825. Church Founding Date--The United Methodist Church (114) has become the successor to all rights, powers, and privileges of The Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church; the two churches, from their beginnings, have had a close relationship.
The Methodist Church, the first of the two churches to organize, dates from the Christmas Conference of 1784. Therefore, The United Methodist Church recognizes as its founding date the year 1784.
All General Conferences shall be designated not in numerical sequence from any particular date, but merely by the calendar years in which they are respectively held. An annual conference, local church, or other body within The United Methodist Church which is composed of uniting units with differing dates of origin shall use as the date of its founding the date of founding of the older or oldest of the uniting units while remaining sensitive to the recording of the entirety of the Church's history, including all information regarding the younger unit.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 825
1996 United Methodist General Conference