In the mid-1800s, influenced by the holiness
movement, Benjamin Titus Roberts and oth ers involved with
the Genesee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church
encouraged a return to primitive Methodism and the doc trine
of entire sanctification. They were expelled from the
Methodist Episcopal Church and were unable to join any other
Methodist body. Therefore they began the Free Methodist
Church on August 23, 1860.
In 2005 there were approximately 1,000 churches,
fellowships and new church plants with 76,000 members in the
United States and 729,500 members worldwide.
Read on to learn more of the particulars that make Free
Methodists who we are today.
Abortion:
The Free Methodist
Church is firmly opposed to abortion. Abortion is
selfish and malicious when it serves the ends of
population or birth control, personal preference,
convenience and social or economic security. We
recognize there are those whose views are contrary to
ours. We believe they should be treated with respect and
dignity since God’s forgiveness is offered to all.
Affiliations:
National Association
of Evangelicals, Christian Holiness Partnership, World
Methodist Council, and Evangelical Council For Financial
Accountability
Baptism:
Water baptism is a
sacrament of the church. The Lord commands it. It is a
declaration of faith. It signifies acceptance of the
benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Baptism is a
symbol of the new covenant of grace, just as
circumcision was the symbol of the old covenant. Free
Methodists baptize by immersion, pouring and sprinkling.
Bioethics:
The biblical
principles of the sanctity of life and the sovereignty
of God guide our approach to bioethics. Our ethics are
not determined only by the extent of the permissiveness
of the law of the state or the possibilities of safe
medical procedures. Free Methodists are forming
statements on such ethical dilemmas as: the allocation
of finite resources, organ transplantation, end-of-life
concerns, genetic engineering and testing, gender
identity issues and others.
Birth Control:
No position.
Capital Punishment:
No position.
Christ’s Return:
The return of Christ
is certain and may occur at any moment. It is not given
us to know the hour. The believ-er’s response is joyous
expectation, watchfulness, readiness and diligence.
Communion:
The Lord’s Supper is
a sacrament of our redemption by Christ’s death. Christ,
according to His promise, is really present in the
sacrament. His body is given, taken, and eaten only
after a heavenly and spiritual manner. Communion is open
to all who are repentant and trust in Christ alone for
their salvation. The supper is also a sign of the love
and unity that Christians have among themselves.
Creation vs.
Evolution:
We believe in God the
Father, Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We are
concerned that concepts of first origins shall have
completely fair consideration in public schools.
Instructional materials are available that permit a
scientific treatment of the several concepts of origin,
including special creation (that all basic life forms
and life processes were created by a supernatural
creator). Therefore, the church desires the concept of
special creation will be presented in, or along with,
all courses, textbooks, library materials and teaching
aids dealing in any way with the subject of first
origins.
Deity of Jesus:
Jesus was conceived
by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus of
Nazareth was God in flesh, truly God and truly human. He
came to save us. For us the Son of God suffered, was
crucified, dead and buried. He poured out His life as a
blameless sacrifice for our sin. Jesus Christ is risen
victorious from the dead. He ascended into heaven where
He sits as our exalted Lord at the right hand of God the
Father. He will return to judge all people. “Every knee
will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11).
Distinguishing
Beliefs/Practices:
Free Methodists today
seek to continue the mission of first-century
Christianity. They follow the vision of John Wesley and
the early Methodists who declared they existed “to raise
up a holy people.”
Free Methodists are a fellowship of Christians in
earnest to get to heaven. They are also committed to
working in the world for the salvation of all men. They
place their commitment to Christ and His church above
all others. They believe the conditions of salvation are
the same now as they were in the days of the apostles.
In doctrine, Free Methodists’ beliefs are the
standard beliefs of evangelical, Arminian Protestantism,
with distinctive emphasis on the scriptural teaching of
entire sanctification as held by John Wesley.
In experience,
Free Methodists stress the reality of an inner
cleansing and power that attests the doctrine of
entire sanctification, both in the inward
consciousness of the believer and in his outward
life. Their worship is characterized by simplicity
and freedom of the Spirit, liberated from elaborate
ritual.
Free Methodists maintain a life of daily devotion
to Christ that springs from inward holiness and
separates the Christian From the world, even while
he/she lives in the world. They believe the best way
to keep worldliness from invading the church is for
the church to invade the world with redemptive
purpose.
Free Methodists practice a complete consecration
of every power and possession to the service of God
and man. They believe so strongly in the mission of
the church that they are committed to responsible
stewardship in finance. Therefore they do not need
to resort to commercial efforts to support the cause
of Christ.
Free Methodists recognize that God gives
spiritual gifts of service and leadership to both
men and women. Since male and female are both
created in the image of God, that image is most
fully reflected when both women and men work in
concert at all levels of the church. Therefore, all
positions in the church are accessible to any whom
God has called.
Free Methodists sense a special obligation to
preach the gospel to the poor. The provisions of the
gospel are for all. Jesus set the example. Of His
ministry it was reported, “The blind receive their
sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the
poor have the gospel preached to them” (Luke 7:22).
This preaching to the poor was the crowning proof
that He was the one who should come. In this respect
the church must follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Free Methodists are committed to the New
Testament ideals of simplicity and modesty as a
style of life. They wish to call attention not to
themselves, but to their Lord.
Divorce and
Remarriage:
When a marriage is
violated by sexual infidelity, the partners are
encouraged to work for restoration. Where reconciliation
is impossible, divorce may be unavoidable. Persons who
have been involved in divorce while in a state of
unbelief shall not be barred from becoming members, even
though they remarry. Believers are not prohibited from
marrying a person who was divorced while an unbeliever.
A member of the church divorced from an adulterous
spouse or deserted by an unbelieving mate, after
attempts at forgiveness and reconciliation have been
rejected, may remarry.
Euthanasia:
There is no
justification for euthanasia or physician-assisted
suicide. It is understood that a terminally ill person’s
request that life not be sustained by heroic measures,
does not constitute euthanasia or physi-cian-assisted
suicide. We recognize that it is permissible to use
painkillers and other medications, which carry the risk
of shortening life so long as the intent is to relieve
or otherwise benefit the patient, rather than to cause
death. We further recognize the responsibility of
medical professionals to alleviate pain within these
parameters. Christians must discourage the assumption
that some lives are not worth living. We believe that
there is no such thing as a “useless” life. The value
and worth in our lives rests primarily in our
relationship with a God Who loves us.
Government:
The Free Methodist
Church is a modified episcopacy with equal lay
representation in all the major governing bodies of the
church.
Heaven/Hell:
For those who trust
Jesus Christ and obediently follow Him, there is a
heaven of eternal glory and the blessedness of Christ’s
presence. But for the finally impenitent there is a hell
of eternal suffering and separation from God.
Homosexuality:
Homosexual behavior,
as all sexual deviation, is a perversion of God’s
created order. The sanctity of marriage and the family
is to be preserved against all manner of immoral
conduct. The Free Methodist Church does not recognize
the legitimacy or participation in the practice of
same-sex marriage. Homosexual behavior is contrary to
the will of God as clearly stated in Scripture. Persons
with homosexual inclinations are accountable to God for
their behavior. The forgiving and delivering grace of
God in Christ is all-sufficient for the homosexual.
The church has a personal and corporate
responsibility to be God’s instrument of healing,
restoring love to homosexuals seeking recovery of
Christian conduct and lifestyle. The church opposes
legislation which makes homosexual conduct or lifestyle
legitimate.
Inspiration of
Scripture:
The Bible is God’s
written Word, uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit. It
bears unerring witness to Jesus Christ, the living Word.
As attested by the early church and subsequent councils,
it is the trustworthy record of God’s revelation,
completely faithful in all it affirms. It has been
faithfully preserved and proves itself true in human
experience. The Scriptures have come to us through human
authors who wrote, as God moved them, in the languages
and literary forms of their times. The Bible has
authority over all human life. Whatever cannot be found
in the Bible nor can be proved by it is not to be
required as an article of belief or as necessary to
salvation.
Miracles:
Free Methodists hold
that all healing — whether of body, mind or spirit — has
its ultimate source in God who is above all and through
all and in all. He may heal by the mediation of surgery,
medication, change of environment, counseling, corrected
attitudes, or through the restorative process of nature
itself. He may heal through one or more of the above or
in combination with prayer. Or He may heal by direct
intervention in response to prayer.
Restrictions:
Members are expected
to abstain from: the manufacture, sale, and use of
alcohol, harmful drugs and tobacco; all forms of
gambling; membership in secret societies; and
involvement with pornography.
Security of
Salvation:
God gives assurance
of salvation and peace of heart to all who repent and
put their faith in him. The Holy Spirit witnesses to the
believers’ spirits that they are forgiven of their sins
and adopted into the family of God. The Christian has
peace with God through Jesus Christ because guilt is
taken away and fear of judgment is removed. God
continues to give assurance to believers through the
Scriptures, the conscious presence of the Holy Spirit,
and love for and fellowship with other Christians.
Speaking in Tongues
and Other Gifts of the Spirit:
The believer is to
seek evidence of the Holy Spirit’s fullness not through
the gifts themselves, but the Giver. Speaking or
teaching to speak unintelligible sounds is not
consistent with the order brought about by the Holy
Spirit. The language of worship is the language of the
people. All communication in worship is to be
experienced with understanding.
Trinity:
There is but one
living and true God, the maker and preserver of all
things. In the unity of this Godhead there are three
persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These
are one in eternity, deity and purpose — everlasting,
and of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness.
Women in Ministry:
Free Methodists
recognize that God gives spiritual gifts of service and
leadership to both men and women. Since male and female
are both created in the image of God, that image is most
fully reflected when both women and men work in concert
at all levels of the church. Women should be encouraged
to take their place in all areas of church leadership
and ministry.
For more information
contact:
P.O. Box 535002 •
Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002 Phone: (317) 244-3660 • Fax:
(317) 241-1247 • info@freemethodistchurch.org
Pleasant
View Free Methodist Church
