EMYC Aims and origin

The EMYC has its origin in the coming together in 1970 of the Youth Committee of the Council of the United Methodist Central Conferences of Europe and representatives of the Methodist Youth Departments of Great Britain and Ireland to form the Methodist Joint Commission for European Youth Work. On 1st January 1975, this name was changed to the "European Methodist Youth Council". Subsequently, the work of the Council was widened by the inclusion of a Children's Commission.

The EMYC brings together those responsible for youth and children's work and representatives of the young people of the Methodist Conferences in Europe. It has a relationship with and reports to the European Methodist Council.
Members share their faith, common Methodist traditions, European cultures and a commitment to work among children and young people.

They recognize that they belong to the world wide church and that God ministers to and challenges them through society, culture, language and the experience of people of every nation.

They expect to discover Christ afresh in and through each other's experience and learn from one another within the fellowship of the Council and its activities.

EMYC aims to:

• make links between those who work with children and young people in Methodist Churches in Europe
• talk about matters of interest
• work out how to bring young people together
• represent the youth and children's work of the Methodist Church in Europe
• plan and evaluate action when required on appropriate issues

Representatives

Representatives come from the following areas and Conferences:

• Methodist Church in Great Britain
• Central Conference of Germany
• Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe (Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech and Slowakian Republics, France, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine)
• Methodist Church in Ireland
• Central Conference of Northern Europe (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Sweden)
• Portugal and Italy also send representatives

There must be at least one youth representative (under 27 years old) from each area, and, preferably, one from each country.