"The addition of Côte d'Ivoire will further internationalize the United Methodist Church and dramatically empower the Africans,” stated Mark Tooley, Executive Director of IRD's UM Action Committee.

The United Methodist General Conference, the Church's governing body, completed steps this week to formally admit the Methodist Church of Ivory Coast into full status as part of the United Methodist Church. The move was a formality, as Ivory Coast had essentially been admitted in 2004, but with only two voting delegates. The formal admission will enable Ivory Coast to produce a much larger representation at the 2012 General Conference.

"We celebrate the final acceptance of Ivory Coast into the United Methodist Church. With almost 700,000 Methodists, Ivory Coast could potentially send seventy delegates to the next General Conference of the church.”

According to United Methodist Communications, with 677,355 members, the Ivory Coast Conference becomes by far the largest in The United Methodist Church. By comparison, Virginia, the largest regional conference in the United States, has 341,264 lay members.

"The growth of vibrant Methodism in Côte d'Ivoire is a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit."

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