Amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of two successive Annual Conferences (Section 97). While this ensures stability, it has prevented timely updates (e.g., digital governance rules are absent, forcing reliance on analogy to “written minutes”).
If you are researching a specific section or clause of the document, please share: Amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of
In the late 1990s, the church underwent a massive structural shift, moving from a presidential system to a Biblical-Episcopal system of governance. This evolution required comprehensive revisions to the Constitution and Standing Orders to define the roles of Bishops, Lay Chairmen, and Synods, ensuring the document remained a living, adaptable text. The Structural Framework of the Church This latest revision aimed to remove obsolete provisions
Most recently, following a comprehensive review, the approved a new, streamlined constitution. Unlike previous versions, this new document is simply called the " Methodist Constitution ," with its individual provisions now referred to as " S.O.s " (Standing Orders), replacing the previous practice of separately citing the Constitution and Standing Orders. This latest revision aimed to remove obsolete provisions and introduce a more structured system for pastoral care, ministerial training, and legal affairs. ensuring the document remained a living
The Constitution firmly anchors the church within orthodox Christian theology and the Wesleyan heritage. It affirms the supremacy of the Holy Scriptures, the historic creeds (the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds), and John Wesley’s standard sermons and Notes on the New Testament.
