By David R. Bauer Like all Christian bodies, the Free Methodist Church is presently confronted with the necessity of responding to strong cultural pressures to accept homosexual relationships, especially those described as “monogamous, covenantal partnerships.” The recent move to legalize “gay marriage” in many states (and nations) has provided the impetus to address this matter… Continue reading
Post Category → 2011
HOMOSEXUALITY ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE POSITION OF THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH ON SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS By David R. Bauer Like all Christian bodies, the Free Methodist Church is presently confronted with the necessity of responding to strong cultural pressures to accept homosexual relationships, especially those described as “monogamous, covenantal partnerships.” The recent move to legalize “gay marriage”… Continue reading
The Free Methodist Position on Immigration
SCOD 2013 Bishop David Roller and Bruce Cromwell At the heart of the arguments surrounding immigration matters is a fundamental tension between our desire to care for all persons and our respect for the rights of the state to establish laws, including economic policy. Both are legitimate impulses but their position, vis-à-vis each other, is… Continue reading
Pastoral Responses to Marital Failure
David W. Kendall 2012 In the gospel records the opponents of Jesus attempt to drag him into the controversy over grounds of divorce. They put the question to Jesus, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason? (Matthew 19:3). Clearly these Pharisees, conservative by bent, observing what they… Continue reading
Islam and Christians: A Guide for Free Methodists
by A. H. Mathias Zahniser, Scholar-in-Residence, Greenville College “We Muslims have to believe in Jesus; so why don’t you Christians accept Muhammad?” Ahmad, my guide at the Islamic Society of North America in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, asked me this question with visible hurt and expectation. The Qur’an requires all Muslims to believe in Jesus and… Continue reading
Framing Missional Response to 21st Century Challenges
By Bishop David Kendall The Challenges of Same-Sex Marriage Biblical, Theological, Historical Framework We will respond to the proponents of same sex marriage and our friends who experience same sex attraction out of the larger historical and theological framework of the biblical story. According to our scriptural story, God created all that is and is… Continue reading
The Free Methodist Church’s Response to Sexuality and Sexual Orientation
By Bishop Matthew Thomas THE FREE METHODIST POSTION ON SEXUALITY Anyone living in 21st century North America should be familiar with changing societal mores regarding human sexuality. Most pastors have frequent opportunities for ministry and face questions pertaining to Biblical teaching on sexual matters and how it applies to their ministry- preaching, teaching, baptism, discipleship,… Continue reading
HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE CHURCH HISTORIC
By Dr. Bruce N. G. Cromwell What Does the Tradition Component of the Quadrilateral Have to Say Regarding the LGBT Debate? Free Methodist Study Commission on Doctrine, 2014 Even a cursory examination of Church history finds numerous statements from mothers and fathers of the faith regarding sexuality, including what contemporary discourse has identified as LGBT sexual… Continue reading
THE CHURCH AND MISSION
The recent tendency to use the word “missional” to divide the church’s inward and outward responsibilities is true neither to the Church’s nature nor its God-given mission. Mission is the very essence of the Church’s existence. Mission is not something the Church does. Mission is what the Church is. Mission encapsulates the Church’s entire life…. Continue reading
Modern-Day Slavery
A fact sheet and call to action for local churches Slavery and human trafficking in all their forms are unjust, destroy human dignity and devalue human life. We denounce and resist all forms of slavery and human trafficking: indentured servitude, trade slavery, sex-slave trade, and the forced sale and/or transport of people (forced adoption for… Continue reading