United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist, and the second-largest Protestant, denomination in the United States. In 2004 worldwide membership was about 11 million members: 8.6 million in the United States, 2.4 million in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Organization

®Used with permission*.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The UMC is organized into conferences. The highest level is called the General Conference and is the only organization which may speak officially for the UMC. The General Conference meets every four years (quadrennium). Legislative changes are recorded in The Book of Discipline which is revised after each General Conference. Non-legislative resolutions are recorded in The Book of Resolutions, which is published after each General Conference, and expire after eight years unless passed again by a subsequent session of General Conference. The last General Conference was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2004. The next General Conference is scheduled to be held in Fort Worth, Texas in 2008.

Related Topics:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 2004 - Fort Worth, Texas - 2008

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Beneath the General Conference are Jurisdictional and Central Conferences which also meet every four years. Their chief purpose is to elect and appoint bishops to serve the UMC. The United States is divided into five Jurisdictions: Northeast, Southeast, North Central, South Central and Western. Outside the United States the UMC is divided into seven Central Conferences: Africa, Congo, West Africa, Central & Southern Europe, Germany, Northern Europe and Philippines.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jurisdictions and Central Conferences are composed of Annual Conferences. The Annual Conference, roughly the equivalent of a diocese in the Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church or a synod in some Lutheran denominations such as the ELCA, is the basic unit of organization within the UMC. The term Annual Conference refers to the geographical area it covers as well as the frequency of meeting. Clergy are members of their Annual Conference, and are appointed to a local church or other charge annually by their Bishop at the meeting of the Annual Conference. In many ways, the UMC operates as a confederation of the Annual Conferences, and interpretations of the Book of Discipline by one conference are not binding upon another.

Related Topics:
Diocese - Episcopal Church - Roman Catholic Church - Synod - Lutheran - ELCA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Annual Conferences are further divided into Districts, each served by a District Superintendent. The District Superintendents are also appointed annually from the ordained elder members of the Annual Conference by the Bishop. Unlike the Bishop, the District Superintendent is not superior in ordination to other elders, and upon completion of their service as superintendent they routinely return to serving local congregations.

Related Topics:
Ordained - Elder

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While the General Conference is the only organization that can officially speak for the UMC, there are several councils, boards, commissions, and agencies that the UMC operates on the denomination level. These include the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBOPHB), the General Boards of Church and Society (GBCS), Discipleship (GBOD), Global Ministries (GBGM), and Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), The General Commissions on Archives and History (GCAH), Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (GCUIC), Religion and Race (GCORR), the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW), and United Methodist Men (GCUMM), the United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH), and United Methodist Communications (UMCom).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The chief administrators of the UMC are the bishops, who serve Episcopal areas consisting of one or more Annual Conferences. The Annual Conference cabinet consists of the bishop and the district superintendents.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~