Our World Wide Church Family
The World Methodist Council is made up of 80 Methodist, Wesleyan and related Uniting and United Churches representing over 80 million members in 138 countries1. To find a member church in your area please use the A-to-Z guide located below. To view a member church’s contact details, click the blue arrow button. * denotes churches under the Central and South Europe Central Conference of the United Methodist Church ** denotes churches under the Northern Europe Central Conference of the United Methodist Church
The Evangelical Association from Kõnigsberg District started evangelistic work in Riga, the capital of Latvia, in 1908, with the establishment of the first church in 1912. From this point, the work developed into the formation of congregations in Kuldiga and Liepaja. German Methodism started work in Riga with the appointment of George R. Durdis in 1910. This led to the establishment of the first Methodist church in Riga 1912. In 1911 the Methodists came into Email with a Moravian Brethren missionary who had founded the congregation in Liepaja, which in turn became a Methodist church. The Baltic countries attained independence after World War I, and the work developed rapidly, with American support. The Methodist Church (now United Methodist) planted its roots in Liberia in 1822, by black immigrants from the Americas. They came to Christianize and educate the indigenous Africans and enlist them in the cause of Christ on the Continent of Africa. They sought and received missionaries in 1833. The late Rev. Melvin B. Cox was the first missionary to Liberia. In 1854, the missionaries organized the Liberia Mission Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It remained a missionary conference until 1964, when by an action of the General Conference, autonomy was duly authorized and Central Conference status was achieved. The Methodist movement began at the turn of the 20th century with a spiritual awakening in a German-speaking community in Kaunas. The first Lithuanian-speaking congregation was created in 1923. By the 1939 Baltic and Slavic Conference, Lithuanian Methodism included seven active congregations. Following the Soviet occupation in 1944 all Methodist activity was forcibly stopped, congregations disbanded, and property nationalized.Latvia, The United Methodist Church
The Incorporation of the Baltic countries into the Soviet Union after World War II was catastrophic for the Methodist church. Systematic persecution of pastors and congregations, as well as confiscation of buildings destroyed a great deal of the work. In Latvia, a small group of earlier Methodists remained, and in 1991 the Emails led to the reconstruction of the United Methodist Church of Latvia. Since then there has been growth and the operations have spread from the indigenous languages and people to the Russian-speaking population. Latvia UMC has status as District Conference within the Estonia Annual Conference.
The church has good relations with other denominations. The number of membership is growing and the church is happy by the fact that they have a new camp site, Camp Wesley, which was opened last year. Diaconal ministry is an important part of the church’s ministry.Liberia, United Methodist Church
In December 1965, the first session of the Liberia Central Conference was held at Mount Scott United Methodist Church in Harper City, Maryland County, Liberia. At this time the Rev. Stephen Trowen Nagbe, Sr. was elected bishop, the first Liberian to be elected and consecrated in Liberia (our indigenous soil). The Rev. Dr. Bennie Dequincey Warner was the second Liberian to be elected as a bishop in 1973 following the death of Bishop Nagbe. Bishop Warner was elected at the third session of the Liberia Central Conference held at First United Methodist Church of Lower Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Liberia, in December 1980, the Rev. Dr. Arthur F. Kulah was elected the third Liberia bishop. Bishop Kulah was elected at Miller McAllister United Methodist Church in Ganta City, Nimba County, Liberia. The election of Bishop Kulah came about because of the April 12, 1980 coup d’etat in Liberia and the departure of Bishop Bennie D. Warner who was also Vice President of the Republic of Liberia.
The Liberia Central Conference was dissolved in 1984 for the formation of The West Africa Central Conference, bringing together the Liberia Annual Conference, Sierra Leone Annual Conference, and the Muri Provisional Annual Conference. The United Methodist Church, The West Africa Central Conference brings three countries together (Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone). The history of present day Liberia dates from 1816 when the American Colonization Society, a private United States organization, was given a charter by the United States Congress to send freed blacks to the West Coast of Africa. The first settlers landed at the site of present-day Monrovia in 1822. In 1838, the settlers united to form the Commonwealth of Liberia, and on July 26, 1847, Liberia was declared an independent country, the first republic of Africa.
The Liberian Civil War in 1989-1997 caused much death, destruction of property and suffering for the Liberian people. For this reason, the church started ministries in the areas of relief, repatriation, resettlement, rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation. There will be additional church ministries in the next few years.
On December 16, 2000, at the Fifth Quadriennium Session of the West Africa Central Conference, Methodist Church, held in Monrovia, at the First United Methodist Church, the Rev. Dr. John Ginka Innis was elected on the first ballot as the fourth indigenous bishop and subsequently consecrated on December 17, 2000, thereby succeeding the Rev. Dr. Arthur F. Kulah, who superintended the church for twenty (20) years. He was formally retired in 2000.
The Rev. Dr. John G. Innis intends to take off from where his predecessor ended. He has, however, placed emphasis on vigorous and holistic evangelism, dynamic spiritual growth, and sustainable economic empowerment.
The United Methodist Church in Liberia operates United Methodist schools, including a university, seven senior high schools, nine junior high schools, and twenty-one elementary schools. The church also provides subsidies for 80 other schools operated by local United Methodist congregations. The church operates a full hospital at Ganta and seven clinics. The United Methodist Church is in partnership with the Lutheran Church in
the Phebe Hospital Project in Bong County. There are agricultural training farms at Ganta, Gbarnga, Gbason-town, Whiteplans and Decoursey.
The church is a full member of the Liberia Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches. The current membership of the United Methodist Church in Liberia is approximately 150,000. There are 690 pastors assigned to 481 local churches in 19 districts. The church affects the lives of a wider community of approximately 2.5 million people.Lithuania, United Methodist Church **
In 1995 Methodists from Europe and the United States began to assist a small group of surviving Lithuanian Methodists in efforts to reorganize congregations and reclaim property. As of 2005 there are eleven congregations with a total of 485 members and 1,000 persons who participate regularly in Methodist activities. The congregations have active ministries of worship and teaching, feeding ministries, English instruction classes, economic development programs, and a drug and alcohol addiction help center in Birzai.
The churches are currently served by five Lithuanian pastors and five missionaries from Britain Sweden and America.
Lithuania celebrated the 10 years anniversary since the re-opening of the UMC in 2005. Many congregations have seen growth and a number are involved in building projects. Diaconal ministry is an important part of the church’s ministry.
1 Based on membership numbers reported by member churches as of June 2018
