# World Methodist Council

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 of 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

In 2016, the World Methodist Council was made up of 80 member denominations:
| Country | denominational subfamily | Denomination | Number of members | Year |
| International | Methodist | United Methodist Church 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 | 2022-2023 |
| International | Methodist | Church of the Nazarene | 2,471,553 | 2016 |
| International | Methodist | Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church | 1,432,795 | 2014 |
| International | Methodist | Wesleyan Church | 140,954 | 2017 |
| International | Methodist | Free Methodist Church | 1,547,820 | 2018 |
| International | Methodist | African Methodist Episcopal Church | 2,500 | 2014 |
| South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Namibia | Methodist | Methodist Church of Southern Africa | 2,600,000 | 2014 |
| Argentina | Methodist | Evangelical Methodist Church in Argentina | 8,940 | 2014 |
| Australia | Methodist | Chinese Methodist Church in Australia | 3,588 | 2014 |
| Australia | Methodist | Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia | 2,452 | 2014 |
| Australia | United Churches (Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists) | Uniting Church in Australia | 243,000 | 2018 |
| Bahamas | Methodist | Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church | 1,900 | 2014 |
| Bangladesh | Methodist | Bangladesh Methodist Church | 18,201 | 2014 |
| Belgium | United Churches (Continental Reformed and Methodist) | United Protestant Church in Belgium | 3,401 | 2014 |
| Benin | Methodist | Protestant Methodist Church in Benin | 90,000 | 2014 |
| Bolivia | Methodist | Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia | 9,053 | 2014 |
| Brazil | Methodist | Methodist Church in Brazil | 262,449 | 2022 |
| Canada | United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Methodists) | United Church of Canada | 325,315 | 2023 |
| Caribbean | Methodist | Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas | 62,120 | 2014 |
| Chile | Methodist | Methodist Church in Chile | 9,882 | 2014 |
| China (People's Republic of China) | United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists and Methodists) | Hong Kong Church of Christ Council in China | 35,000 | 2014 |
| China (People's Republic of China) | Methodist | Methodist Church, Hong Kong | 12,000 | 2014 |
| Colombia | Methodist | Colombian Methodist Church | 1,000 | 2014 |
| South Korea | Methodist | Korean Methodist Church | 1,133,837 | 2023 |
| Costa Rica | Methodist | Evangelical Methodist Church in Costa Rica | 16,000 | 2014 |
| Cuba | Methodist | Methodist Church in Cuba | 33,000 | 2014 |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) | Methodist | Free Methodist Church of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | 151,695 | 2014 |
| Dominican Republic | Methodist | Evangelical Church of the Dominican Republic | 10,000 | 2014 |
| Ecuador | United Churches (Presbyterians and Methodists) | United Evangelical Church of Ecuador | 1,500 | 2014 |
| Spain | United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Waldensians, Methodists and Lutherans) | Spanish Evangelical Church | 3,000 | 2014 |
| Fiji | Methodist | Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma | 212,860 | 2014 |
| Gambia | Methodist | Gambia Methodist Church | 2,000 | 2014 |
| Ghana | Methodist | Methodist Church Ghana | 634,689 | 2014 |
| India | Methodist | Methodist Church in India | 648,000 | 2014 |
| India | United Churches (Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists and Disciples of Christ) | Church of North India | 1,250,000 | 2018 |
| India | United Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Continental Reformed, Anglicans and Methodists) | Church of South India | 2,800,000 | 2018 |
| Indonesia | Methodist | Methodist Church in Indonesia | 119,000 | 2014 |
| Ireland | Methodist | Methodist Church in Ireland | 15,000 | 2014 |
| Italy | Methodist | Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy | 4,000 | 2014 |
| Kenya | Methodist | Methodist Church in Kenya | 450,000 | 2014 |
| Malaysia | Methodist | Methodist Church in Malaysia | 97,197 | 2014 |
| Mexico | Methodist | Methodist Church of Mexico | 40,000 | 2014 |
| Myanmar | Methodist | Methodist Church, Lower Myanmar | 2,300 | 2014 |
| Myanmar | Methodist | Methodist Church, Upper Myanmar | 27,543 | 2014 |
| Nepal | Methodist | Nepal Methodist Church | 264 | 2014 |
| Nigeria | Methodist | Methodist Church of Nigeria | 2,000,000 | 2014 |
| New Zealand | Methodist | Methodist Church of New Zealand | 14,736 | 2014 |
| New Zealand | Methodist | New Zealand Wesleyan Methodist Church | 794 | 2014 |
| Pakistan | United Churches (Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and Anglicans) | Church of Pakistan | 500,000 | 2014 |
| Panama | Methodist | Evangelical Methodist Church of Panama | 1,300 | 2014 |
| Paraguay | Methodist | Methodist Evangelical Community of Paraguay | 1,025 | 2014 |
| Peru | Methodist | Methodist Church of Peru | 32,000 | 2014 |
| Philippines | Methodist | Evangelical Methodist Church in the Philippine Islands | 34,381 | 2014 |
| Philippines | United Churches (Presbyterians, Baptists, Disciples of Christ and Methodists) | United Church of Christ in the Philippines | 470,792 | 2020 |
| Portugal | Methodist | Portuguese Evangelical Methodist Church | 1,200 | 2014 |
| Puerto Rico | Methodist | Puerto Rico Methodist Church | 12,000 | 2014 |
| Rwanda | Methodist | Rwanda Free Methodist Church | 108,559 | 2014 |
| Samoa | Methodist | Samoa Methodist Church | 35,983 | 2014 |
| Sierra Leone | Methodist | Sierra Leone Methodist Church | 50,000 | 2014 |
| Sierra Leone | Methodist | West African Methodist Church in Sierra Leone | 4,000 | 2014 |
| Singapore | Methodist | Methodist Church in Singapore | 38,000 | 2014 |
| Sri Lanka | Methodist | Methodist Church in Sri Lanka | 25,000 | 2014 |
| Sweden | United Churches (Baptists, PT and Methodist) | Uniting Church in Sweden | 58,569 | 2021 |
| Tanzania | Methodist | Tanzania Methodist Church | 3,681 | 2014 |
| Taiwan (Republic of China) | Methodist | Methodist Church in the Republic of China | 4,500 | 2014 |
| Togo | Methodist | Togo Methodist Church | 75,000 | 2014 |
| Tonga | Methodist | Free Wesleyan Church | 38,692 | 2014 |
| United Kingdom | Methodist | Methodist Church in Great Britain | 136,891 | 2022 |
| United States of America | Methodist | Christian Methodist Episcopal Church | 858,670 | 2014 |
| Zambia | United Churches (Presbyterians and Methodists) | United Church of Zambia | 3,000,000 | 2006 |
| Zimbabwe | Methodist | Zimbabwe Methodist Church | 111,723 | 2014 |
| Zimbabwe | Methodist | African Methodist Church of Zimbabwe | 12,000 | 2014 |
| Global | Sub-total | Methodists | 24,962,049 | 2014-2022 |
| Global | Sub-total | United Churches | 8,718,074 | 2014-2022 |
| Global | Total | World Methodist Council | 33,679,626 | 2014-2024 |

### Member Profile

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

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.
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.
The 2011 conference, gathered under the theme "Jesus Christ - for the Healing of the Nations", was held in August 2011 in Durban, South Africa. 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.
In 2006, it formally approved the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

## World Methodist Council officers

Current officers are:
* General secretary: Bishop Ivan M. Abrahams
* President: Rev. Dr. Jong Chun Park
* Vice-President: Gillian Kingston
* Treasurer: Kirby Hickey
* Youth and young adult coordinator: Sam Murillo
The World Methodist Council has offices in Waynesville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; New York City; and Atlanta, Georgia.

## Activities
### 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 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

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".
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

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

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, a pulpit Wesley used, 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.
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. The gift from the Warrens helped with $2.5 million in renovations to what is now called the Warren Center, for smaller group events.