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World Methodist Council

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World Methodist Council
Logo
Logo
AbbreviationWMC
TypeCommunion
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationMethodism
ScriptureBible
TheologyWesleyan
General SecretaryBishop Ivan M. Abrahams
PresidentBishop Jong Cheon Park
Vice-PresidentGillian Kingston
Members33,680,123 (2014-2024)

The World Methodist Council (WMC), founded in 1881, is a consultative body and association of churches in the Methodist tradition. It comprises 80 member denominations in 138 countries which together represent the majority of Methodists worldwide.

It is among the largest global communions if churches, after the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Anglican Communion, World Communion of Reformed Churches, World Assemblies of God Fellowship, Lutheran World Federation and World Baptist Alliance (see list of denominations by membership).

Affiliated organizations are the World Fellowship of Methodist and Uniting Churches, the Oxford-Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, the World Methodist Historical Society, World Council of Confederation of Methodist Youth, the World Council of Methodist Men, World Methodist Council of Teens, the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women.

Members

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In 2016, the World Methodist Council was made up of 80 member denominations:[1]

Country denominational subfamily Denomination Number of members Year
International Methodist United Methodist Church[n 1]
  • Central African Conference
  • Central and Southern European Central Conference
  • Congo Central Conference
  • German Central Conference
  • Northern Europe Central Conference
  • Philippines Central Conference
  • West Africa Central Conference
  • US Conferences
  • Liberia Conference
 9,087,322[n 2] 2022-2023[2] [3]
International Methodist Church of the Nazarene 2,471,553 2016[4]
International Methodist Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church 1,432,795 2014[5]
International Methodist Wesleyan Church 140,954 2017[6]
International Methodist Free Methodist Church 1,547,820 2018[7]
International Methodist African Methodist Episcopal Church 2,500 2014[5]
South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Namibia Methodist Methodist Church of Southern Africa 2,600,000 2014[5]
Argentina Methodist Evangelical Methodist Church in Argentina 8,940 2014[5]
Australia Methodist Chinese Methodist Church in Australia 3,588 2014[5]
Australia Methodist Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia 2,452 2014[5]
Australia United Churches (Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists) Uniting Church in Australia 243,000 2018[8]
Bahamas Methodist Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church 1,900 2014[5]
Bangladesh Methodist Bangladesh Methodist Church 18,201 2014[5]
Belgium United Churches (Continental Reformed and Methodist) United Protestant Church in Belgium 3,401 2014[5]
Benin Methodist Protestant Methodist Church in Benin 90,000 2014[5]
Bolivia Methodist Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia 9,053 2014[5]
Brazil Methodist Methodist Church in Brazil 262,449 2022[9]
Canada United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Methodists) United Church of Canada 352,812 2021[10]
Caribbean Methodist Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas 62,120 2014[5]
Chile Methodist Methodist Church in Chile 9,882 2014[5]
China (People's Republic of China) United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists and Methodists) Hong Kong Church of Christ Council in China 35,000 2014[5]
China (People's Republic of China) Methodist Methodist Church, Hong Kong 12,000 2014[5]
Colombia Methodist Colombian Methodist Church 1,000 2014[5]
South Korea Methodist Korean Methodist Church 1,133,837 2023[11]
Costa Rica Methodist Evangelical Methodist Church in Costa Rica 16,000 2014[5]
Cuba Methodist Methodist Church in Cuba 33,000 2014[5]
Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) Methodist Free Methodist Church of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 151,695 2014[5]
Dominican Republic Methodist Evangelical Church of the Dominican Republic 10,000 2014[5]
Ecuador United Churches (Presbyterians and Methodists) United Evangelical Church of Ecuador 1,500 2014[5]
Spain United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Waldensians, Methodists and Lutherans) Spanish Evangelical Church 3,000 2014[5]
Fiji Methodist Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma 212,860 2014[5]
Gambia Methodist Gambia Methodist Church 2,000 2014[5]
Ghana Methodist Methodist Church Ghana 634,689 2014[5]
India Methodist Methodist Church in India 648,000 2014[5]
India United Churches (Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists and Disciples of Christ) Church of North India 1,250,000 2018[12]
India United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Continental Reformed, Anglicans and Methodists) Church of South India 2,800,000 2018[13]
Indonesia Methodist Methodist Church in Indonesia 119,000 2014[5]
Ireland Methodist Methodist Church in Ireland 15,000 2014[5]
Italy Methodist Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy 4,000 2014[5]
Kenya Methodist Methodist Church in Kenya 450,000 2014[5]
Malaysia Methodist Methodist Church in Malaysia 97,197 2014[5]
Mexico Methodist Methodist Church of Mexico 40,000 2014[5]
Myanmar Methodist Methodist Church, Lower Myanmar 2,300 2014[5]
Myanmar Methodist Methodist Church, Upper Myanmar 27,543 2014[5]
Nepal Methodist Nepal Methodist Church 264 2014[5]
Nigeria Methodist Methodist Church of Nigeria 2,000,000 2014[5]
New Zealand Methodist Methodist Church of New Zealand 14,736 2014[5]
New Zealand Methodist New Zealand Wesleyan Methodist Church 794 2014[5]
Pakistan United Churches (Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and Anglicans) Church of Pakistan 500,000 2014[14]
Panama Methodist Evangelical Methodist Church of Panama 1,300 2014[5]
Paraguay Methodist Methodist Evangelical Community of Paraguay 1,025 2014[5]
Peru Methodist Methodist Church of Peru 32,000 2014[5]
Philippines Methodist Evangelical Methodist Church in the Philippine Islands 34,381 2014[5]
Philippines United Churches (Presbyterians, Baptists, Disciples of Christ and Methodists) United Church of Christ in the Philippines 470,792 2020[5][15]
Portugal Methodist Portuguese Evangelical Methodist Church 1,200 2014[5]
Puerto Rico Methodist Puerto Rico Methodist Church 12,000 2014[5]
Rwanda Methodist Rwanda Free Methodist Church 108,559 2014[5]
Samoa Methodist Samoa Methodist Church 35,983 2014[5]
Sierra Leone Methodist Sierra Leone Methodist Church 50,000 2014[5]
Sierra Leone Methodist West African Methodist Church in Sierra Leone 4,000 2014[5]
Singapore Methodist Methodist Church in Singapore 38,000 2014[5]
Sri Lanka Methodist Methodist Church in Sri Lanka 25,000 2014[5]
Sweden United Churches (Baptists, PT and Methodist) Uniting Church in Sweden 58,569 2021[16]
Tanzania Methodist Tanzania Methodist Church 3,681 2014[5]
Taiwan (Republic of China) Methodist Methodist Church in the Republic of China 4,500 2014[5]
Togo Methodist Togo Methodist Church 75,000 2014[5]
Tonga Methodist Free Wesleyan Church 38,692 2014[5]
United Kingdom Methodist Methodist Church in Great Britain 136,891 2022[17]
United States of America Methodist Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 858,670 2014[5]
Zambia United Churches (Presbyterians and Methodists) United Church of Zambia 3,000,000 2006[18]
Zimbabwe Methodist Zimbabwe Methodist Church 111,723 2014[5]
Zimbabwe Methodist African Methodist Church of Zimbabwe 12,000 2014[5]
Global Sub-total Methodists 24,962,049 2014-2022
Global Sub-total United Churches 8,718,074 2014-2022
Global Total World Methodist Council 33,680,123 2014-2022

Member Profile

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  United Methodist Church (26.98%)
  Other Methodist denominations (47.13%)
  United Churches (25.88%)

The WMC is made up of around 80 member denominations.

In 2014 it was estimated that together, the member denominations had about 39,745,196 members and 51,286,152 adherents.[n 3][5][19]

According to the most up-to-date statistics available, among member denominations, the United Methodist Church represents 26.98% of individual members, other Methodist churches are 47.13% and united churches represent 25.88% of individual members.

However, some of the largest WMC member denominations face a rapid decline in membership between 2000 and 2024.[11][20]

In 2018, the WMC disclosed that its 80 member denominations represented an estimated 80 million people[21] These numbers would supposedly include around 60 million members and 20 million adherents.[22][verification needed]

Still, the 2018 figures oppose all independent statistics, based on national censuses.

A 2011 report by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life estimated that members of Methodist churches (excluding United churches) represent 3.5% of the world's approximately 801 million Protestants, or about 27,234. 000 people.[23]

According to Christianity Global: A Guide to the World's Largest Religion from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, in 2020, there were 31,683,000 Methodists in the world (not including United Churches), corresponding to 0.4% of the global population .[24]

The WMC does not represent all Methodists in the world and the organization's member united and uniting churches total only 8.718 million members, according to their own denominational statistics.

Therefore, WMC statistics from 2014 are considered more reliable compared to independent sources.

World Methodist Conference

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The highest organ of the World Methodist Council is the World Methodist Conference, which meets every five years. The next Conference, the 22nd, will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2024.[25]

The 21st Conference was held in 2016 in Houston, Texas in the United States. The theme was "ONE". Organized around four sub themes – One God, One Faith, One People, One Mission.[26]

The 2011 conference, gathered under the theme "Jesus Christ - for the Healing of the Nations", was held in August 2011 in Durban, South Africa.[27] On 24 July 2006, Sunday Mbang stepped down as chairperson of the council and John Barrett took over his position as well as elected president for the council.[28]

In 2006, it formally approved the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

World Methodist Council officers

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Current officers are:

The World Methodist Council has offices in Waynesville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; New York City; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Activities

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Continuous activities

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The World Methodist Council has eight standing committees:

  • Ecumenics and Dialogue is engaged in ecumenical dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the Salvation Army and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. It is also working towards a dialogue with the Eastern Orthodox Church and with certain Pentecostal churches.
  • Education is concerned with education in churches and with Methodist educational institutions. It has organized an international Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities promoting quality and value-centered education. The association links representatives from over 700 Methodist related schools and colleges all over the world.
  • Evangelism is coordinating worldwide evangelism efforts of Methodist churches
  • Family Life is concerned with applying Christian values to issues like relationships in marriage, rights of children, rights of the aged, prevalence of violence and changing roles of women and men in society;
  • Social and International Affairs is focusing currently on economic justice or injustice. It has worked out the World Methodist Social Affirmation which was approved in 1986 and is part of the literature of several Methodist denominations.
  • Theological Education focuses on training for ministry based on basic Christian beliefs and distinctive emphases from the Wesleyan tradition.
  • Worship and Liturgy encourages the study of liturgy and forms of worship, especially issues as language and culture, corporate and private worship, music and liturgy, cultural influences, and balancing Christian tradition with local emphasis. Develops hymnals and resources.
  • Youth and Young Adults focuses on empowering young people, taking its motto from 1st Timothy 4;12 and Ephesians 4:12–13: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set and example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ."

Peace award

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The World Methodist Peace Award is the highest honor bestowed by Methodists around the world. Since 1977, it is given annually by the World Methodist Council. This award is given to individuals or groups "who have made significant contributions to peace, reconciliation and justice".[29]

Recipients of the World Methodist Peace Award include Habitat for Humanity International, Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Boris Trajkovski, former President of Macedonia; the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome, and the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina.

Former World Methodist Council Museum near the office building (hardly visible on the left) of its former headquarters at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina; nearby is a small park, the Susanna Wesley Garden

Evangelism institute

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One ministry of the World Methodist Council is the World Methodist Evangelism Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. It is an educational institution committed to the task of world evangelization and connected to a major university, Candler School of Theology, Emory University.

Former headquarters and museum

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In the 1950s, area residents and Methodists from the Southeastern United States raised money for the construction of a building in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina to attract the World Methodist Council headquarters. Until the 1970s, the museum building was to go to the Lake Junaluska Assembly if no longer needed, although that plan was changed. The Royce and Jane Reynolds Headquarters building, intended to resemble the house where John Wesley lived when he was young, was added in the 1990s after a donation from the Reynolds family. The museum housed letters written by Wesley,[30] a pulpit Wesley used,[31] and a 1594 Geneva Bible, as well as ancient items from the Holy Land. Starting in 2013, with the museum having problems, the sale of the building was considered but the assembly made no formal offer. The COVID-19 pandemic finally made closing the museum necessary, and its contents went to Bridwell Library of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. In Spring 2021, the World Methodist Council sold its headquarters building, including a museum, to the assembly for $1.25 million. The World Methodist Council moved to offices in nearby Waynesville, North Carolina.[30]

At a Lake Junaluska Board of Trustees meeting in March 2022, Lake Junaluska Executive Director Ken Howle announced a $1.1 million gift from Anne and Mike Warren, who also gave $625,000 toward the purchase of the headquarters building and part of the Susanna Wesley Garden next door.[32] The gift from the Warrens helped with $2.5 million in renovations to what is now called the Warren Center, for smaller group events.[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Minutes of the 21st World Methodist Conference" (PDF). 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  2. ^ "United Methodist Church Statistics in the USA in 2023". Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Global Statistics of the United Methodist Church". Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  4. ^ "2016 Church of the Nazarene Statistics, Page 26" (PDF). 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg "Statistics of World Methodist Council". 9 November 2019. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Jubilee of the Wesleyan Church". 7 May 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Free Methodist Church Statistics". Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Official data of the United Church in Australia". Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  9. ^ "National Statistics: the challenge and reality of your data". Christian Expositor. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  10. ^ "United Church of Canada Statistics 2021" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  11. ^ a b ""More than 200,000 members are leaving mainline denominations" The decline of Korean churches is becoming a reality". 24 September 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Church of North India". World Methodist Council. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Church of South India". World Methodist Council. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Church of Pakistan". World Council of Churches. January 1971. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  15. ^ "2020 Philippine Census". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Churches flourish in one of Sweden's Biblical Button cities taking care of neighbors". 11 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Statistical Summary of the Methodist Church of Great Britain for October 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  18. ^ "United Church of Zambia". World Council of Churches. January 1966. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  19. ^ "About the World Methodist Council". Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  20. ^ "United Methodist Church membership in the US falls 21.9% in 2023". 23 November 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  21. ^ "Member Churches". Worldmethodistcouncil.org. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  22. ^ "Member Churches". World Methodist Council. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  23. ^ Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life (19 December 2011), Global Christianity (PDF), pp. 21, 70, archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2012
  24. ^ Gina A. Zurlo (2022). Global Christianity: A Guide to the World's Largest Religion from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Grand Rapids, Michigan. p. 5. ISBN 9780310113614. Retrieved 2 January 2025.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  25. ^ "Welcome to the Conference". The World Methodist Conference. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Press and Media - About the 21st World Methodist Conference (past)". The World Methodist Conference. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  27. ^ 2011 World Methodist Conference
  28. ^ World Methodist Council elects Barrett as chairperson
  29. ^ Museum of Methodism and John Wesley's House, World Methodist Peace Award, accessed 27 December 2022
  30. ^ a b Hyatt, Vicki (16 June 2021). "Benefactors discuss significance of World Methodist Council building". The Mountaineer. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  31. ^ "Here's to 100 more years for Lake Junaluska". Asheville Citizen-Times. 8 July 2013. p. A7 – via newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Lake Junaluska announces $1.1M gift for renovations to former World Methodist Council building". lakejunaluska.com. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  33. ^ Johnson, Becky (22 December 2022). "Making the grade: Lake Junaluska continues multi-million dollar upgrades with new event venue". The Mountaineer.

Notes

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  1. ^ Each of the internal conferences listed is considered a member of the World Methodist Council, even though it is a body part of the United Methodist Church.
  2. ^ Including 4,526,440 members (4,238,097 professed members and 288,343 baptized members) in the United States of America, according to 2023 statistics and 4,560,882 members in other countries in 2022.
  3. ^ adherents are unbaptized people who participate in worship services. In Credobaptist denominations, the children of members, not yet baptized, are counted as adherents.

Bibliography

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