The newly appointed Youth President of the Methodist Church is looking forward to a Taylor Swift-style welcome service later today, Sunday 8 September.
Penrith Methodist Church in Cumbria is hosting the service for 22 year old Bea Hulme who was elected to the position of Youth President 2024/2025 at 3Generate, the annual Methodist Children and Youth Assembly, last October.
Bea, who is studying theology at university in Chester attends the church when she’s at home. She told Premier she’s looking forward to taking up the challenge of her new role and wants to ensure the voices of young people are heard:
“My main goal this year is to encourage youth, because I think especially since covid, people are really running out of energy and motivation to do things. Young people are at a point where they're really passionate about so many things but there's a bit of a disconnect between them and the people that have the power to do that, for instance, in the government. There’s a big difference between the motivation of young people and the motivation of people in power.”
Growing up in a Methodist household, Bea became involved in the wider life of the Church through volunteering:
“I got involved in Methodism properly thanks to volunteering with the Hope and Anchor team at Greenbelt. When I was looking for churches at university, I had trouble finding one that was as accepting of me as they were.”
Bea’s mother, Sarah Hulme is the Connexional Rural Mission and Ministry Officer and persuaded her daughter to apply for the role. Bea said it took a while for her to agree to put her name forward:
“My mum said I’d do a good job, and gradually I began to agree with her. As I researched more about it, it seemed like God was pushing me towards it.
“At first, I was really surprised that I was voted in and was convinced I’d get another call in an hour saying it was a mistake but I’m really excited to be taking on the role. I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far, especially meeting Luca and Isabel, the other candidates, they’re amazing.”
Rev Tim Cooke, Bea’s minister, commented, “I am delighted that Bea is to become our Methodist Youth President. Having worked with Bea for over eight years, I have been blessed by her infectious energy and her passion for making life with God relevant, meaningful and fun for everyone!
“I am convinced that her many gifts and graces will be a blessing for the young people she represents, and the larger Methodist Church.”
The new Youth President, who succeeds Thomas Hart, told Premier she’s looking forward to the welcome service on Sunday and she has a few surprises in store:
“I'm trying to put my mark on it as one of my first things as Youth President. So I'm starting us off with a Taylor Swift or Lamentations quiz that I made, which is really fun. We’re going to be wearing sparkly clothes and doing fun things that aren't entirely traditional.
“I thought it would be a fun icebreaker and get people thinking about worship in a different format.”
The Methodist Youth President is a salaried position working full-time for one year to serve the children and young people of the Methodist Church in Britain. It involves meeting and representing young Methodist people to ensure that they are involved in every aspect of Church life.