Other global Methodist bodies

In the wake of General Conference 2019, there has 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 African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and The United Methodist Church

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