The Methodist Church and Greenbelt festival have come together in a new three-year partnership that will see the Church increase its profile within the ecumenical community.

As part of the deal, Methodist ministers, deacons, preachers and worship leaders who have not attended the festival in the last five years will be given free tickets in the first two years of the partnership.

The partnership gives the partnership as large a stake in the festival as the Department of International Development and Christian Aid, its two major partners.

For the first time ever, the festival will feature a Methodist-branded venue offering seminars on the theme of discipleship.

Mark Wakelin, the Church’s Secretary for Internal Relationships, said the new partnership would raise the profile of the Methodist Church within the ecumenical community and encourage discipleship.

“We are very excited about the potential of this partnership,” he said.

“This is an opportunity for us to live out our shared ethos of ecumenical working, giving people the chance to experience new and creative expressions of faith; and grow as disciples of Christ.”

Methodists account for around 3,000 – or 15 per cent - of the 20,000 people who attend Greenbelt, Europe’s longest running Christian festival, each year.

Festival director Gawain Hewitt welcomed the partnership.

“The Methodist Church and Greenbelt both have a history steeped in a commitment to social justice and community engagement,” he said.

“We also share a commitment to dialogue, trade justice, environmental and development issues and human rights. Ideologically, it's a perfect partnership, and practically it makes sense too.

“This partnership will allow these relationships to be strengthened and help the Methodist Church to engage with a much broader audience."