Presidents of The Conference since 1932

A list of those who have held office

Impress of the Seal of the Methodist Conference
Wesley Historical Society

Whilst drafting my page on the million half-crowns appeal I noted that there was a reference to the “then President of Conference” being present at the stone laying and Opening of the Methodist Youth Department HQ but no names were given.

I was surprised, if not dismayed, to find that there is nowhere, easily accessible, on the internet which shows a complete list of those who held the office of President of the Conference since Union in 1932.

Whilst looking through some old Minutes of Conference from 1963 (I really must get out more!) I found a list up to that date. I then turned to my Garlick’s Methodist Registry 1983 and Minutes of Conference 2005 to complete the list.

We clearly moved away from indicating the educational achievements of the President of Conference sometime between 1983 and 2005 but as I had already typed them into the list I have left those I found in!

The picture is an impress of the Seal of the Conference taken from a Wesley Historical Society Journal which is in the Public Domain. You can read more about the seal in that Journal which can be accessed here

My next task to create some links to biographies of these fine Methodists.

YEAR      PRESIDENT OF CONFERENCE

1932  John Scott Lidgett, C.H., M.A., D.D., LL.D.

1933  Frederick Luke Wiseman, B.A., D.D., Litt.D.

1934  William Younger

1935  Willliam Christopher Jackson, M.A.

1936  Charles Ensor Walters

1937  Robert Bond, D.D.

1938  William Lansdell Wardle, M.A., D.D.

1939  Richard Pyke

1940  Henry Bett, M.A., Litt.D.

1941  Walter Henry Armstrong

1942  Walter James Noble, D.D.

1943  Leslie Frederick Church, B.A., Ph.D.

1944  Wilbert Francis Howard, M.A., D.D., F.B.A.

1945  Archibald Walter Harrison, M.C., B.A., B.Sc., D.D.

1946  Robert Newton Flew, M.A., D.D.

1947  William Edward Farndale, D.D.

1948  Ernest Benson Perkins, M.A., LL.D.

1949  Harold Burgoyne Rattenbury, B.A.

1950  William Edward Sangster, M.A., Ph.D. LL.D.

1951  Howard Watkin-Jones, M.A., D.D

1952  Colin Augustus Roberts, D.D.

1953  Donald Oliver Soper, M.A., Ph.D.

1954  William Russel Shearer, M.A.

1955  Leslie Dixon Weatherhead, M.A., D.D., Ph.D., D.Litt.

1956  Harold Crawford Walters, D.D.

1957  Harold Roberts, M.A., D.D., Ph.D.

1958  Norman Henry Snaith, M.A., D.D.

1959  Eric W Baker, M.A., D.D., Ph.D., LL.D.

1960  Edward Rogers, M.A., B.D.

1961  Maldwyn L Edwards, M.A., D.D., Ph.D.

1962  Leslie Davison, D.D., L.H.D.

1963  Frederic Greeves, M.A., LL.D.

1964  A. Kingsley Lloyd

1965  W. Walker Lee, M.A.

1966  Douglas W. Thompson

1967  Irvonwy Morgan, M.A., B.D., Ph.D.

1968  E. Gordon Rupp, F.B.A., M.A., D.D., D. Theol.

1969  Brian Stapleton O’Gorman

1970  Rupert E. Davies, M.A., B.D.

1971  Kenneth L. Waights

1972  Harry O. Morton, M.A.

1973  Donald R. Lee, M.B.E., B.D.

1974  J. Russell Pope

1975  Alfred Raymond George, M.A., B.D.

1976  Colin M. Morris, G.C.O.F., B.A., Litt.D., LL.D.

1977  B. Arthur Shaw, D.Univ.

1978  Donald English, M.A., D.D.

1979  William Gowland

1980  Kenneth G. Greet, D.D.

1981  John A. Newton, M.A., Ph.D.

1982  Norwyn E. Denny, B.D.

1983  Amos Samuel Cresswell

1984  Gordon Emerson Barritt

1985  Christopher Hughes Smith

1986  Nigel Langley Gilson

1987  William Rhys Davies

1988  Richard Granville Jones

1989  John James Vincent

1990  Donald English, M.A., D.D.

1991  Ronald William Cecil Hoar

1992  Kathleen Margaret Richardson

1993  Brian Edgar Beck

1994  Leslie John Griffiths

1995  Brian Richard Hoare

1996  Nigel Thomas Collinson

1997  John Brian Taylor

1998  William Peter Stephens

1999  Stuart John Burgess

A list of those who have served since 2000 can be found on the Methodist Church Website Click Here to access it

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