A Supernumerary minister from Norfolk is attempting to launch the ‘Order of St Jude’ across the Connexion - aimed at people who want to pray in a regular and disciplined way.

The Rev Judith Stevens wants members of the order to be methodical in their worship (as John Wesley was), active in their service to Christian witness, disciplined in behaviour and obedient to the teachings of Christ.

The order will have members organised in "cells" that correspond to the Methodist Districts. Members will pray mainly by themselves but also in unison.

She got the idea for the order from a time when, due to illness, she was unable to attend church services regularly.

Mrs Stevens told the Recorder. "I remembered from that time the Women’s World Day of Prayer and the idea that for a set 24 hours people were praying in unison"

She wants the Organisation to be named in honour of St Jude because of the scholarly research into the saint. Some scholars hold that he was St Judas (not Iscariot), who asked the question: ‘How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us and not to the world" He can be identified with Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.

Another school of thought suggests that St Jude was the brother of Christ, who kept himself in the background so as not to detract from Jesus.

Mrs Stevens explained. "Jude was background support’ and that would be this prayer order’s purpose, to be the prayer power behind the leadership of our churches.’

She added: "By calling ourselves an order, we arc linking ourselves with the old monastic orders where obedience and discipline were basic to lifestyle, as they were to John Wesley."

Mrs Stevens, who is based in Cromer, Norfolk, and has the backing of the Chair of the East Anglia District, the Rev Graham Thompson for the project, says the members will be organised in ‘cells’ which will be numbered in accordance with the 33 Districts of the Methodist Church in Britain.

They will use the service of morning and evening prayer as shown on pages five to 25 in the ‘Methodist Service Book’ or a similar order such as the Prayer Manual order.

The main idea is to give prayerful support to the Districts and the circuits within each District. Certain changes to the daily prayers are also envisaged.

A regular publication would be sent out to members of the order, who would pay a modest subscription.

Mrs Stevens added. "Our Church desperately needs to recapture the methodical order of the early ‘Methodists’ with its accent on prayer and self- discipline and adherence to the moral code of the Ten Commandments and the teaching of Christ.’

For further details about the

Order of St Jude, contact

tel: 01263 517117

from Methodist Recorder

3 June 2004