By Seb Turner

The Methodist conference has just elected the president and vice president that will be taking the baton from Rev Ruth Gee and Dr Daleep Mukarji, and leading next year's Methodist conference.

The Rev Kenneth Howcroft will be taking the role of president and Gill Dascombe will become vice president. Both will start their year of office when the conference meets in Birmingham on 28 June 2014.

Ken Howcroft was ordained in 1980, and has since served the Church as a circuit minister, a tutor in a theological college, a co-ordinating secretary responsible for connexional formation in ministry and assistant secretary of the conference. He is currently serving as a mission partner in Rome and developing links there on behalf of global Methodism.

Gill Dascombe has been a local preacher since 1987, and was a finalist in The Times' Preacher of the Year competition. She has been a member of and chaplain to the Methodist Council, and works as a hospital pharmacist. She is a member of her local NHS Trust council of governors. 

Commenting on the appointment, Ken said: "This is a great privilege and a humbling moment. I ask for people's prayers for both the year of preparation and my time in office."

Gill added: "I am so grateful to the Conference for this opportunity. The current President and Vice-President will be a tough act to follow, but I look forward to this chance to serve."