25th September 2015
REFUGEE CRISIS UPDATE
Dear friends
As promised, I am writing to offer an update on our response to the Refugee Crisis.
The Circuit Council, at its meeting on 16th September, spent a significant amount of time addressing this important issue. The Council, in small groups,reflected upon verses of scripture reminding us of God’s call to welcome refugees and strangers. There followed a wider conversation which resulted in the following decisions:
- To purchase a banner for every church in the Circuit saying ‘#refugeeswelcome’. (This phrase has become commonplace in this country and across Europe - and is, for example, the phrase on the banner at York Minster.)
- To offer the Manse at Ilton Garth, previously occupied by the Revd Francis Nabieu, as a home for a refugee family;
- To add our voice to the calls for the Government to increase the number of refugees we receive;
- To continue to play our part in the localcoordinated efforts to ensure that refugee families arriving in York are welcomed well and supported carefully and thoroughly;
- To issue a Press Release making plain our response and ongoing commitment. This Press Release is included below.
The ‘#refugeeswelcome’ banners have now arrived and will be distributed as soon as possible through the staff team. We are very grateful to the company who produced them for a greatly reduced price of approx. £13 each – offered because they were so supportive of this initiative! Displaying the banners will make a significant prophetic statement to our communities about our commitment to refugees and will, we believe, have considerable value in seeking to counter more negative views and comments in some of the press and no doubt present in all of our communities.
It is perhaps worth emphasising, so that this can be shared with those around us nervous of the implications of receiving refugees, that considerable planning is underway by a wide range of groups, of which we are one, to ensure that the relatively small number of families who are likely to be settled in York (probably no more than 5 or 6 families initially) are welcomed and treated with great care and skill.
Our Circuit Website now has a dedicated area bringing together both local and national Methodist news regarding our response. It can be found at Also here can be found a resource for reflection and study prepared by Past President of the Methodist Conference, the Revd Inderjit Bhogal.
We have concluded that it will be preferable to let local churches make their own decisions about where they would like to direct any funds raised in support.
The primary funds that we are suggesting are:
The Christian Aid Refugee Crisis Appeal
Further details at
The Methodist Refugee Appeal
This appeal is to supportMethodist Churches already working with refugees inMacedonia, Serbia, Germany and Italy. Please make cheques payable to 'The Methodist Church World Mission Fund' and mark with 'Methodist Refugee Support' on the back. Send cheques to 'Mission and Advocacy, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR'. Please include your name and contact details.
A ‘City of York Fund’
This fund is in the process of being established and will be specifically to support families who are located here. We will give details of this fund as soon as they are available.
It would be very much appreciated if you could inform the Circuit Office of amounts raised and given so that we can capture an idea of how much is being raised across the circuit.
Finally, may I encourage your continuing prayers for all refugees and for our work, alongside others, in seeking to make real and effective our response.
If you have any queries please be in touch or speak with your minister.
With all good wishes
Leslie Newton
Superintendent Minister
PRESS RELEASE
At our Circuit Council meeting on Wednesday 16th September 2015 we agreed to issue the following statement to make plain our support for welcoming refugees:
The York Methodist Circuit expresses its commitment to York being a place of welcome and sanctuary for refugees.
We offer our support, and practical help in whatever ways will be most useful, to York City Council as it seeks to co-ordinate plans for welcoming refugees.
We add our voice to those of many others in calling on the Government to increase the number of refugees it is willing to welcome into our country.
As an initial response we commit to:
- displaying ‘#refugeeswelcome’ banners outside our churches.
- making available a church property for use by a refugee family.
- encouraging our members to give in support of local preparations and international relief efforts.
York Methodist Circuit Council, Wednesday 16th September 2015
Circuit Office: Strensall Methodist Church, The Village, Strensall.
Tel: 01904 499661 e-mail:
York Methodist Circuit Charity Number 1134381