Methodist Church in Ireland

Methodist Church In Ireland
Friends of all, enemies of none
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Methodist
Polity	Connexionalism
Leader	changes annually
Associations	World Council of Churches, World Methodist Council
Region	Ireland
Origin	1784
Separated from	Church of Ireland
Separations	Fellowship Of Independent Methodist Churches 1973
Congregations	232
Members	53,668
Ministers	108
Secondary schools	2
Official website	www.irishmethodist.org

The Methodist Church in Ireland (Ulster-Scots: Methody Kirk in Airlann, Irish: Eaglais Mheitidisteach in Éirinn) 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. 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. The governing body of the Methodist Church in Ireland is the Annual Conference.

The Methodist Church was founded by John Wesley and his younger brother Charles Wesley during the 18th century initially as a movement within the Church of England. John spent much of his time preaching in Ireland and is said to have visited forty-two times, spending six years of his life on the island.

Wesleyan Theology remained close to the Anglican criteria of scripture, tradition and reason. It has been suggested that nobody who lived in the 18th century has influenced more people in the years since then John Wesley, and in the dissemination of that influence Irish people have played a significant role.

The Methodist Church as part of the worldwide church shares those core beliefs which it believes to have been passed down from the time of the Apostles. Those beliefs are founded on the Bible and are summed up in the creeds, which are regularly used in Christian services of all denominations.

It is widely considered that the Protestant Reformation focused on three main matters of belief: the supreme authority of scripture; salvation by faith through faith in Christ, and; the priesthood of all believers. The Methodist Church affirms the importance of these matters.

John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) believed that certain aspects of the Christian Faith required special emphasis. Methodists today still hold to these emphases, known to them as, the 'Four Alls':