The Methodist Church has called upon its members to contact their MPs and MEPs to ask the UK and EU Government to finalise, as a matter of urgency, the future rights of EU citizens and UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU.
The Methodist Conference, meeting in Birmingham this week, has expressed its concern for the many EU citizens who are anxious about what the Brexit negotiations will mean for them and their loved ones.
The Conference was also concerned about the way in which the EU referendum and its aftermath have exposed significant divisions within the UK, and between the UK and the rest of Europe.
The Conference did not express a view on the outcome of the current negotiations, but expressed its desire for the closest possible links that are practical and feasible between the UK and its European neighbours.
The Conference prayed that as the debates about the future of the UK and EU continue, they will take place in a spirit of mutual respect with the aim of seeking the best possible outcome for all.
The call was made to the Conference by Dr Stephen Leah who said: "We are not calling for a halt to debating these complex issues but we are calling for the debate to take place in a spirit of respect. There are currently many people who do not know what the next few years will bring and fear the serious upheaval this could impose on their lives."
