About Conference
Under the standing orders of the Methodist Church, the Conference is required to happen on an annual basis.
The event runs from Thursday lunchtime to Thursday lunchtime on or around the last week of June.
Confirmed venues and dates are as follows
- The 2010 Conference was held at The Guildhall in Portsmouth from 24 June to 1 July
- The 2011 Conference will be held at The Southport Theatre and Convention Centre from 30th June to 7 July
Background
Methodist Conference first met in 1744 under John Wesley, who gathered together his assistants (both ordained ministers and itinerant lay preachers) to confer together about 'what to teach, how to teach, and what to do, i.e. how to regulate our doctrine, discipline and practice.'
Today's Conference is a gathering of representatives from each Methodist district, along with some who have been elected by the Conference and some ex officio members and representatives of the Youth Assembly.
There is a mixture of lay people, ordained presbyters and deacons. Presbyters also have their own separate gathering before the main, decision-making session.
The Conference is the body that agrees policy for the Methodist Church.
