Map by David W. Scott
World Methodist Council Denominations
This map shows the general locations of the 80 churches and denominations that are members of the World Methodist Council. Together WMC members encompass some 52 million Methodists worldwide
In the wake of General Conference 2019, there have been many musings about what the outcome of that event has meant, and especially what it has meant for The United Methodist Church as a "global" or "worldwide" body. Some of these writings have stressed the UMC's unique nature as a worldwide yet connectional body. Certainly, the UMC is unique relative to Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, and many others with regard to how it combines connectionalism and geographic extent.
Yet is is worthwhile remembering in discussions that the UMC is not unique in its attempt to be a global yet connectional body. In varying ways, several of its sibling denominations seek to do the same thing: the Church of the Nazarene, the Free Methodist Church, The Wesleyan Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church Zion, and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church all could lay claim to being worldwide and connectional. In fact, it is arguably the Church of the Nazarene, not the UMC, that is the most global Methodist body.
For those seeking a quick review on the worldwide polity of several of these bodies, some comparisons to the UMC, and what overall lessons can be drawn, here are some previous UM & Global posts on the topic:
Comparative Wesleyan Global Polity - The Wesleyan Church and The United Methodist Church
Comparative Global Wesleyan Polity - The Free Methodist Church and The United Methodist Church
Comparative Global Wesleyan Polity: The Church of the Nazarene and The United Methodist Church
Comparative Global Wesleyan Polity - Concluding Thoughts, Part I: Variety and Windows of Opportunity
Comparative Global Wesleyan Polity - Concluding Thoughts, Part II: Size and Focus
UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott serves as director of mission theology for the General Board of Global Ministries. The opinions expressed in this post are Dr. Scott's own and don't necessarily reflect official policies of Global Ministries. This post is republished with permission from UM & Global, the collaborative blog of United Methodist Professors of Mission.