Changes to Worship: Leading and Preaching 3

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Following direction from the Conference of 2025, the Worship: Leading & Preaching (WLP3) course has been reviewed.  The Ministries team gathered extensive input, including 265 feedback forms, conversations with circuits, focus groups with students and tutors, and comparisons with training in other denominations.  While many participants described WLP3 positively—some even as life‑changing—the review highlighted several recurring concerns: the course is too time‑intensive, contains too many assignments and their aims are not always clear, includes content that no longer reflects the current needs of the Church, and relies on a Moodle platform that users find difficult to navigate.

In response, the Ministries Committee has agreed some short‑term improvements: Course content will now be labelled as core or optional to reduce workload and increase flexibility; the number of assignments will be cut by roughly one‑third; and improved induction materials have also been developed to support students. Detailed proposals will be taken to the Board of Studies.

Students should continue to work on assignments and through content as usual. Although some assignments may be removed as ‘formal’ assignments, the preparation will not be wasted. The competencies covered will still be assessed in another setting (e.g. the LPs’ meeting) as already required.  In the longer‑term, new LPs’ and WLs’ courses will be written, along with enhanced resources and support for those leading Local Arrangements. This work will be started immediately, and a timeline for this published in due course.

Further detail on the outcome of the review will be shared with Superintendents and Local Preachers Tutors.  Any feedback on the above can be sent to localpreachers@methodistchurch.org.uk