This is a chronological list of presidents of the Methodist Conference of the Methodist Church of Great Britain and its predecessor churches.
John Wesley, founder of Methodism, organised and presided over the first Methodist Conference, which was to become the Methodist Church's governing body. This article lists his successors, who are elected by the Conference to serve a one-year term. Presidents follow Wesley's example in travelling extensively across Great Britain, visiting and preaching in local Methodist chapels. Presidents also have an important role representing the Methodist Church in the wider world (most prominently, appearing at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall).
The first century of British Methodism was characterised by multiple splits from the original Wesleyan Methodist Connexion. Other Methodist branches, such as the Primitive Methodist Connexion, Bible Christian Church and the Methodist New Connexion had their own conferences and presidents. The various branches were re-united in 1932.
John Wesley and the early conference Methodism traces its roots to the 18th-century Anglican evangelist John Wesley and, to a lesser extent, his brother Charles. The Wesley brothers began an evangelical revival within the Church of England. Over time, John Wesley organised converts locally, founding Methodist "societies", organised into "circuits", and linked in a "connexion". All preachers were in were in connexion primarily with him and thence with each other. John and Charles Wesley, along with four other ministers and four lay preachers, met for consultation in London in 1744. This set a precedent for future conferences; subsequently, the annual conference became the ruling body of the Methodist movement.
In 1773, John Wesley had designated John William Fletcher to be his successor, however he outlived Fletcher. In 1784 Wesley made provision for the governance of Methodism after his death through the Yearly Conference of the People called Methodists. He nominated 100 people and declared them to be its members and laid down the method by which their successors were to be appointed.
Wesley himself was the original president of the Methodist Conference – though Christopher Hopper presided in Wesley's absence at the 1780 conference in Bristol – but after Wesley's death, it was agreed that in the future, so much authority would not be placed in the hands of one man.
The Wesleyan Conference of 1792 laid down that the same person was not to be elected president more than once within an eight-year period. Jabez Bunting and Robert Newton each served four non-consecutive terms in office.
A list of Wesley's early successors was produced by the Wesleyan Methodist Church, listing all Presidents up to 1890.Wesley and his successors – a centenary memorial. Wesleyan Methodist Church. Accessed on 9 October 2021 The My Methodist History website has compiled a list of all Methodist presidents from the 1932 deed of union to 2000,Presidents of The Conference since 1932. My Methodist History. Accessed 2 September 2014. and the My Primitive Methodist Ancestors site has collated the list for the Primitive Methodist presidents from their first conference up to union of 1932.My Primitive Methodist Ancestors: Presidents of Conference. Accessed 2 September 2014 The gap in the Wesleyan records is filled from entries in the Methodist Who's Who of 1912,The Methodist Who's Who. 1912 ed. published by Charles H Kelly, London and the Wesleyan Historical Society's Dictionary of Methodism.Wesleyan Historical Society Dictionary of Methodism, accessed 2 September 2014 The Methodist Church of Great Britain website had a list of presidents (and lay vice-presidents) from 2000 onwards. Additional information on twentieth century Presidents is provided by the Manchester University's Methodist Archives and Research Centre.The Methodist Archives Biographical Index , The John Rylands University Library, The University of Manchester Archive Accessions, 1977–2011
1791–1819 Year of election President of Wesleyan Methodist Conference1791William Thompson1792Alexander Mather1793John Pawson1794Thomas Hanby1795Joseph Bradford 1796Thomas Taylor1797Thomas Coke LL.D1798Joseph Benson 1799Samuel Bradburn1800James Wood1801John Pawson1802Joseph Taylor SEN.1803Joseph Bradford 1804Henry Moore1805Thomas Coke LL.D1806Adam Clarke M.A LL.D1807John Barber1808James Wood1809Thomas Taylor1810Joseph Benson1811Charles Atmore1812Joseph Entwisle 1813Walter Griffith1814Adam Clarke LL.D 1815John Barber1816Richard Reece1817John Gaulter1818Jonathan Edmonson M.A 1819Jonathan Crowther
1820–1932: Wesleyans and Primitives
(During the early years of the Primitives' conference the presidents were not recorded, and may have been elected for each day of the conference. A later record indicates that amongst those serving as Primitive Methodist presidents before 1849, there were, in addition to those listed below, Hugh Bourne, William Garner, Thomas Bateman, Joseph Bailey, George Tetley, Sampson Turner.History of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, J H Kendall, (undated, 1888?))
Year of election President of Wesleyan Methodist ConferencePresident of Primitive Methodist Conference1820Jabez Bunting A.M D.D George Handford1821George Marsden1822Adam Clarke LL.D 1823Henry Moore1824Robert Newton D.D 1825Joseph EntwisleThomas King1826Richard Watson James Bourne Esq 1827John Stephens1828Jabez Bunting A.M. 1829James Townley D.D.James Bourne Esq 1830George Morley1831George Marsden1832Robert Newton1833Richard Treffry SEN 1834Joseph Taylor (2ND) 1835Richard ReeceThomas King1836Jabez Bunting D.D 1837Edmund Grindrod1838Thomas Jackson1839Theophilus Lessey1840Robert Newton1841James Dixon D.D 1842John Hannah D.D James Bourne Esq 1843John ScottJohn Garner 1844Jabez Bunting D.D William Clowes 1845Jacob StanleyWilliam Clowes 1846William AthertonWilliam Clowes 1847Samuel JacksonJohn Garner 1848Robert Newton D.D Thomas King 1849Thomas JacksonStephen Longdin 1850John Beecham D.D John Garner 1851John Hannah D.DJohn Garner 1852John ScottJohn Garner1853John LomasJoseph Bailey Esq1854John FarrarJohn Garner 1855Isaac KeelingGeorge Tetley 1856Robert Young Sampson Turner 1857Francis A WestThomas Bateman Esq 1858John BowersSampson Turner 1859Samuel Dousland Waddy D.D William Garner 1860William W Stamp D.D John Petty1861John RattenburyWilliam Garner 1862Charles PrestWilliam Harland1863George Osborn D.D William Antliff 1864William L Thornton M.A James Garner1865William ShawWilliam Antliff 1866William Arthur M.A George Lamb1867John Bedford Thomas Bateman Esq 1868Samuel Romilly HallWilliam Lister 1869Frederick James Jobson D.D. Phillip Pugh 1870John Farrar Moses Lupton1871John H James D.D James Garner1872Luke H Wiseman M.A James Macpherson 1873George Thomas Perks M.A.Samuel Antliff1874W Morley Punshon LL.D William Rowe1875Gervase Smith D.D Robert Smith 1876Alexander M'AulayJohn Dickenson 1877William Burt Pope D.DThomas Smith 1878James Harrison Rigg D.DHenry Phillips 1879Benjamin Gregory D.DThomas Newell1880Ebenezer Evans Jenkins M.A D.D Colin C McKechnie1881George Osborn D.D Charles Kendall 1882Charles GarrettJoseph Wood1883Thomas M'CullaghWilliam Cutts 1884Frederic Greeves D.D George Lamb1885Richard RobertsRalph Fenwick 1886Robert Newton Young D.D John Atkinson1887John Walton M.AThomas Whitehead 1888Joseph BushThomas Whittaker1889Charles Henry KellyJoseph Toulson 1890William Fiddian Moulton M.A D.DJohn Hallam1891Thomas Bowman StephensonJoseph Ferguson 1892James Harrison RiggJames Travis 1893Henry John PopeJohn Stephenson1894Walford GreenJohn Wenn1895David James WallerJohn Watson 1896Dr Marshall RandlesWilliam Jones1897William L WatkinsonJames Jackson 1898Hugh Price HughesJohn Smith1899John Edward RadcliffeWilliam Goodman1900Thomas AllenJoseph Odell1901William Theophllus DavisonH Bickerstaffe Kendall 1902John Shaw BanksThomas Mitchell 1903Marshall HartleyThomas H Hunt 1904Silvester WhiteheadRobert Harrison 1905Charles Henry KellyGeorge E Butt1906Albert ClaytonGeorge Parkin1907John Smith SimonHenry Yooll 1908John Scott LidgettJames Pickett 1909William PerkinsSir William P Hartley1910John HornabrookSamuel S Henshaw 1911Dr Henry HaighEdwin Dalton 1912Frederick Luke WisemanThomas Jackson1913Samuel Francis CollierJoseph Ritson1914Dr Dinsdale Thomas YoungGeorge Bennett1915Richard Waddy MossJohn D Thompson 1916Dr John Greenwood TaskerArthur T Guttery 1917Simson JohnsonJames T Parr1918Samuel ChadwickWilliam A Hammond 1919Dr William Theodore Aquila BarberJames Watkin 1920John Thomas Wardle StaffordMatthew P Davison 1921Dr John Alfred SharpeSamuel Horton 1922John E WakerleyHenry J Taylor 1923Thomas Ferrier HulmeGeorge Armstrong 1924Amos BurnetJoseph T Barkby 1925John Holland RitsonJames Lockhart1926William Russell MaltbyAlbert L Humphries 1927William Hodson SmithGeorge Armitage 1928Dr John William LightleyJohn G Bowran 1929William Francis LofthouseJames H Saxton1930Dr Herbert Brook WorkmanWilliam M Kelley 1931Charles Rider SmithEdward McLellan 1932Dr Henry Maldwyn HughesWilliam Younger
Post-1932
In 1932 each denomination held a conference which elected their own interim presidents, followed a few months later by a unified conference at which a new president and lay vice-president were elected.