Methodist New Connexion

The Methodist New Connexion, also known as Kilhamite Methodism, was a Protestant nonconformist church. It was formed in 1797 by secession from the Wesleyan Methodists, and merged in 1907 with the Bible Christian Church and the United Methodist Free Churches to form the United Methodist Church. In Australia, it joined with those plus the Wesleyan Methodist Church and Primitive Methodist Church as the Methodist Church of Australasia in 1902.

The secession was led by Alexander Kilham and William Thom, and resulted from a dispute regarding the position and rights of the laity. In 1791, Kilham denounced the Methodist conference for giving too much power to the ministers of the church, at the expense of the laity. The Plan of Pacification adopted by the conference in 1795 further entrenched his position, and Kilham was expelled from the conference in 1797.

Kilham formed the New Connexion, based around his church in Sheffield. It thrived, and soon spread across Britain. At its conferences, ministers and laymen were of equal number, the laymen being chosen by the circuits and in some cases by guardian representatives elected for life by conference. Otherwise the doctrines and order of the Connexion were the same as those of the Wesleyans, although some Wesleyans accused Kilham of revolutionary sympathies and links with Tom Paine.

Joseph Barker led an extensive secession from the Connexion after 1841 which resulted from Barker's refusal to carry out infant baptism, and the consequent handling of the issue by the Connexion leadership. It is reported that 21% of the Connexion's members left during the 1840s.

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