The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a Methodist–Christian denomination that is one of the largest Protestant churches in the United States. It was founded in 1968 by the union of the Methodist Church (USA) and the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The UMC traces its roots back to the teachings of John and Charles Wesley in England. With over 8 million members and 35,000 churches it is second only to the Southern Baptist Convention among Protestant denominations. As of 2009, worldwide membership was about 12 million. It is a member of the World Council of Churches, the World Methodist Council, and other religious associations.