wfn.org | Methodists are present in most EU nations

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

May 10, 1999 Contact: Linda Bloom*(212) 870-3803*New York    10-21-71B{261}

NOTE: This can be used as a sidebar with UMNS story #260.

By United Methodist News Service

Here are mini-profiles of the United Methodist or Methodist churches in
countries that belong to the European Union. Membership figures come from
the World Methodist Council's Handbook of Information:

UNITED KINGDOM  - This is the birthplace of Methodism. The work of John and
Charles Wesley led directly to the founding of the church in the 18th
century. The current body was formed in 1932 and includes England, Scotland
and Wales. The British Methodist Church has 380,269 official members but
claims a community of more than 1.2 million.

IRELAND - The Irish Methodist Church includes both the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland. With about 234 churches, it has more than 30,000
members and serves a community double that size. Methodists have been
actively involved in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

GERMANY - The beginnings of what is now the United Methodist Central
Conference in Germany included connections with the British Methodist,
American Methodist, Evangelical and United Brethren churches. The
reunification of Germany in 1990 allowed the East and West Germany central
conferences to unite in 1992. With membership of 66,000 and a constituency
of 120,000, the church makes its headquarters in Frankfort.

AUSTRIA - Known as "Evangelisch-Methodistiische-Kirche," the United
Methodist Church in Austria began in 1876 in Vienna. It was officially
recognized by the government as a legitimate religion in 1951. Membership
stands at 700, serving a community of 1,500.

SWEDEN - A British Methodist preacher was sent to Stockholm in 1826 and a
church erected in 1840. But because of opposition from the state church, the
work ended in 1842. The first missionary from the American Methodist
Missionary Society arrived in 1854. The Swedish Annual Conference, which now
includes 4,200 members, was formed in 1876.

FINLAND - The beginnings of the Finnish church were tied both to Sweden and
to Russia. It became a separate annual conference in 1911. The United
Methodist Church in Finland now has more than 1,200 members.

DENMARK - Two Danish evangelists, converted to Methodism in New York, joined
forces in Denmark in the mid-19th century. The first church was erected in
Copenhagen in 1866. The United Methodist Annual Conference in Denmark,
constituted in 1911, now has nearly 1,500 members and serves a community
twice that size.

ITALY - British Methodists sent the first missionaries in 1859, followed by
American Methodists in 1870. The two branches united in 1946 and became
autonomous in 1962. It has been federated with the Waldensian Church since
1979. Membership is at 3,700.

PORTUGAL - Two English laymen established the foundation of Methodism in the
mid-1800s. The first church was built in 1868. Autonomous since 1996, the
Portuguese Methodist Church is a member of the World Methodist Council and
Methodist European Council. Membership is around 1,500.

SPAIN - English missionaries started work in Spain at several points during
the 19th century, with the first Methodist church organized in Barcelona in
1869. But there was little religious freedom until after dictator Francisco
Franco's death in 1978. Methodism was integrated into the already existing
Evangelical Church of Spain in 1955. Its membership stands at 3,000.

FRANCE - Methodism got its start in France in 1791, and since then it has
involved various mergers and associations. Today, 11 congregations in
Alsace-Lorraine and three in the southwest are attached to the United
Methodist Church, serving a constituency of about 1,600.

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