The Connexion

Methodists belong to local churches or ecumenical partnerships, but also feel part of a larger connected community, the Connexion.

The British Methodist Connexion is made up of all the districts of Scotland, Wales and England, along with the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and Shetland.

This sense of being connected makes a difference to how the Methodist Church as a whole is structured. At its heart is an understanding of the Christian community as the 'body of Christ'. Just as a human body contains different limbs and organs that depend on each other, so we should be close and caring enough to feel each other's pain and delight. We should put the good of the whole body before our own individual needs.

When presbyters or deacons are ordained in the Methodist Church, they are also 'received into Full Connexion.'

The promise of mutual support is a strength of Methodism. If you become a member of the Methodist Church, a pastoral visitor is responsible for visiting you and offering spiritual support, encouragement and challenge.

In the Methodist Church decisions are made as openly as possible, giving opportunities for all to contribute. It is important for all views to be heard and taken seriously, especially where Christians disagree.