Eglise Protestante Methodiste de Cote d’Ivoire (Methodist Church of the Ivory Coast)
Ivory Coast Factfile
1914
Founded
1964
Autonomy
Founded in 1914 by a Liberian lay preacher, EPMCI took root in Côte d’Ivoire and gained recognition under the British Conference in 1924.
Fast forward to 2002, a significant split saw a large faction join the UMC, forming the EMCI–UMC, which operated from the USA. Meanwhile, EPMCI choosing not to join the UMC, separately continued its mission.
In May 2024, the UMC wing of the church withdrew from the UMC. Rebranding itself as the Methodist Church of Ivory Coast in June 2025, it elected a new bishop and retained most church properties. EPMCI, however, is still considered the ‘original’ expression of Methodism in Cote D’Ivoire and is a member of the Africa Methodist Council (AMC).
Dialogue between the two Methodist expressions is ongoing, and the Methodist Church in Britain is actively renewing its partnership—keeping the spirit of unity and faith alive in Côte d’Ivoire.