Methodists debate stance on drink
Religion in the UK: special report

Martin Wainwright
Guardian (London) Thursday June 29, 2000

    Britain's Methodists will today consider a new relationship with one
of their oldest enemies, the demon drink.
    For the first time in 40 years the church's governing conference will
debate the long-standing ban on alcohol in Methodist chapels,
which extends even to communion wine.
    The issue is expected to cause deep divisions among the 400
delegates to the annual conference in Huddersfield, but reformers
are keen to reach a decision.
    Chapels and local Methodist circuits, or branches, have been
consulted for the past year, and traditional teetotal attitudes among
individual Methodists have been widely replaced with accepting
drink but strongly emphasising moderation.
    Chapels have already relaxed other restrictive rules on ancient
vices, such as gambling in the form of raffles, and this year's
conference has displayed a radical nature by overwhelmingly
backing a forgiving acceptance of sex offenders in congregations.
Delegates voted to respect the privacy of convicted offenders in
return for safeguards, including a written agreement never to be
alone with young people and attendance at household support
groups to help rehabilitation.
    After today's alcohol debate, delegates will decide whether to
change the rules. Methodist minister David Deeks, secretary of the
consultation working party, said: "If we decide to allow alcohol in
church premises in principle, it would then be up to individual
church councils to apply for a licence. There might be concern
about division within church councils, but another view of the church
is that we should be strong enough to face issues that divide us."
    Methodism earned its reputation for a stern attitude to alcohol
during the worst days of cheap gin and wholesale drunkenness,
when hymns inveighed against the destruction of health and
families by drink.
    Chapels were influential in the foundation of temperance
movements and used the rituals of the Women's Bright Hour and
Boys' Brigade to encourage the signing of the teetotal pledge.