Methodist Church of Great Britain
Encyclopedia : M : ME : MET : Methodist Church of Great Britain
| Part of a series on Methodism | |
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| John Wesley | |
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Background Christianity Protestantism Pietism Anglicanism Arminianism | |
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Doctrinal distinctives Articles of Religion Prevenient Grace Governmental Atonement Imparted righteousness Christian perfection | |
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People Richard Allen Francis Asbury Thomas Coke Albert C. Outler Charles Wesley George Whitefield · | |
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Largest groups World Methodist Council United Methodist Church AME Church Church of the Nazarene British Methodist Church | |
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Related movements Holiness movement Salvation Army Personalism Pentecostalism | |
It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian Church, with around 330,000 members and 6,000 churches.
Contents
History
Methodism arose as a revival movement within the Church of England in the 18th century and was organised by the Church of England clergyman, John Wesley. As Wesley and his colleagues preached around the country they formed local societies, that were given national organisation through Wesley's leadership and conferences of preachers. Wesley insisted that Methodists regularly attend their local parish church as well as Methodist meetings. Although Wesley declared, "I live and die a member of the Church of England", the impact of the movement, especially after Wesley's clandestine ordinations in 1784, made separation from the Church of England virtually inevitable. In 1784 Wesley made provision for the governance of Methodism after his death through the 'Yearly Conference of the People called Methodists'. He nominated 100 people and declared them to be its members and laid down the method by which their successors were to be appointed.In the 19th century Methodism in Britain divided into several churches, including the Primitive Methodists, Wesleyan Methodist Church. the Methodist Free Church, and the Methodist New Connexion. In 1932 the three main Methodist groups in Britain came together to form the present Methodist Church.
Organisation
Unlike many other Methodist churches, the British church does not have bishops, though a report, "What Sort of Bishops?"[#endnote_bish], to the Conference of 2005, was accepted for study and report. This report considered if this should now be changed, and if so, what forms of episcopacy might be acceptable. It has however always been characterised by a strong central organization, the Connexion, which holds an annual Conference. The annual conference is held in three sessions (for ministers, the diaconate and a representative session including lay representatives). It is presided over by a President (a minister, elected by Conference for a year) and a Vice-President (a lay person or deacon). The connexion is divided into thirty-three districts covering Great Britain and the Isle of Man each supervised by a District Synod and a District Chair. The districts are divided into circuits governed by the quarterly Circuit Meeting and led and administrated principally by a "superintendent minister", and ministers are appointed to these rather than to individual churches (though some large inner-city churches, known as Central Halls, are designated as circuits in themselves - Westminster Central Hall in central London being the best known). Most circuits have many fewer ministers than churches, and the majority of services are led by lay local preachers, or by retired ("supernumerary") ministers. The superintendent and other ministers are assisted in the leadership and administration of the Circuit by lay Circuit Stewards, who collectively with the ministers form what is normally known as the Circuit Leadership Team.There are over 5,900 churches, around 630 Circuits in 33 Districts in Great Britain. Northern Ireland is part of the Methodist Church in Ireland.
The Church is closely associated with the NCH (formerly National Children's Homes) and Methodist Homes charities.
Ecumenical Relations
In the 1960s, the Methodist Church made ecumenical overtures to the Church of England, aimed at church unity. Formally, these failed when they were rejected by the Church of England's General Synod in 1972, however conversations and co-operation continued leading in 2003 to the signing of a covenant between the two churches. From the 1970s onward, the Methodist Church also started several "Local Ecumenical Projects" (LEPs) both with the Church of England and with the United Reformed Church, which involved sharing churches, schools and in some cases ministers.The Methodist Church is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Methodist Recorder
An independent weekly newspaper of this title examines events and current affairs within the Methodist community in Great Britain and the Wider World. The Methodist Recorder is available on tape free of charge for blind and visually impaired people from Galloway's Society for the Blind.Notes
References
External links
- [The Methodist Church of Great Britain]
- [The Methodist Diaconal Order]
- [Methodist Heritage]
- [Structure of the Methodist Church] (pdf format)
- [Anglican-Methodist Covenant]
- [Methodist Church Fund for Home Mission]
- [Methodist Church Fund for Property]
- [Methodist Church Fund for World Mission]
- [Methodist Recorder newspaper]
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