Our Beliefs & Governance
Foundational truths and structure that guide our faith.
Since its inception, God’s Spirit has enlivened the Methodist movement. In the 1720s John and Charles Wesley and friends at Oxford University met together to deepen their Christian faith through daily, practical spiritual disciplines. Derided by others as a “new sect of Methodists” for their “methodical” ways of practicing the faith and holding one another accountable to it, the small group embraced the insult and persevered in their fellowship. And so they and the millions who followed after them have ever since been known as “the people called Methodists.”
In that spirit, this Book of Doctrines and Discipline (BDD) of the Global Methodist Church is intended to serve as a resource for all who wish to join in a “methodical,” practical, and warm-hearted pursuit of loving God and serving others as Jesus’ disciples in the world. Beginning with confessions rooted in Scripture and shaped by the great teaching of the Church universal, the Book of Doctrines and Discipline provides the essential structure for the Global Methodist Church from its official launch on May 1, 2022. It is offered with the prayer that it will help guide us in a new season of the church’s life as we make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe.
BOOK OF DOCTRINES AND DISCIPLINE
Linked here is the final Book of Doctrines and Discipline, incorporating all the changes made at the convening General Conference in Costa Rica. If you find any errors, please send them to General Conference Secretary Tom Lambrecht (tlambrecht@globalmethodist.org). Please remember that provisions which were changed or added by the convening General Conference delegates are in effect as of January 1, 2025. The Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline is archived on this page for reference.
You may download a PDF version of the BDD by clicking on your preferred language.
Updates to the BDD from General Conference 2026 will be made once they are vetted and translated.
Archived Document
Linked here is the
Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline and is provided for reference purposes only. Please note that while it has been superseded by the BDD above, some provisions within this version may still apply under specific circumstances.
Preliminary Articles of Faith
Available now is a preliminary version of the Articles of Faith adopted at the 2026 General Conference and is provided as a resource. This is not the official published version; the official Articles of Faith will be included in the forthcoming Book of Doctrines and Discipline expected to be released later this year.
We are working to translate these into all official languages of the Global Methodist Church. We will post each as they become available.
Draft Liturgies
The Liturgy Task Force of the Connectional Council began work over a year ago to identify and develop liturgies most needed by pastors. The writing team has been dedicated to following the leading of the Holy Spirit by upholding the liturgical integrity of the Church in conversation with our doctrinal commitments as Wesleyans.
These liturgies reflect a commitment to recovering our Wesleyan heritage through the Book of Common Prayer while remaining flexible enough to serve diverse global contexts. To support participation across our global connection, the Draft Liturgies are available for review in all six official languages of The Global Methodist Church. The Draft Liturgies of The Global Methodist Church include the primary services that pastors and church leaders use in everyday ministry. We recognize that many additional liturgies could be included in the future, but this collection provides a place for us to begin together as a denomination.
