Methodist Church in Ireland

Methodist Church in Ireland
Friends of all, enemies of none
ClassificationProtestant
TheologyWesleyan Methodist
PolityConnexionalism
LeaderChanges annually[1]
AssociationsWorld Council of Churches, World Methodist Council, Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe
RegionIreland
Origin1784
Separated fromChurch of Ireland
SeparationsFellowship of Independent Methodist Churches[2] 1973
Congregations232[3]
Membersapprox 50,000 (2018)[needs update][3]
Ministers108[3]
Secondary schools2
Official websitewww.irishmethodist.org

The Methodist Church in Ireland (Irish: Eaglais Mheitidisteach in Éirinn)[4] is a Wesleyan Methodist church that operates across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on an all-Ireland basis. It is the fourth-largest Christian denomination in Northern Ireland.[5] The Irish Methodist Church has close links with the Methodist Church in Britain.

For the year ending 31 December 2012, there were 105 Methodist ministers, 227 local preachers and over six hundred lay people in leadership positions serving over 200 congregations, which combine to form a total community of 49,394 people.[6] In 2018, the numbers of members and wider community role was approximately 50,000.[7] The governing body of the Methodist Church in Ireland is the annual Conference.

  1. ^ "President & Lay Leader". www.irishmethodist.org.
  2. ^ "Fellowship of Independent Methodist Churches - Home". www.fimc.org.uk.
  3. ^ a b c IrishMethodist.org – Find a Church Archived 19 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ 2001 Northern Irish census leaflet, Ulster-Scots Archived 25 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine NI Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  5. ^ "NINIS: Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service".
  6. ^ "Membership and Minister Statistics". www.irishmethodist.org.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference IC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).