Our Story
1971
Denver, Colorado, United States – World Methodist Evangelism is an affiliate organization of the World Methodist Council.
“It is time for all the people called Methodists to go on World Mission and Evangelism together! We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ’s Commission to His church to preach the Gospel and to make Disciples is the supreme business of the Church. God through the Holy Spirit is calling the Methodist people everywhere to a strengthened and sustained thrust in world mission and evangelism.”
1974
The World Methodist Convocation on Evangelism is held in Jerusalem. Over 3,000 Methodists gather in Shepherd’s Field near Bethlehem to commit themselves to spreading the same good news which the angels declared to the shepherds, “A Savior is born.”
The first Worldwide Conferences on Evangelism are held in every region and continent: Ghana (Africa); India and Singapore (Asia); Australia; Brazil, Bahamas and USA (Americas); and Switzerland (Europe).
1978
Sir Alan Walker, a distinguished church and national leader from Sydney, Australia was the first World Director of WME and provided inspired early direction from 1978 to 1988. Under his leadership, WME held the first International Christian Youth Conference on Evangelism – now known as Metanoia – in Truro, England in 1980.
1980
Truro, England – World Methodist Evangelism holds the first International Christian Youth Conference on Evangelism - now called Metanoia. Over 800 young adults gather from 47 countries and for the first time, black and white young adults from South Africa are permitted to travel together to attend.
1982
World Methodist Evangelism Institute is founded by Dr. George Morris. The Institute is a collaborative ministry of WME and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Together, the Institute and WME host seminars all over the world, with the first held in Africa and attended by people from 32 different countries.
1986
Sir Alan and Lady Winifred Walker receive the World Methodist Peace Prize. The Australian couple who shared a lifetime of ministry which emphasized moral and spiritual transformation and reconciliation, both worked as evangelists and emissaries of peace on six continents. Walker preached that peace would not come as long as the world accepted war as a means of settling the human conflict.
1987
Regional Secretaries are selected to advance the work of WME throughout the world and gather for their first world meeting.
1989
Dr. H. Eddie Fox became WME’s first full-time Executive Director and significantly expanded the organization’s global impact. During his 25 years of leadership, he established the Order of the FLAME, Connecting Congregations, the Regional Evangelism Secretaries, and Faith-Sharing Seminars, setting a strong foundation for the years ahead. He served in that position until his retirement in 2014.
1990
WME is invited to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev when he is awarded the World Methodist Peace Prize from the World Methodist Council. Dr. Maxie Dunnam, Chair of WME at the time, along with Bishop Sundo Kim, then WME Regional Secretary in Asia, attended the event and closed the meeting in prayer.
1991
The Prayer and Fasting Community is formed as a way to encourage the Wesleyan Methodist family around the world as they fast and pray in the pattern of John Wesley.
1994
Tallinn, Estonia – WME partners with the Methodist Church in Estonia to found the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary.
1996
On the 25th Anniversary of World Methodist Evangelism, the Order of the FLAME (Faithful Leaders As Mission Evangelists) is formed. This annual gathering of young clergy and their spouses has continued, training over 2,500 leaders to be mission evangelists in their communities.
2004
Leadership Summits in Asia (Singapore) and the Americas (Cuba). The gathering in Havana, Cuba included more than 120 leaders from 20 countries and 26 Wesleyan Methodist denominations in North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
2014
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman succeeded Dr. Fox in 2014 and continued that legacy of growth and innovation. Under her leadership, WME strengthened existing ministries and launched new and thriving ones, supported by an expanded and gifted staff team. She developed Embrace: Showing and Sharing the Love of Jesus, an evangelism training resource that helps people deepen their faith and share it with authenticity and grace. She also guided WME through the challenges of the COVID pandemic by leading the ministry into the digital space. Through that season, she initiated online evangelism training and launched WE419, a one-of-a-kind online community. The Order of the FLAME also flourished under her leadership, growing beyond the U.S. and introducing the FLAME Fellows mentoring cohorts for pastors. Kim retired and stepped away from her role as Executive Director in March 2026, but continues to serve the WME family as our appointed Ambassador.
2015
Rev. Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, WME Board Member, and founder, and former CEO (1996-2008) of World Hope International receives World Methodist Peace Award.
2018
Embrace: Showing and Sharing the Love of Christ is published. A faith-sharing resource to help you share your faith with boldness, confidence, and grace.
2019
WME is invited for an audience with Pope Francis. The Executive Director of WME sits on the steering committee of the World Methodist Council, and the Council is involved in ecumenical dialogues with other religious groups – in this case, the Roman Catholic Church. This event marked the 50th anniversary of the beginning of those ecumenical talks. WME has a high profile in these kinds of international ecumenical happenings.
2026
Mr. (João) Paulo Lopes is installed as Executive Director of World Methodist Evangelism. Paulo is a missionary with the 6th region of the Brazilian Methodist Church and has been WME’s Director of Emerging Leadership since 2020 after 10 years of ministry in the local church and denominational levels. He has designed and implemented leadership development pathways across WME’s ministry areas, and created WME’s Mission Evangelist Framework, which shapes our training and resource development globally. Through his outstanding leadership and global perspective, Paulo has demonstrated a deep understanding of WME’s mission and a passion for connecting the worldwide Wesleyan Methodist family in the shared work of evangelism.