Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy | |
---|---|
Chiesa Evangelica Metodista in Italia | |
Type | Protestant |
Orientation | Methodist |
Scripture | Christian Bible |
Theology | Methodist theology |
Polity | Congregationalist |
Associations | Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy World Council of Churches |
Territory | Italy |
Origin | 1962 |
Members | 4,000 |
Official website | Official website |
The Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy (Italian : Chiese Evangelica Metodista in Italia), known also as Italian Methodist Church (Chiese Metodista Italiana), is a Protestant church in the Methodist tradition active in Italy that is in full communion with the historical Waldensian Evangelical Church in the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches. [1] It part of the World Methodist Council.
The first Italian Methodist churches were founded by British and American missionaries in the 19th century. The missionary work became difficult during the Fascist regime, but finally in 1946 the Methodist Evangelical Church of Italy was born as a district of the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church of Great Britain. In 1962 the Methodist Church became fully independent and its structure was organized with a non-episcopal congregationalist polity. [2]
In 1975 the Methodist Church was united with the Waldensian Evangelical Church, resulting in the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches. [2] [3] The two churches have since been one church, governed by one synod, but they have maintained their own identity, ecumenical relations, administration and projects. In fact, contextually with the formation of the Union, the Action for the Methodist Evangelical Churches in Italy (Opera per le Chiese Evangeliche Metodiste in Italia) was established in order to maintain ecumenical relations and those with world Methodism, administer Methodist properties such as churches, and finance the work of pastors and deacons. [4]
As of today,[ when? ] the Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy includes 4,000 members and 50 congregations. [5]
The Waldensians, also known as Waldenses, Vallenses, Valdesi, or Vaudois, are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the Poor of Lyon in the late twelfth century, the movement spread to the Cottian Alps in what is today France and Italy. The founding of the Waldensians is attributed to Peter Waldo, a wealthy merchant who gave away his property around 1173, preaching apostolic poverty as the way to perfection.
A united church, also called a uniting church, is a denomination formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations, a number of which come from separate and distinct denominational orientations or traditions. Multi-denominationalism, or a multi-denominational church or organization, is a congregation or organization that is affiliated with two or more Christian denominations, whether they be part of the same tradition or from separate and distinct traditions.
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The Waldensian Evangelical Church is a Protestant denomination active in Italy and Switzerland that was independent until it united with the Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy in the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches. Founded in the 12th century by Peter Waldo as a proto-Protestant group, since the 16th century Reformation it has adopted Calvinist theology and blended into the wider Calvinist tradition. It is one of several Protestant denominations with pre-Reformation roots, and is appraised by various denominations of Protestantism as its major successor.
The Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches is an Italian united Protestant denomination.
The Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy is an ecumenical Protestant body in Italy.
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The United Church of Christ in the Philippines is a Christian denomination in the Philippines. Established in its present form in Malate, Manila, it resulted from the merger of the Evangelical Church of the Philippines, the Philippine Methodist Church, the Disciples of Christ, the United Evangelical Church and several independent congregations.
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