Methodist Church of Great Britain - Organisation and Structure

Organisation and Structure

The Methodist Church has been characterised by a strong central organization and lack of a powerful 'hierarchy'. The Conference is held annually in three sessions (for ministers, the diaconate and a representative session including lay representatives). It is presided over by a President (a minister, elected by Conference for a year) and a Vice-President (a lay person or deacon). The 2012 Conference was held in Plymouth in Devon.

The connexion is divided into over 600 circuits governed by the (usually) twice yearly Circuit Meeting and led and administrated principally by a "superintendent minister". Ministers are appointed to these rather than to individual churches (though some large inner-city churches, known as Central Halls, are designated as circuits in themselves - Westminster Central Hall in central London being the best known). Most circuits have many fewer ministers than churches, and the majority of services are led by lay local preachers, or by supernumerary ministers (retired ministers who are not officially counted in the number of ministers for the circuit in which they are listed). The superintendent and other ministers are assisted in the leadership and administration of the Circuit by lay Circuit Stewards, who collectively with the ministers form what is normally known as the Circuit Leadership Team.

The circuits are grouped in thirty-two districts covering Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands each supervised by a District Synod and a District Chairman, except the new London District, created in September 2006, which has three chairmen with a "Lead" chairman. Northern Ireland is part of the Methodist Church in Ireland.

Unlike many other Methodist churches, the British church does not have bishops. A report, "What Sort of Bishops?", to the Conference of 2005, was accepted for study and report. This report considered if this should now be changed, and if so, what forms of episcopacy might be acceptable. Consultation at grassroots level during 2006 and 2007 revealed overwhelming opposition from those who responded. As a consequence, the 2007 Conference decided not to move towards having bishops at present. Many Methodists believe that the function of 'bishop' is already part of the church's structures - though called by different names.

The Church is closely associated with Action for Children ( formerly NCH and before that the National Children's Homes), Methodist Relief & Development Fund (MRDF) and Methodist Homes charities.

The Methodist Church also helps to run a number of schools, including two leading Public Schools in East Anglia, Culford School and The Leys. It helps to promote an all round education with a strong Christian ethos.