Connexionalism

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Ecclesiastical polity

Connexionalism, also spelled connectionalism, is the

Methodist Church in Britain, Ireland, Caribbean and the Americas, United Methodist Church, Free Methodist Church, African Methodist Episcopal and Episcopal Zion churches, Bible Methodist Connection of Churches, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and many of the countries where Methodism was established by missionaries sent out from these churches. It refers to the way in which Methodist churches and other institutions are connected and work together to support one another, share resources, and carry out mission and ministry. The United Methodist Church defines connection as the principle that "all leaders and congregations are connected in a network of loyalties and commitments that support, yet supersede, local concerns."[1] Accordingly, the primary decision-making bodies in Methodism are conferences
, which serve to gather together representatives of various levels of church hierarchy.

In the United Methodist Church and Free Methodist Church, where bishops provide church leadership, connexionalism is a variety of episcopal polity. Many Methodist churches, such as the British Methodist Church, do not have bishops.[2] In world Methodism, a given connexion (that is, denomination) is usually autonomous.

History

In the history of

Selina, Countess of Huntingdon
. Over time, as Methodism became a separate church, this structure of connexions came to form a new system of polity, separate from episcopal polity.

British and Irish Methodism

Connexional polity in Britain has always been characterized by a strong central organization which holds an annual conference.

Ministers are appointed to circuits rather than to individual churches. Most notably, there are no bishops in the British connexion.[4] The term full connexion is used in Great Britain and in Ireland to refer to presbyters and deacons being "subject to the rules and discipline of the Conference of the Methodist Church", and specifically that they are subject to being stationed (i.e. appointed to ministry in a local circuit) at the direction of the conference.[5]

American Methodism

See also: Bishops in Methodism

Free Methodist churches and United Methodist churches are generally organized on a connexional model, related but not identical to that used in Britain. Pastors are assigned to congregations by bishops, distinguishing it from presbyterian government. Methodist denominations typically give lay members representation at regional and national meetings (conferences) at which the business of the church is conducted,making it different from most episcopal government.[

Congregationalist
churches.

See also

Look up connexion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Connection". Sharing God's Gifts: Glossary of United Methodist Terms. United Methodist Church. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  2. ^ Doe 2013, p. 7.
  3. ^ Methodist Conference 1999, p. 52.
  4. ^ "The Connexion". London: Methodist Church. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  5. ^ Law and Polity Committee of the Methodist Church 2017, p. 44.

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Richey, Russell E. (2013). "Episkopé and Connexionalism: Ecclesiology and Church Government in Methodism". In Gibson, William; Forsaith, Peter; Wellings, Martin (eds.). The Ashgate Research Companion to World Methodism. Abingdon, England: Routledge (published 2016). pp. 251–268.
    ISBN 978-1-317-04099-6
    .
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