World Methodist Council
The World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is a consultative body and association of churches in the Methodist tradition. It comprises 80 member denominations in 133 countries and representing about 80.5 million people.[1]
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 and the - The General Commission on Archives and History.
Contents
Organization[edit]
The highest organ of the World Methodist Council is the World Methodist Conference meeting every five years. The last conference, gathering under the theme "Jesus Christ - for the Healing of the Nations," was held in August 2011 in Durban, South Africa.[2] On 24 July 2006, Sunday Mbang stepped down as chairperson of the council and Rev Dr John Barrett took over his position as well as elected president for the council.[3]
In 2006, it formally approved the historical Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.
The headquarters have offices in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, New York City and Atlanta, Georgia.
Current officers are:
- General Secretary: Bishop Ivan M. Abrahams
- President: Bishop Paulo Lockmann
- Vice-President: Gillian Kingston
- Treasurer: Mr. Kirby Hickey, Jr.
- Youth and Young Adult Coordinator: Mr. John Thomas III
Activities[edit]
Continuous activities[edit]
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 Orthodox Church and with the 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[edit]
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", considering courage, creativity and consistency in awarding it.
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.
Evangelism institute[edit]
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.
Members[edit]
- African Methodist, West Africa
- African Methodist Church, Zimbabwe
- African Methodist Episcopal Church, Central Africa
- African Methodist Episcopal Church - U.S.
- African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church - U.S.
- Chinese Methodist Church in Australia - Australia
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church - U.S.
- Church of Christ - Hong Kong[4]
- Church of North India
- Church of Pakistan, The
- Church of South India, Bangalore Episcopal Area
- Church of the Nazarene - U.S.
- Evangelical Church of Spain, The - Spain[5]
- Evangelical Church of the Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic[6]
- Evangelical Church of Uruguay in Uruguay
- Evangelical Methodist Church in Argentina
- Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia
- Evangelical Methodist Church in Costa Rica
- Evangelical Methodist Church in Panama
- Evangelical Methodist Church in Portugal[7]
- Evangelical Methodist Community - Paraguay
- Evangelical United Church, Ecuador
- Free Methodist Church, The - North America
- Free Wesleyan Church - Tonga
- Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas (Evangelical Methodist Church in the Philippines), Philippines
- Korean Methodist Church
- Methodist Church, Bahamas Conference of the (BCMC)
- Methodist Church, Bangladesh
- Methodist Church in Brazil
- Methodist Church in the Caribbean and Americas
- Methodist Church in Chile
- Methodist Church in Colombia[8]
- Methodist Church in Cuba
- Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma
- Methodist Church of Ghana
- Methodist Church of Great Britain
- Methodist Church of Hong Kong[9]
- Methodist Church in India
- Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy
- Methodist Church of Kenya
- Methodist Church of Malaysia[10]
- Methodist Church of Mexico
- Methodist Church of New Zealand[11]
- Methodist Church in Nigeria
- Methodist Church in Peru
- Methodist Church in Puerto Rico
- Methodist Church, Republic of China (Taiwan)[12]
- Methodist Church in Samoa
- Methodist Church in Sierra Leone
References[edit]
- ^ http://worldmethodistcouncil.org/about/member-churches/
- ^ 2011 World Methodist Conference
- ^ World Methodist Council elects Barrett as chairperson
- ^ Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China
- ^ Iglesia Evangélica Española
- ^ Iglesia Evangélica Dominicana
- ^ Evangélica Metodista Portuguesa
- ^ Iglesia Colombiana Metodista
- ^ Methodist Church Hong Kong
- ^ Methodist Church in Malaysia
- ^ Methodist Church in New Zealand
- ^ Methodist Church In the Republic of China
- ^ Methodist Church in Singapore
- ^ Methodist Church in Ireland
- ^ United Methodist Church, Albania
- ^ United Methodist Church, Algeria
- ^ Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche in Österreich
- ^ BG Methodist
- ^ Evangelická církev metodistická v ČR
- ^ Metodistkirken Danmark
- ^ Eesti Metodisti Kirik
- ^ Evangelisch-methodistischen Kirche
- ^ A Magyarországi Metodista Egyház honlapja
- ^ EVANGELIČKA METODISTIČKA
- ^ Lithuania United Methodist Church
- ^ UMC in Macedonia
- ^ Metodistkirken i Norge
- ^ Evanjelická cirkev metodistická
- ^ Finlands svenska metodistkyrka
- ^ Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche
- ^ Suomen metodistikirkko
- ^ Verenigde Protestantse Kerk in België
- Statement on "Wesleyan/Methodist Witness In Christian and Islamic Cultures" 2004
- Brochure World Evangelism Emphasis, 2004
External links[edit]
- World Methodist Council
- World Methodist Evangelism
- World Methodist Evangelism Institute
- World Methodist Peace Award
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