Honorary Doctorate

The Revd Sonia Hicks, past President of the Methodist Conference, is to be awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University in recognition of her achievements in the Methodist Church, particularly around the development of the Church's EDI strategy for racial equality and its acceptance of same sex marriage.

Sonia will accept The Honorary Doctorate of the Letters during a ceremony to take place at the university's Headington Campus on Saturday, 27 May where she will also give a brief speech to the students who are graduating that day.

Sonia commented, "I have to say that I was stunned – I even phoned up the Chancellor's office to make sure that it was intended for me!

"I am delighted that I was selected but I see this as an award for the whole Methodist Connexion in Britain and the steps it is taking towards inclusivity. I pray that as we rollout the JDS Strategy we will continue to share God's table with people who have not always been welcomed consistently."