The Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe
The United Methodist Church in Central and Southern Europe consists of about 30'000 members and friends living in 13 countries: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia. The worship services are held in more than 20 languages, but there are many more languages and ways in which members of this Church share the love of God with their neighbors.
| History | |
| 1925 | Constitution of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe (member-countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Baltics, Russia, Germany, Switzerland) |
| 1936 | Constitution of the Central Conference in Germany. The other Annual Conferences of the Central Conference of Central Europe (Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Switzerland and Yugoslavia) fell back into their old Connection to the General Confernce and constituted the episcopal "Sprengel" of the General Conference. Bishop Nuelsen located his office in Geneva. It was the birth of the Geneva "Sprengel". |
| 1938 | Austria became annected to Hitler-Germany. Consequently, the Mission Conference in Austria was integrated into the German Central Conference. |
| 1939 | Integration of «Methodist Episcopal Church North», «Methodist Episcopal Church South» and «Protestant Methodist Church» in the USA. As a consequence, conferences in Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia were integrated in Geneva Sprengel. |
| 1945 | Geneva Sprengel now consisted of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Madeira Mission, North Africa, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. |
| 1954 | On October 14, the constitutive meeting of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe took place in Brussels/Belgium. Ferdinand Sigg was elected as first Bishop of this Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. |
| 1966 | After the decease of Bishop Ferdinand Sigg (1965), District Superintendent Franz W. Schäfer was elected as the new Bishop of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. |
| 1969 | The Methodist Church in Belgium left the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe and assembled with other Churches to the United Protestant Church in Belgium in the course of of the following years. |
| 1989 | Heinrich Bolleter was elected new Bishop of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe as successor of Franz W. Schäfer. |
| 1998 | The Methodist Church in Albania was established and added to the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. |
| 2005 | Patrick Streiff was elected new Bishop of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. |
| 2006 | Bishop Patrick Streiff took office; Bishop Heinrich Bolleter retired. |
| 2010 | A United Methodist congregation in Brussels/Belgium was added to the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. In the same year, the congregational work in Croatia was discontinued. |
| 2011 | The Methodist Church in Romania was established and added to the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. |
| 2022 | The UMC in Bulgaria and the UMC in Slovakia left the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe and became part of the Global Methodist Church. |
| 2022 | Stefan Zürcher was elected bishop of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. |
| 2023 | Bishop Stefan Zürcher will take office; Bishop Patrick Streiff will retire. |
Stefan Zürcher: New Bishop for a very diverse Episcopal Area
On November 20, Stefan Zürcher was consecrated bishop of The United Methodist Church (UMC) In this interview, he talks about the particular challenges of the current situation in his future Episcopal Area of Central and Southern Europe, a characteristic of his that could be especially helpful, and the future of his Church.
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Stefan Zürcher consecrated as bishop in Basel Cathedral
In a worship service on November 20, 2022, in Basel Cathedral, Rev. Stefan Zürcher (55) was consecrated as the new bishop for the UMC in Central and Southern Europe. He will succeed Bishop Patrick Streiff.
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Clear Yes to the Proposals of the Round Table
On Thursday, November 17, 2022, and Friday, November 18, 2022, delegates to the Central Conference of the UMC in Central and Southern Europe, meeting in Basel from November 16-20, 2022, considered a proposal developed by a Round Table. After lengthy, animated and at times emotional discussions and various additional loops, its proposals were accepted by a large majority.
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New bishop of the UMC in Central and Southern Europe
On November 18, delegates to the Central Conference in Basel elected Stefan Zürcher from Switzerland as bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church in the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. He received exactly the number of 41 votes needed for election in the 4th ballot.
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