Find a Methodist church near you
Share your location to see Methodist chapels and churches in your area, with service details where listed.
How British Methodism is organised
The Methodist Church in Great Britain calls itself the Connexion, a word the Wesleys used for their network of societies. Local churches are grouped into circuits that share a team of ministers and local preachers, and circuits belong to districts. The annual Methodist Conference is the governing body. One practical result of the circuit system is that a lay local preacher, rather than the minister, may lead your service on any given Sunday: preaching is a shared calling in Methodism, and lay preachers train for the role.
In Northern Ireland and the Republic, the Methodist Church in Ireland is a separate but closely related church, strong in Belfast and the surrounding counties. Wales has its own rich Methodist history, including the distinct Calvinistic Methodist tradition that became the Presbyterian Church of Wales.
What a Methodist service is like
- Hymns matter. Charles Wesley wrote thousands of them, and congregational singing remains the heartbeat of Methodist worship. Expect four or five hymns, old and new.
- Preaching is central. A sermon of 15 to 25 minutes grounded in the Bible, usually practical in tone.
- Simple structure. Prayers, readings, hymns and sermon, normally within the hour, with a service typically starting between 10 and 11am.
- Communion monthly. Most Methodist churches celebrate the Lord's Supper about once a month, and the table is open: all who love the Lord are invited, whatever their church background.
- Everyone is fed afterwards. Tea, coffee and biscuits after the service are close to a Methodist sacrament of their own.
What Methodists emphasise
Methodist theology is Wesleyan and Arminian: God's grace is offered to everyone, not a select few, and faith should show itself in a changed life. The movement's early strongholds were among miners, mill workers and fishing communities, and that practical, down-to-earth streak survives. Methodist churches commonly host food banks, debt advice, toddler groups, lunch clubs and community cafes, and the church has historic ties to the temperance movement, which is why unfermented grape juice, not wine, is used at communion.
Many chapels are modest buildings, but Methodism also built grand central halls in Victorian cities, some of which still house large congregations and community projects today.
Visiting for the first time
- Dress is informal in most congregations; come as you are.
- Ask the door steward for a hymn book or follow the words on screen.
- Children are welcome, and many churches run Junior Church during part of the service.
- Small rural chapels may share a minister across the circuit, so service times can vary; check the church's listing before travelling.
Frequently asked questions
Are Methodists Protestant?
Yes. Methodism grew out of the Church of England as a renewal movement and became a separate Protestant church after the Wesleys' deaths. Relations with the Church of England remain close, and some congregations are formally shared between the two churches as local ecumenical partnerships.
Can anyone take communion in a Methodist church?
Yes. Methodists practise an open table. You do not need to be a member or to have been confirmed; the invitation is to all who wish to respond to Christ.
How is Methodism different from the Baptist church?
The clearest differences are baptism and governance: Methodists baptise infants and are organised in a connexion of circuits, while Baptists baptise believers on profession of faith and each congregation governs itself. Our Baptist vs Methodist guide goes deeper.