World Methodist Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Part of a series on
Methodism
John Wesley clipped.png
John Wesley
  Methodism portal
Portal icon Methodism portal
Portal icon Arminianism portal

The World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is an association of churches in the Methodist tradition which comprises most of the world's Wesleyan denominations.

Contents

[edit] Extension and organization

 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2006)
World Methodist Council at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina - a consultive body linking most Methodist groups of the world. The headquarters contains a museum of Methodism and a small park - the Susannah Wesley Herb Garden

The World Methodist council comprises 76 member denominations in 132 countries and representing about 75 million people, which makes Methodism one of the bigger Protestant denominations worldwide, among them the United Methodist Church, the Free Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the United Church of Canada, the British Methodist Church, the Uniting Church of Australia, the Wesleyan Church, and the Church of the Nazarene.

Affiliated organizations are the World Fellowship of Methodist and Uniting Churches, the Oxford-Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, the World Methodist Historical Society, the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women and the - The General Commission on Archives and History.

The highest organ of the World Methodist Council is the World Methodist Conference meeting every five years. The next conference, gathering under the theme "Jesus Christ - for the Healing of the Nations," will be held in August 2011 in Durban, South Africa.[1] On 24 July, Sunday Mbang stepped down as chairperson of the council and Barrett took over his position as well as elected president for the council.[2]

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, and Atlanta, Georgia

Current officers are:

General Secretary: George H. Freeman
Chairperson: Rev Dr. John C. A. Barrett
Vice-Chairperson: Bishop Paulo Lockmann
Honorary President: Dr. Frances M. Alguire
Geneva Secretary: Bishop Heinrich Bolleter
Treasurer: Dr. James W. Holsinger, Jr.

[edit] Activities

[edit] Continuous activities

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 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."

[edit] Peace award

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.

[edit] Evangelism institute

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

[edit] Members

[edit] References

  1. ^ 2011 World Methodist Conference
  2. ^ World Methodist Council elects Barrett as chairperson
  3. ^ Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China
  4. ^ Iglesia Evangélica Española
  5. ^ Iglesia Evangélica Dominicana
  6. ^ Evangélica Metodista Portuguesa
  7. ^ Iglesia Colombiana Metodista
  8. ^ Methodist Church Hong Kong
  9. ^ Methodist Church in Malaysia
  10. ^ Methodist Church in New Zealand
  11. ^ Methodist Church In the Republic of China
  12. ^ Methodist Church in Ireland
  13. ^ Methodist Church in Singapore
  14. ^ a b Rural Development & Urban Ministries
  15. ^ United Methodist Church, Albania
  16. ^ United Methodist Church, Algeria
  17. ^ Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche in Österreich
  18. ^ EMK
  19. ^ Evangelická církev metodistická v ČR
  20. ^ Metodistkirken Danmark
  21. ^ Eesti Metodisti Kirik
  22. ^ Evangelisch-methodistischen Kirche
  23. ^ A Magyarországi Metodista Egyház honlapja
  24. ^ EVANGELIČKA METODISTIČKA
  25. ^ Lithuania United Methodist Church
  26. ^ UMC in Macedonia
  27. ^ Metodistkirken i Norge
  28. ^ Evanjelická cirkev metodistická
  29. ^ Finlands svenska metodistkyrka
  30. ^ Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche
  31. ^ Suomen metodistikirkko
  32. ^ Verenigde Protestantse Kerk in België

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=World_Methodist_Council&oldid=474507390"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages