1. Are you an enthusiast for the value of Modern art to Christian discipleship, mission and evangelism?
2. Are you familiar with the strategies and ethos of the Methodist Church and experienced with the operation of committees/trustee bodies
If so, you could be the next volunteer Chair of the Management Committee for the Methodist Modern Art Collection.
We are seeking a new Chair to provide strategic leadership to the Management Committee in promoting, developing and using the Methodist Modern Art Collection to deliver on the strategic aims of the Methodist Church to be inclusive and justice-seeking, evangelistic and growing, a safe space and environmentally conscious. Exhibitions of the artworks are planned to encourage people to have conversations about God in Christ in the contemporary world, and the Committee offer material to encourage use of the images to bring new dimensions to study, worship and spiritual life.
This expert volunteer Management Committee of curators, art historians and others passionate about art in worship and for mission are advocates for the Collection, support borrowers to conceive their exhibitions and interpret the art and advise on conservation and occasional acquisitions. The Chair will lead three or four Management Committee meetings per year (with one usually in person), with electronic communication and working groups convened online as required in between. Occasional in-person meetings, representing the Management Committee and visits to support exhibitions of the Collection, are expected as part of this role, for which all reasonable expenses are paid.
The Collection
There are almost 60 artworks by leading artists of the last 100 years in this very special collection: artists of Christian faith, other beliefs and none. The Collection is owned by the Methodist Church and illustrates many aspects of the Christian Gospel narrative. The Collection began in 1962 as a touring Collection. We continue to tour the artworks: last year notably to 3Generate, the Methodist Children & Youth Assembly at the NEC, Birmingham, and to five church and gallery venues for Bradford 2025, UK City of Culture, with reproductions in six further bars and cafes. The latest display was at St Mary’s Church, Guildford, for Lent 2026. It will be key to this role for the Chair to help the Management Committee and Connexional staff team to extend the reach of the Collection, and a priority to progress identifying and working with a partner organisation to establish a new home base for the Collection from which to tour and where artworks can be put on display between exhibitions elsewhere.
Find out more about the artworks and how they are managed and toured, including the brief for the new home, at: The Methodist Modern Art Collection - The Methodist Church
To arrange an informal conversation about this role, please contact: hr@methodistchurch.org.uk
Closing Date: 12 noon on Monday 8 June 2026
Interviews will be held in person at the Methodist Church’s offices in Tavistock Place, London, on Tuesday 23 June 2026