Involved For more than 200 years, The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies have expressed concern for the worker, the sick, the poor, the orphaned, the aging, the impaired, the oppressed and the imprisoned. United Methodists positively influence society through responsible social action. Connectional United Methodism took form as an organized church in this country during the revolutionary period of our history. Its structures parallel those of the United States government. Church leadership is shared by executive, legislative and judicial branches.
Representative bodies carry out church functions at local, regional and churchwide levels.
An assembly of up to 1,000 delegates, it is composed of equal numbers of laity and clergy and meets once every four years. Non-voting representatives come from affiliated churches in 25 other countries. Annual conferences respond to needs in their regions by developing programs and ministries that carry out the work of Christ and support the policies set by the General Conference. Evangelical The United Methodist Church continues its strong evangelical heritage. Within each congregation is a vital center of biblical study and evangelism - a blending of personal piety and discipleship.