The Rev David Gamble (left) with the Rev Graeme Halls of Georgetown Methodist Church Picture: JON GUEGAN (00929024)

THE Church needs fewer organisations but more variety, according to the president of the Methodist Conference who visited Jersey last week.

The Rev David Gamble, who is eight months into his year-long appointment, believes that church buildings could be shared between different denominations in a bid to cut down on costs and create a better sense of community.

Mr Gamble’s comments come just weeks after he hit the headlines in the national press when he said that the Methodist Church was prepared to go out of existence and rejoin the Anglican Church as part of a new, modern church.

Addressing the Church of England’s parliament, the General Synod, Mr Gamble said: ‘We are prepared to go out of existence not because we are declining or failing in mission, but for the sake of mission.’

Some people, Mr Gamble told the JEP during his visit, had misunderstood what he had meant and wrongly thought that he was suggesting that the Methodist Church become part of the Anglican Church.

Instead, he meant that both churches would eventually cease to exist and a new, united church would be formed, based on common principles.

During Mr Gamble’s visit to Jersey he and the vice-president, Richard Vautrey, visited a number of Island churches and took part in some services. They also met the Bailiff and the Lieutenant-Governor and gave two workshops to Islanders.