hot issue as without it, a hospital cannot keep its staff..
The Irish Urologist Dr. Allan Miller, will be visiting the hospital this year on two separate visits each lasting six weeks. The first will be from the 20th April till June 1 and the second in early November.
A third Ghanaian medical officer has also indicated his intention of joining the hospital in November.
Keep praying and fund-raising to enable us to continue our work.

April
3 7.30pm Café Worship Meeting
5 10.45am Person to Person Team Meeting
  10.00am Regional Ecumenical Forum at Oxford Place ®    4.00pm
6 9.30am Staff Meeting
  7.30pm Lent Study Group
13 2.00pm The Lounge Café closes for the Easter break.
   It re-opens at 10.00am 24 April
  7.30pm Maundy Thursday Service
14 12.30pm Ecumenical Act of Witness in Lands Lane
  2.00pm Good Friday Meditation
16 8.00am Easter Day Service
   10.30am Easter Day Service
24  Lounge re-opens
  7.30pm Mission Council
26 7.30pm Pastoral Committee
May
4 9.30am Staff Meeting
6  Synod - Batley Circuit
7 3.00pm Mission Anniversary
24 10.00am District Lay Workers' Meeting
June
7 10.45am Person to Person Team Meeting
8 9.30am Staff Meeting
15 7.30pm Mission Council
23 2.00pm Harwood Singers
July
6 9.30am Staff Meeting

10 7.30pm Finance & Property
28 2.00pm The Lounge Café closes until
   10.00am 4th September
August
  No events during this month
September
4  Lounge re-opens
6 10.45am Person to Person Team Meeting
7 9.30am Staff Meeting
9  Synod at Ashville College - Harrogate
30  Lounge Café Event
   (Details available nearer the time)