The foundations of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome were laid in the mid-20th century. Beginning in 1955 a minister from the Methodist Church in Great Britain was stationed at the Ponte Sant`Angelo Methodist Church, an English-speaking Methodist congregation in the heart of Rome, who also acted informally as a link with the ecumenical work of the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Over time the fruitful interactions with PCPCU led the World Methodist Council in cooperation with several partners to establish a formal and permanent office in Rome.
The Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome was officially established under the World Methodist Council in 2014 as worldwide Methodism’s ecumenical presence in Rome. A special service of dedication was held by international Methodist leaders for the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome in April 2016, followed by a private audience with Pope Francis.
MEOR’s first full-time director – the Reverend Matthew A. Laferty – was appointed in 2020.
Mission Statement
The Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome is a presence for the World Methodist Council:
- to be a channel of dialogue with other churches in the search for a deeper unity;
- to foster relationships with other agencies and faith communities in order to promote better understanding and joint action for justice and peace;
- to offer a ministry of prayer and reflection, of learning and growth;
- to be a place of open hospitality to Methodists and all visitors to Rome.
The Centre
MEOR opened a centre for ecumenical, educational and cultural use located near Ponte Sant’Angelo and steps from the Vatican. The opportunity to engage with ecumenical partners in Rome, our proximity to the Vatican and our links with the Anglican Centre and with those engaged in mission projects (e.g. Mediterranean Hope and the Sant`Egidio Community) enables the Centre to be a good base for reflection on contemporary mission and ministry in an ecumenical context.
The Forum
The Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome is overseen by a governance board called ‘the Forum’. The Forum is comprised of representatives of the World Methodist Council, the Methodist Church in Great Britain, the European Methodist Council, The United Methodist Church, and the Methodist Churches in Italy.
The Director
The Reverend Matthew A. Laferty is the director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, overseeing worldwide Methodist relations with the Catholic Church and Holy See (Vatican). Rev. Laferty is also the co-secretary of the Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission, the official theological dialogue commission between the World Methodist Council and the Holy See.
Learn more about our Director.
You may contact the director at director [at] meorome.org.
Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome 