It was Michael Taylor, the then Editor of the Methodist Recorder, who invited me to contribute a monthly column to the paper under the title “Leslie Griffiths At Large.” The first contribution was published in May 1992. I was already heavily into broadcasting, had just become a board member of Christian Aid, was a Vice President of the Christian Socialist Movement, had long experience in the governance of schools of varying kinds, was Chairperson of the Golders Green branch of The Council for Christians and Jews and, on top of all that, I was the country’s number one Haiti expert whose President, a good friend and Roman Catholic priest named Jean-Bertrand Aristide, had just been ousted from office. I founded the Haiti Support Group and soon wrote a biography of Aristide.
I was asked to be an insider looking out into the various worlds I was moving in and to make gentle theological sense of it all.
During my year as President of the Methodist Conference (1994-1995), I wrote my column weekly rather than monthly in order to develop and maintain a “conversation” with the Methodist people.
When Moira Sleight succeeded Michael Taylor in the editor’s seat, she asked me to continue to write but chose to change the title to the more pedestrian “Leslie Griffiths’ Monthly Column.”
We had no idea that, three decades later, this effort would still be around. We’ve laughed a lot; I’ve prodded a sleepy Methodist establishment in the ribs from time to time; I’ve looked at religious, social, cultural, historical, subjects. There have been pieces about various personalities. Now and again, I’ve taken the gloves off and indulged in a little polemic. Just a little!
All these articles were about subjects that were current and in the news. They have been fun to write and, as far as I can tell, fun to read too.
Leslie Griffiths
21 July 2021
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