The British Conference which met in Preston in June 1963 passed the resolution granting autonomy to the Ceylon Church. The Chairman of the Ceylon District was present on the occasion, and received the warm greetings of British Methodism under whose wing the Ceylon Church had come of age.

The Service of Inauguration of the Ceylon Methodist Conference was held on 18 June 1964. The service opened with the singing of the hymn "We come unto our Father's God". During the singing of this hymn, the members of the Ceylon Conference and the delegates from the British Conference entered the church in procession and took their seats in the chancel. Even in this opening act of praise our minds were brought back in thought to the early missionaries and their successors, both Ceylonese and from overseas. "We bring thee Lord the praise they brought, we seek Thee as Thy saints have sought in every generation".

One of the most significant moments in the history of Ceylon Methodism was at this Service when the Rev Dr Frederic Greeves, as the President of the British Methodist Conference, declared that the Methodist Church, Ceylon "is now inaugurated for the purpose of witnessing to the Good News of Jesus Christ and for the spreading of Scriptural Holiness throughout the land and to the ends of the earth". From that moment the Ceylon Church was autonomous!

It has been said that freedom is not being able to do what you like, but it is being able to become what you ought to be. Now that Ceylon Methodism is free, she should seek above all else to become what God means her to be.

The most historic moment in the service was when the President of the British Conference - who up to this point was also the President of the Methodist Church in Ceylon - called upon the persons who had been appointed by the British Conference and the Ceylon Synod, as signatories of the Deed of Foundation of the Ceylon Conference, to come forward and sign. Very appropriately, the signing of the Deed of Foundation was followed by the singing of the Te Deum. After the reading of the Scripture lesson, the President of the British Conference inducted the Rev Frederick Stanley de Silva as the first President of the Conference of the Methodist Church, Ceylon. A very pleasing act followed when the new Ceylon President was robed by three former Chairmen - the Rev S George Mendis, the Rev G Basil Jackson, and the Rev Dr James S Mather. Also one of the most moving acts of worship was the singing of Charles Wesley's great hymn, "Behold the servant of the Lord!" Once more we were made aware of the rich heritage that is ours in the hymns of Charles Wesley.

After a brief service of Holy Communion and the singing of the hymn, "Now let us see Thy beauty Lord", the President, Rev Frederick S De Silva preached the sermon. The President's sermon was titled "In Christ, In Lanka" and for its text Philippians 1:1 - "To all the saints In Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi".

In the course of his sermon he said, "Man's spirit cannot any longer be tied down even to this planet. It could burst the barrier of national cultures and create a world culture of its own. It could discard every religion that has no relevance to the march of history and the developments of science. In all this upsurge of man's spirit, with its concomitant dangers, I can also see the hand of God bringing about His new creation. 'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation'. To be in Christ is to be caught up in God's purposes to bring about His new creation".

"The finest flower of the Christian life is not only the life of the priest, the sevaka and the sister, but also the life of the parent bringing up his family, the farmer producing food, the clerk and statesman keeping the wheels of society going while they are in Christ".

"The Church is in this land to bring the divine perspective to bear upon everything that happens here. Not because we want to save the Church, but because we want to save 'The Pearl of the Indian Ocean'. We are called to be saints In Christ In Lanka. Let us go forth into the life of our country with our eyes on the Divine compass".

The Conference met in business session on June 20, and after devotions, the Vice President of the British Conference Mr. David Foot Nash inducted Mr. H Watson Peiris as the first Vice President of the Ceylon Conference. Mr. Peiris in his address stressed the Priesthood of all Believers and called upon Methodists to understand its implications. The Deed of Church Order was signed and the Conference entered into a covenant of continuing partnership with the Methodist Missionary Society.

The Methodist Conference is held annually in August at which the Home Church in UK is represented by a delegate.