SEOUL, South Korea – Methodists representing 40 million believers in its family have come together to make a statement to the world: to never turn a blind eye to reconciliation.

Bishop Mvume Dandala, general secretary of All Africa Council of Churches, presented a strong challenge to thousands of Methodists on the third day of the 19th World Methodist Conference to make reconciliation a priority. But he reminded the Wesleyan followers that everyone has “different stories” and those differences must be affirmed for reconciliation to take place.

“One of the biggest dangers that makes reconciliation difficult is when a person looks at his/her lifestyle and assumes that reconciliation will happen only as people become like him/her,” Dandala further explained. “People are diverse.”

Diversity was addressed at a seminar on Ecumenics and Dialogue later that day when religious officials representing several ecumenical bodies broke down denominational lines and spoke on a common platform.