The Methodist Church of Great Britain or British Methodist Church is the largest Wesleyan / Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain (although more limited in Scotland). It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian Church, with around 330,000 members and 6,000 churches. Congregations in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Malta and Gibraltar also form part of the British Methodist Church. John Wesley (June 17, 1703 – March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... For school of ancient Greek medicine, see Methodism (history of medicine). ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime... The term Christian Church, or Catholic Church, as it was known beginning in 110 AD,[1] expresses the idea that organised Christianity (the Christian religion) is seen as an institution. ... This article is about the British dependencies. ...

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. For school of ancient Greek medicine, see Methodism (history of medicine). ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... John Wesley (June 17, 1703 – March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ...

For half a century after the death of John Wesley (1791), the Methodist movement was characterised by a series of divisions, normally on matters of church government (e.g. Methodist New Connexion) and separate revivals (e.g. Primitive Methodism in Staffordshire, 1811, and the Bible Christian Movement in south-west England, 1815). The second half of the nineteenth century saw many of the small schisms reunited to become the United Methodist Free Churches and a further union in 1907 with the Methodist New Connexion and Bible Christian Church brought the United Methodist Church into being. Finally in 1932 the three main Methodist groups in Britain, the Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists and United Methodists came together to form the present Methodist Church. Methodist New Connexion was a Protestant nonconformist church, also known as the Kilhamite Methodists. ... Primitive Methodism was a major separate movement in English Methodism in the first part of the nineteenth century. ... A combination of words that, in normal usage, mean an individual or organisation that believes the Christian Bible is true in some significant way[1]. However, this combination of words is given a unique meaning in fundamentalist Protestant circles, where it is equated with the belief that the Christian Bible... United Methodist Free Churches was an English nonconformist community which merged into the United Methodist Church in 1907. ... The United Methodist Church in Great Britain had no connection with the much larger United Methodist Church in the United States. ... Logo of The Wesleyan Church For the former Wesleyan Methodist Church of Great Britain, see Methodist Church of Great Britain The Wesleyan Church is a religious denomination associated with the holiness movement that has roots in Methodism and the teachings of John Wesley. ... Primitive Methodism was a major movement in English Methodism from about 1810 until the Methodist Union in 1932. ... The United Methodist Church in Great Britain had no connection with the much larger United Methodist Church in the United States. ...

Organisation

Logo of The Methodist Church

Unlike many other Methodist churches, the British church does not have bishops, though a report, "What Sort of Bishops?"^[1], 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-two districts covering Great Britain and the Isle of Man each supervised by a District Synod and a District Chair, except the new London District, created in September 2006, which has three chairs with a "Lead" chair. The districts are divided into circuits governed by the (usually) twice yearly 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 supernumerary ministers ie ministers who have retired and called supernumerary because they are not counted for official purposes in the numbers of ministers for the circuit in which they are listed. 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. Image File history File links MethodistGBlogo. ... Image File history File links MethodistGBlogo. ... Connexion is a variant spelling of connection, common until at least the 18th century. ... See also minister (government) and minister (diplomacy) In Christian churches, a minister is a man or woman who serves a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such persons can minister as a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain, Deacon or Elder. ... The diaconate is one of three ordained offices in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. ... In religious organizations, the laity comprises all lay persons collectively. ... Methodist Central Hall, London Westminster Central Hall, Westminster Methodist Hall or Methodist Central Hall Westminster is a building in London, England. ... A Methodist local preacher is a lay person who has been accredited by a Methodist church to lead worship on a regular basis. ... Supernumerary is a member of the staff or an employee who works in a public office but is not part of the manpower complement. ...

There are over 5,900 churches, around 630 Circuits in 32 Districts in Great Britain. Northern Ireland is part of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Modern logo of the Methodist Church in Ireland The Methodist Church in Ireland has approximately 80,000 members across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. ...

The Church is closely associated with the NCH (formerly National Children's Homes), Methodist Relief & Development Fund (MRDF) and Methodist Homes charities. Official NCH logo NCH (formerly National Childrens Home) is a United Kingdom-based charity providing services for children. ... The Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) is an independent charity rooted in the Methodist Church in Britain. ... // Legal definitions A charity is a trust, company or unincorporated association established for charitable purposes only. ...

The Methodist Church also helps to run a number of schools, including two leading Public Schools in East Anglia, Culford School and The Leys. It helps to promote an all round education with a strong Christian ethos. Culford School Culford School is a public school, in Culford, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. ... The Leys School, Cambridge is a British Public School located in Cambridge. ...

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 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The word ecumenical comes from a Greek word that means pertaining to the whole world. ... The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, In the Western world, the focus shifted from the social activism of the sixties to social activities for ones own pleasure, save for environmentalism, which continued in a very visible way. ... Logo of The United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Christian denomination (church) in the United Kingdom. ...

The Methodist Church is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) is an ecumenical organisation. ...

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. Galloways Society for the Blind is one of Lancashires oldest Charities, established in 1867 following a public meeting in the Corn Exchange Preston. ...

Work with Young People

The Methodist Church has approximately 30,000 members under 25 years old, and some Methodist churches work with young people in their communities. Work with young people is overseen by MAYC. Once a year, young people have a chance to meet and discuss church issues at Methodist Youth Conference. There is also a biannual event called "Breakout" which evolved from the London Weekend.

Notes

1. ^ What sort of bishops?:Models of episcopacy and British Methodism

References

• BBC - Religion & Ethics - The Methodist Church

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