I often get asked by people some form of this question: What does the “free” part of Free Methodist mean? I find it’s impossible to answer that question without referring to our history (and it’s a history that we can be proud of!).
From www.fmcusa.org
“The Free Methodist Church was birthed in 1860 when Benjamin Titus Roberts, a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church, could no longer serve in harmony with their practices. B.T. Roberts observed that no church could support slaveholding, rent seats in the church, withhold women from full service in the church, and quench the movement of the Holy Spirit in public worship. Therefore, he promoted freedom for all people from slavery, free seats in every house of worship, freedom for women to serve in all roles in the church including pastoral ministry, and freedom for the Holy Spirit to move in public worship.”
Though it is not one of the major historical freedoms of the FMC, the freedom to either have infants baptized or dedicated is also a distinctive. So is the blending of traditional (orthodox) doctrines along side a strong emphasis on putting our faith into action to help the marginalized, such as the poor, incarcerated, handicapped, and those who are trafficked.
I also sometimes get follow-up questions about hot-button issues. Some consider women in ministry a “slippery slope” to progressive doctrines. But for Free Methodists, it’s always been part of who we are, recognizing the important gifts of women to ministry all the way back to the women who first saw our risen Lord on Easter. Nor is it a slippery slope to hold to the traditional biblical teaching on marriage being between one man and one woman, while also recognizing the need to share the love of Christ with the LGBTQ community. So if someone asks me if Free Methodists are progressive or conservative, I have to say we don’t fall easily into either category. And I’m perfectly fine with that.
