The Methodist Church has turned to the demon drink. Whereas once it preached against the evils of alcohol, it has sparked uproar among its followers with plans to serve wine and spirits at its London headquarters.Methodist leaders have infuriated the teetotal among their ranks by applying for a liquor licence for Westminster Central Hall, their Edwardian headquarters in central London.The application for a licence for the building's public cafe and its function rooms, which are available for hire, has sparked written objections from more than 60 Methodists who say that the application is in defiance of Church rules which prohibit the serving of alcohol on Methodist Church premises. They point out that the Westminster building which holds regular services in its chapel and great hall is a Methodist church.Dick Arnold, a retired solicitor in Dorset, said that the Church was putting "money before mission". He said that it had already made a large amount of money from renting out buildings for events such as the Bloody Sunday inquiry and there was no need to start selling drinks.
