Our Heritage

Free Methodist Articles of Religion
Articles of Religion ¶ 101 - 1993 Book of Discipline - Free Methodist Church in Canada

About God
About the Scriptures
About Man
About Salvation
About the Church
About Last Things

Our Family Tree

What Is A Methodist?

Women In Ministry

Our History
Interpreting Scripture
Biblical Support for Women in Ministry
Old Testament Insights
New Testament Insights
Conclusion
Response

About God

I. The Holy 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 three are one in eternity, deity, and purpose; everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. (Genesis 1:1-2; Exodus 3:13-15; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3; 5:19-23; 14:9-11; 16:13-15; 2 Cor3:14)

II. The Son

His Incarnation – God was Himself in Jesus Christ to reconcile man to God. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, He joined together the deity of God and the humanity of man. Jesus of Nazareth was God in human flesh, truly God and truly man. 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 and transgressions. We gratefully acknowledge that He is our Savior, the one perfect mediatory between God and man. (Matt 1:21; 20:20; 26:27-28; Luke 1:35; 19:10; John 1:1, 10, 14; 2 Cor 5:18-19; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:17; 9:14-15)

His Resurrection and Exaltation – Jesus Christ is risen victorious from the dead. His resurrected body became more glorious, not hindered by ordinary human limitations. Thus He ascended into heaven. There He sits as our exalted Lord at the right hand of God the Father, where He intercedes for us until His enemies shall be brought into complete subjection. He will return to judge all men. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Matt 25:31-32; Luke 24:1-7; 24:39; John 20:19; Acts 1:9-11; 2:24; Romans 8:33-34; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:1-4)

 III. The Holy Spirit

His Person – The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Proceeding from the Father and the Son, He is one with them, the eternal Godhead; equal in deity, majesty, and power. He is God effective in Creation, in life, and in the church. The incarnation and ministry of Jesus Christ were accomplished by the Holy Spirit. He continues to reveal, interpret, and glorify the Son.

(Matt 28:19; John 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:13-15)

His Work in Salvation – The Holy Spirit is the administrator of the salvation planned by the Father and provided by the Son's death, resurrection, and ascension. He is the effective agent in our conviction, regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. He is our Lord's ever-present self, indwelling, assuring, and enabling the believer. (John 16:7-8; Acts 15:8-9; Romans 8:9, 14-16; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 4:6)

His Relation to the Church – The Holy Spirit is poured out upon the church by the Father and the Son. He is the church's life and witnessing power. He bestows the love of God and makes real the lordship of Jesus Christ in the believer so that both His gifts of words and service may achieve the common good, and build and increase the church. In relation to the world He is the Spirit of truth, and His instrument is the Word of God. (Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 2 Peter 1:21)

About the Scriptures

IV. Authority

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 truthful 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. God continues, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, to speak through this Word to each generation and culture. The Bible has authority over all human life. It teaches the truth about God, His creation, His people, His one and only Son, and the destiny of all mankind. It also teaches the way of salvation and the life of faith. Whatever is not 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. (Deuteronomy 4:2; 28:9; Psalm 19:7-11;

John 14:26; 17:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:21)

V. Authority of the Old Testament

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New. Both Testaments bear witness to God's salvation in Christ; both speak of God's will for His people. The ancient laws for ceremonies and rites, and the civil precepts for the nation Israel are not necessarily binding on Christians today. But, on the example of Jesus we are obligated to obey the moral commandments of the Old Testament. The books of the Old Testament are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. (Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 10:25-28; John 5:39, 46-47; Acts 10:43; Galatians 5:3-4; 1 Peter 1:10-12)

VI. New Testament

The New Testament fulfills and interprets the Old Testament. It is the record of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is God's final word regarding man, his sin, and his salvation, the world, and destiny. The books of the New Testament are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts. Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter,

2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation. (Matthew 24:35; Mark 8:38; John 14:24; Hebrews 2:1-4; 2 Peter 1:16-21; 1 John 2:2-6; Rev 21:5; 22:19)

About Man

VII. A Free Moral Person

God created man in His own image, innocent, morally free, and responsible to choose between good and evil, right and wrong. By the sin of Adam, man as the offspring of Adam is corrupted in his very nature so that from birth he is inclined to sin. He is unable by his own strength and work to restore himself in right relationship with God and to merit eternal salvation. God, the Omnipotent, provides all the resources of the Trinity to make it possible for man to respond to His grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. By God's grace and help man is enabled to do good works with a free will. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 51:5; 130:3; Romans 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:8-10)

VIII. Law of Life and Love

God's law for all human life, personal and social, is expressed in two divine commands: Love the Lord God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. These commands reveal what is best for man in his relationship with God, persons, and society. They set forth the principles of human duty in both individual and social action. They recognize God as the only Sovereign. All men as created by Him and in His image have the same inherent rights regardless of sex, race, or color. Men should therefore give God absolute obedience in their individual, social, and political acts. They should strive to secure to everyone respect for his person, his rights, and his greatest happiness in the possession and exercise of the right within the moral law. (Matthew 22:35-40; John 15:17; Galatians 3:28; 1 John 4:19-21)

IX. Good Works

Good works are the fruit of faith in Jesus Christ, but works cannot save us from our sins nor from God's judgement. As expressions of Christian faith and love, our good works performed with reverence and humility are both acceptable and pleasing to God. However, good works do not earn God's grace. (Matthew 5:16; 7:16-20; Romans 3:27-28; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; Titus 3:5)

About Salvation

X. Christ's Sacrifice

Christ offered once and for all the one perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. No other satisfaction for sin is necessary; none other can atone. (Luke 24:46-8; John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:8-11; Galatians 2:16; 3:2-3; Ephesians 1:7-8; 2:13; Hebrews 9:11-13, 25-26; 10:8-14)

XI. The New Life in Christ

A new life and a right relationship with God are made possible through the redemptive acts of God in Jesus Christ. God, by His Spirit, acts to impart new life and put us into a relationship with Himself as we repent and our faith responds to His grace. Justification, regeneration, and adoption speak significantly to entrance into and continuance in the new life. (John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 8:15-17; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 3:9-10)

Justification – Justification is a legal term that emphasizes that by our new relationship in Jesus Christ we are in fact accounted righteous, being freed from both the guilt and the penalty of our sins. (Psalm 32:1-2; Acts 10;43; Romans 3:21-26, 28; 4:2-5; 5:8-9; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Philippians 3:9)

Regeneration – Regeneration is a biological term which illustrates that by our new relationships in Christ we do in fact have a new life and a new spiritual nature capable of faith, love, and obedience to Christ Jesus as Lord. The believer is born again. He or she is a new creation. The old life is past; a new life is begun. (Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 5:24; Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10; Titus 3:4-5; 1 Peter 1:23)

Adoption – Adoption is a filial term full of warmth, love, and acceptance. It denotes that by our new relationship in Christ we have become His wanted children freed from the mastery of both sin and Satan. The believer has the witness of the Spirit that he or she is a child of God. (Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:5-6; 1 John 3:1-3)

XII. Entire Sanctification

Entire sanctification is that work of the Holy Spirit, subsequent to regeneration, by which the fully consecrated believer, upon exercise of faith in the atoning blood of Christ, is cleansed in that moment from all inward sin and empowered for service. The resulting relationship is attested by the witness of the Holy Spirit and is maintained by faith and obedience. Entire sanctification enables the believer to love God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind, and his neighbor as himself, and it prepares him for greater growth in grace. (Leviticus 20:7-8; John 14:16-17; 17:19; Acts 1:8; 2:4; 15:8-9; Romans 5:3-5; 8:12-17; 12:1-2; 1 Cor 6:11; 12:4-11; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; 1 Thess 4:7; 5:23-24; 2 Thess 2:13; Hebrews 10:14)

XIII. Restoration

The Christian may be sustained in a growing relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord. However, he may grieve the Holy Spirit in the relationships of life without returning to the dominion of sin. When he does, he must humbly accept the correction of the Holy Spirit, trust in the advocacy of Jesus, and mend his relationships. The Christian can sin willfully and sever his relationship with Christ. Even so by repentance before God, forgiveness is granted and the relationship with Christ restored, for not every sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit and unpardonable. God's grace is sufficient for those who truly repent and, by His enabling, amend their lives. However, forgiveness does not give the believer liberty to sin and escape the consequences of sinning. God has given responsibility and power to the church to restore a penitent believer through loving reproof, counsel, and acceptance. (Matt 12:31-32; 18:21-22; Romans 6:1-2; Galatians 6:1; 1 John 1:9; 2:1-2; 5:16-17; Rev 2:5; 3:19-20)

About the Church

XIV. The Church

The church is created by God; it is the people of God. Christ Jesus is its Lord and Head; the Holy Spirit is its life and power. It is both divine and human, heavenly and earthly, ideal and imperfect. It is an organism, not an unchanging institution. It exists to fulfill the purposes of God in Christ. It redemptively ministers to persons. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it that it should be holy and without blemish. The church is a fellowship of the redeemed and the redeeming, preaching the Word of God and administering the sacraments according to Christ's instruction. The Free Methodist Church purposes to be representative of what the church of Jesus Christ should be on earth. It therefore requires specific commitment regarding the faith and life of its members. In its requirements it seeks to honor Christ and obey the written Word of God. (Matt 16:15-18; 18:17; Acts 2:41-47; 9:31; 12:5; 14:23-26; 15:22; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 11:23; 12:28; 16:1; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:9-10; 5:22-23; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:14-15)

XV. The Language of Worship

According to the Word of God and the custom of the early church, public worship and prayer and the administration of the sacraments should be in a language understood by the people. The Reformation applied this principle to provide for the use of the common language of the people. It is likewise clear that the Apostle Paul places the strongest emphasis upon rational and intelligible utterance in worship. We cannot endorse practices which plainly violate these scriptural principles. (Nehemiah 8:5, 6, 8; Matthew 6:7; 1 Corinthians 14:6-9; 1 Corinthians 14:23-25)

XVI. The Holy Sacraments

Water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the sacraments of the church commanded by Christ. They are means of grace through faith, tokens of our profession of Christian faith, and signs of God's gracious ministry toward us. By them, He works within us to quicken, strengthen, and confirm our faith. (Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19; Acts 22:16; Romans 4:11; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-26; Galatians 3:27)

Baptism – Water baptism is a sacrament of the church, commanded by our Lord, signifying acceptance of the benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ to be administered to believers, as declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Baptism is a symbol of the new covenant of grace as circumcision was the symbol of the old covenant; and, since infants are recognized as being included in the atonement, we hold that they may be baptized upon the request of parents or guardians who shall give assurance for them of necessary Christian training. They shall be required to affirm the vow for themselves before being accepted into church membership. (John 3:5; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12-17; 9:18; 16:33; 18:8; 19:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27-29; Colossians 2:11-12; Titus 3:5)

The Lord's Supper – The Lord's Supper is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death. To those who rightly, worthily, and with faith receive it, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ. The supper is also a sign of the love and unity that Christians have among themselves. Christ, according to His promise, is really present in the sacrament. But His body is given, taken, and eaten only after a heavenly and spiritual manner. No change is effected in the element; the bread and wine are not literally the body and blood of Christ. Nor is the body and blood of Christ literally present with the elements. The elements are never to be considered objects of worship. The body of Christ is received and eaten in faith. (Mark 14:22-24; John 6:53-58; Acts 2:46; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; 10:16; 11:20, 23-29)

About Last Things

XVII. The Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God is a prominent Bible theme providing the Christian with both his task and hope. Jesus announced its presence. The kingdom is realized now as God's reign is established in the hearts and lives of believers. The church, by its prayers, example, and proclamation of the gospel, is the appointed and appropriate instrument of God in building His kingdom. But the kingdom is also future and is related to the return of Christ when judgment will fall upon the present order. The enemies of Christ will be subdued; the reign of God will be established; a total cosmic renewal which is both material and moral shall occur; and the hope of the redeemed will be fully realized. (Matthew 6:10, 19-20; 24:14; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:19-23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-25; Philippians 2:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12; 2 Peter 3:3-10; Revelation 14:6; 21:3-8; 22:1-5, 17)

XVIII. The Return of Christ

The return of Christ is certain and may occur at any moment, although it is not given us to know the hour. At His return He will fulfill all prophecies concerning His final triumph over all evil. The believer's response is joyous expectation, watchfulness, readiness, and diligence. (Matthew 24:1-51; 26:64; Mark 13:26-27; Luke 17:26-37; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16; 22:6-7, 12, 20)

XIX. Resurrection

There will be a bodily resurrection from the dead of both the just and the unjust, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. The resurrected body will be a spiritual body, but the person will be whole and identifiable. The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of resurrection unto life to those who are in Him. (John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 51-57; 2 Corinthians 4:13-14)

XX. Judgment

God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness in accordance with the gospel and men's deeds in this life. (Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 11:31-32; Acts 10:42; 17:31; Romans 2:15-16; 14:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Hebrews 9:27-28; 10:26-31; 2 Peter 3:7)

XXI. Final Destiny

The eternal destiny of man is determined by God's grace and man's response, not by arbitrary decrees of God. For those who trust Him and obediently follow Jesus as Savior and Lord, 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 of separation from God. (Mark 9:42-48; John 14:3; Hebrews 2:1-3; Rev 20:11-15; 21:22-27)

The doctrines of the Free Methodist Church are based upon the Holy Scriptures and are derived from their total biblical context. The references [given for each section] are appropriate passages related to the given articles. They are listed in their biblical sequence and are not intended to be exhaustive.

Our Family Tree

Let's examine the Christian family tree. Perhaps you or someone in your family have done such a study for your family. Please remember that we're looking at the forest and not the trees so that you'll get an over-all picture.

The church was born at the time of the Feast of Pentecost somewhere around A.D. 33. The story is found in Acts 2. Now, the long awaited day when God's Spirit would come and indwell all of his people had come, and now there was a community where God's Presence dwelt more fully than ever before (through the presence of the Living Christ).

Soon its relation to the people, Israel, had to be clarified. Thus we come to a major turning point, the Jerusalem Council in A.D. 49 or 50. We read of it in Acts 15. The church had been divided over whether Christians would remain a sect of Judaism. The Council made it clear that Judaism and Christianity were now on different paths.

Around A.D. 64 the church came under terrible persecution for a long time. The church was in jeopardy from opposition from outside --persecution by the Roman state (especially the emperor cult), and from heresy, false teaching, inside.

However, things changed. In 313 the Roman Emperor Constantine granted the Christian church freedom of worship. By 395 Christianity was made the exclusive state religion. As you can imagine, there were advantages to these developments, but a lot of disadvantages too. Gradually the church and the state came to be tied together, with eventual disastrous results.

325 is an important year, for that is when the Council of Nicea met and settled once and for all the divinity of Jesus, that he is of one essence with the Father (which Jehovah's Witnesses deny in our day). While that Council settled the fact that the Son of God was fully divine, it was the Council of Chalcedon in 451 that dealt with his humanity, and affirmed that he was both fully God and fully human.

Gradually over the years more and more power came to be attached to the leader of the church in the big city, Rome. Eventually this led to what we now know as the papacy.

In the late 500's, Pope Gregory I (from whose time the so-called "Gregorian chant" originates) was a zealous missionary and had a great deal to do with the winning of the English to Christianity. Eventually the church was established throughout England.

In the early 600's the church faced a new foe, a rapidly growing religion we call Islam made up of followers of a man named Muhammad. It spread like wildfire across northern Africa, and very soon northern Africa and the holy land were lost to Christianity.

Over the years the churches in the Western part of the Roman Empire and the churches in the Eastern part had gradually grown apart. The intellectual outlook of the West and East differed. The Latin West was more inclined toward practics and organization, and the East was more interested in solving theological problems. Then there was a disagreement about when to celebrate Easter. Celibacy became a problem. In the East, clergy below the rank of Bishop could be married, but not in the West.

Finally, in 1054, over what was actually a minor matter in a long political/ecclesiastical "turf war," the church split into two separate Churches, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. Both still exist today.

We come next to one of the darkest pages in church history -- the Crusades. European pilgrims were subjected to persecution whenever they would land in Palestine. The desire to rescue the holy places in Palestine from the Moslems, coupled with a desire of impoverished Europeans to plunder the area after a period of economic stagnation back home, let to many taking up arms.

In those years the zeal that was expressing itself in the crusades also expressed itself in the forming of several new orders of monks. The orders of Dominicans and Franciscans came into being to meet the problem of winning Moslems and heretics to the faith by persuasion, through education, or missionary effort (instead of by force!) .

Overall the church was in serious decline, and attempts were made at reform in the early 1400's. Here we may think of persons like John Hus, who, like Wycliffe before him, wanted the Bible available in the language of the people, and opposed the teaching of the church that the wine and bread in communion actually become the body and blood of Christ. As well, like Wycliffe, he insisted that Christ, not the pope, was the Head of the church. Councils aimed at reform were held, but the church was not willing to be open to any serious reforms.

In the early 1500's a scholar named Erasmus printed a Greek New Testament which made it possible for scholars in the church to more accurately compare the church of the New Testament with the church of their own day (the Church, of course, didn't compare well!).

A number of things were coming together that would radically impact on the church. Political factors were involved. Nation states which were fiercely independent had arisen in Europe (an example if Germany). A secular intellectual outlook was dawning which was not willing to accept everything that the church told people. We call it the "Renaissance." And the church faced a severe moral problem of corruption high and low.

It all came to a head through a German monk named Martin Luther, who insisted on reform, but never wanted to leave the church. In 1517 he posted his 95 theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenburg. In them he condemned the abuses of the indulgence system (in order to reform it) and invited debate. One thing led to another, and there was a break with Rome. The people who were thrown out or removed were called "Protestants."

Through other reformers various streams of Protestant faith developed. At about the same time there was a break in the Roman Catholic Church in England. You know the story of Henry the VIII's revolt because the Pope would not annul his marriage to Catharine of Aragon. Henry was declared the Supreme Head of the Church in England by an act of Parliament in 1534. At first the Church of England was just a separate version of the Roman Catholic Church (minus the Pope). However, soon the significant reforms happening in Europe proper began to have an effect in England, and the Church of England committed itself to the Protestant (as distinct from Roman Catholic) way. But then there was a backlash and a turn back toward Roman ways.

At the same time, many people we call the "Puritans" refused to go along with the state church in England. They were ejected and persecuted. Legislation made it illegal for them to hold services. For this reason, most of the devout clergy in the Church of England were ejected from the state church.

In the early 18th Century England was in a time of upheaval. Not only was there this reaction against the Puritans, but there was also moral collapse in the whole nation. Church of England bishops lived lavishly as princes. Pastors were known for drunkenness. Coarse literature was in vogue. Theatre was depraved, with rogues as heroes, and noble characters as the butt of jokes. You didn't dare go out alone in the cities. Immorality was regarded as normal. Sexual promiscuity filled the towns with illegitimate children. The church was so much a part of the age that it had very little to offer. Unbelief was the dominant religious mood.

In November of 1729, four zealous young members of the Church of England met at Oxford. These men wanted to be downright Bible Christians. They were very orderly in the conduct of their lives, and in their practice of the spiritual disciplines. Thus they came to be mocked as "Methodists" in derision because they were so methodical.

John Wesley became the recognized leader of the group. He was a Church of England priest who took his religion very seriously, largely because of his mother's influence. Wesley felt that it was man's duty to keep the law of God perfectly in order to be justified (a view the Protestant reformation had repudiated). I shared some of his story this morning.

After the Aldersgate experience Wesley felt God's call to do the unthinkable: go out to where the people were and preach there. So he did. Many were won to Christ. Over the years the Church of England grew more and more uncomfortable with what was happening. Eventually Wesley was expelled from the Church, though he had wanted to remain Anglican all his days.

So Methodism arose as a renewal movement among Anglicans in England, but soon had to organize (to ensure its ongoing life). Methodism soon came to America. It flourished on the frontier. However, as so often happens, decline set in. and problems of various types arose.

One of the problems was doctrinal. Some preachers became unwilling to continue to preach the doctrine of holiness which we talked about in session I.

Another difficulty facing the church was secret societies. Thirty clergymen in upstate New York were members of oath-bound lodges. They would meet before Conference gatherings in their secret lodge meetings and decide how they would vote at Conference. Non lodge members felt as though another organization, cloaked in secrecy and incorporating a mixture of religion, benevolence and social club, was taking their Conference away from them.

A third challenge involved slavery. Methodism (like Wesley) had started in the new world in opposition to slavery. However, by the middle of the 19th century the church was no longer clear in its stand. Thousands of its members and some of its leaders held slaves.

A fourth difficulty was the practice of having rented pews. The best seats in the house came to be set aside for the wealthy, who paid for them. Poorer people were confined in the least desirable pews.

In this connection, there was dead formalism. People just came and watched. There was little, if any, lay participation. (I stress that while Free Methodism has never been against the use of forms and rituals to help us, it has from the start been against dead formalism.)

All in all, a general worldliness had overtaken the church. Christian commitment had declined; giving was going down; churches were beginning to sponsor clam-bakes and the like to raise funds. They soon were not being funded primarily by tithes and offerings, but by the proceeds of card parties, dances, drinking parties, etc.

Some of the preachers in the Methodist Episcopal Church opposed these trends, and in their congregations there was real spiritual advance. These men were committed to historic Methodism. In 1843 a reform group which became the Wesleyan Methodists became a separate denomination. With the passing of years, other groups seeking reform and a return to a more Biblical Christianity would become denominations. B. T. Roberts was one of these advocates of reform.

As he and others began to speak out with concern on what was happening in the church, a cleavage gradually arose. Roberts and other clergymen were eventually expelled from the Methodist Episcopal Church. Roberts appealed his case in 1860 to General Conference, the final governing body of the church. But it was to no avail. Laymen who supported these reformers were removed from local church membership lists too.

These pastors and laymen wanted to stay in the Methodist Episcopal Church and promote revival, evangelism and spiritual life through the preaching of the Wesleyan message of salvation. They knew that if they broke away they could become spiritual nomads, and they knew the spirit of Scripture well enough to realize that becoming independent local churches was ill-advised. They were Methodists, as such were deeply committed to fellowship and mutual accountability with other Christians and congregations. Therefore there was only one course open. They had to form a new denomination.

In August of 1860 the Free Methodist Church was founded. It soon spread across the U.S. and into Canada through evangelists from Michigan and New York State. New churches were planted, and some long-time Methodists saw in the new movement the vital Methodism they felt they had already lost in the old denomination in Canada.

We have already mentioned two of the three "root systems" of Canadian Free Methodism:

Free Methodism in the United States (begun under the leadership of B. T. Roberts), and Canadian Methodists longing for a recovery of historic, vital Methodism.

There is a third "root system." It is the Holiness Movement Church. This cluster of churches was founded by R. C. Horner, a Methodist evangelist whose entrepreneurial spirit got him in trouble with denominational authorities. Eventually he travelled eastern Ontario forming Holiness Movement Churches. Still later, after conflict with leaders of that church, he came through the same areas again evangelizing, and forming "Standard" Churches. On January 1, 1959, the first denomination he formed, the Holiness Movement Church, joined the FMCIC. This brought in churches from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the Shawville, Quebec area, including several strong churches and many gifted leaders, into Canadian Free Methodism.

During the past few decades, like segments of the Free Methodist denomination in other parts of the world, the FMCIC has grown up and become responsible more fully for its life as what Methodists call a "General Conference." All the General Conferences of the world share the same constitution and beliefs, but they each are responsible to contextualize their work so it fits their own setting. We became a full "General Conference" (after a number of years in a provisional status) in 1990.

What is a Methodist?

John W. Vlainic

Is there still a Methodist identity now that uniformity is a thing of the past? I believe there is. Let's recognize, however, that none of the characteristics I outline is unique to Methodism. But put them all together, and you have a "Methodist" type church.

1. Methodists have a high theology of grace. They join much of Christendom in stressing justifying grace which forgives and clears our record before the holy God. They believe too in sanctifying grace, which changes us at conversion so that we are new from the inside out, and then enables us to break through into deep Christ-likeness. This is where Methodists have historically been more optimistic than many Christians. Whereas some Christians believe that a Romans 7 type dividedness is the best that can be had this side of heaven, Methodists seek and experience a fuller life in the Spirit. A church without a high theology of grace is not truly Methodist.
2. Methodists can be identified by a balanced theology of worship which holds in creative tension the transcendence (total otherness) of our holy God (with the resulting reverence and restraint) and the immanence (presence with us) of our loving God (with the resulting joy and gladness). Methodist worship tries to find the middle ground between lifeless formal services lacking "heart" and gatherings which are little more than emotional refill stops for religious addicts. A church without a balanced worship life is not truly Methodist.
3. Whenever Methodists have deserved the name, they have been evangelistic. They have sought ways to reach out and share Christ's saving love people who are lost. Resources are invested in this mission. Let us admit that this an area where many churches with the name "Methodist" need renewal right now. A church which does not seek to win people to Christ is not truly Methodist.
4. Methodists are connectional. They do not believe that any one local church has the range of gifts and training to establish doctrine, ordination standards, and other constitutional matters. Instead, Methodists do these things together collectively, freeing local churches for the work of ministry. Methodists pastors are neither "employees" who work for local churches nor independent sovereigns who rule them. They are accountable to their conference and superintendent for character and conduct and work side-by-side with local church leaders. Independent churches and pastors are not truly Methodist.
5. Methodists stress mutual accountability, encouragement, and support through small groupings of Christians. They are never satisfied with private devotions and attendance at large-group worship services. They know that life-change happens best when people see and "feel" newness in others, and by identifying and relating to people who live out the changes they themselves seek. Though hearing good teaching and reading correct principles in books is important, Methodist know that real life-change seldom happens without a network of significant relationships. A church without many small networks of interrelated growing Christians is not truly Methodist.
6. Finally, Methodists stress the laity. While respecting and esteeming their clergy highly, Methodists insist that every Christian is God's minister, gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve. Methodist churches are not "clergy-dependent." Their vitality comes from a multiplicity of lay ministers serving Christ and people. This is also reflected in the fact that Methodist denominational governing bodies have a balance of ordained people and lay people. A church where the pastor does all or even most of the ministering is not truly Methodist.

May God help all our churches to fully live out our identity and calling. Essentials of Methodism

-adapted from the work of Dwight Gregory, Superintendent of the New York Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America, and Victor Shepherd, Chair of Wesley Studies at Ontario Theological Seminary.

"Full Strength Methodism"

Dwight Gregory

1. Warm but ordered worship, balancing the holiness and love of God;
2. Doctrine based on the holiness and love of God and human redeemability through grace;
3. "Connections" among many local, national and world-wide bodies;
4. Accountability and Nurture through clearly organized small groups;
5. Passion for Evangelism;
6. Ministry of the Laity (includes lay/pastoral equality re: voting)

"Vital Methodism"

Victor Shepherd

1. Rigorous Theology without sectarianism or an un-catholic edge; a full-orbed gospel
2. Protestant convictions re: the normativity of scripture and justification by faith without turning the former into fundamentalism and the latter into a principle remote from the living person of Jesus Christ
3. Valuing of tradition, particularly the church fathers [cf. Wesley]
4. Evangelism; including a willingness for experimentation and a flexibility/adaptability without which "evangelism" is not so much about the gospel as about proselytizing
5. A Passion for Holiness; Wesley insists that justification gives us the right to heaven, while holiness alone makes us "fit" for heaven
6. Eucharistic Worship; where regular participation in the Lord's Supper is an important component in spiritual formation
7. Social Amelioration; anguish at ever-growing affluence (and concomitant spiritual deterioration andunwillingness to make sacrifices for others) and commitment to actually helping as salt and light
8. Small Group Nurture; without whose encouragement, correction and edification people cannot go on to mature spirituality

Women in Ministry

The North American General Conference of 1974 (of which Canadian Free Methodists were a part) passed a resolution "giving women equal status with men in the ministry of the church" (General Conference Minutes, p. 388). According to the report of that Conference in Light and Life magazine, the vote was unanimous. That vote, in the minds of many, settled the issue and they turned their attention to other concerns.

During the intervening years, the denomination's position has not changed. However, outside the denomination, the voices opposing women in ministry and limiting the leadership roles of women in the local church have become more assertive. Some of those voices are respected evangelical leaders (e.g., refer to J.I. Packer below) who seem to be ignorant of Wesleyan/holiness church history, implying that anyone who differs from them is playing fast and loose with Scripture. This is confusing to many.

On the other hand, within the denomination there is growing concern over the fact that, though women officially have access to full ordination and any role in the church, few women are in leadership positions. At a time when women are entering formerly male-dominated professions in increasing numbers, the percentage of women among Free Methodist pastors, especially senior pastors, and in local church and denominational leadership roles, is not growing as would be expected.

Given these concerns, the Study Commission on Doctrine believes it is time to articulate anew the church's position on women in ministry. In the following pages we will examine the historical support for ordaining women, the appropriate principles of biblical interpretation, and the scriptural bases for releasing the daughters of God in leadership and ministry.

Our History

Writing in Christianity Today, J.I. Packer claimed that the call for the ordination of women is a modern concern resulting in part from social changes since World War I. He also stated that Bible-based evangelical communities of all denominational stripes within Protestantism agree in opposing this trend" (Packer, p. 18). Packer apparently has no awareness of Wesleyan Holiness history or the status of women within Wesleyan Holiness denominations. The Salvation Army, the Anderson Church of God, and the Church of the Nazarene, all founded in the last decades of the nineteenth century, have ordained women since their beginnings (Dayton, pp. 94, 97-98).

Denominations that emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit have tended to be more open than others to the ministry of women. Believing it is God who must place the call on any minister, they have accepted that God could choose to call women as well as men. Since its founding, women, called and empowered by the Holy Spirit, have ministered in the Free MethodistChurch.

As early as 1861, when the Free Methodist Church was just one year old, the minutes of the Genesee Convention report the discussion of women preaching (see Richardson, p. 53). Bishop B.T. Roberts believed strongly in the equality of men and women. He argued that women should be working shoulder to shoulder with men in building the kingdom of God. He tried to lead the denomination toward the ordination of women.

The General Conference of 1874 established a class of ministers called evangelists. They were persons called of God to preach the Gospel and promote revival but not called to a pastoral charge. Both "brothers and sisters" could be licensed as evangelists. Thus, women were licensed and ministered as lay preachers in the church.

To the General Conference of 1890, "B.T. Roberts offered the following Resolution. That the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the provision which it makes, and in the agencies which it employs for the salvation of mankind, knows no distinction of nationality, condition [or] sex: therefore, no person who is called of God, and who is duly qualified, should be refused ordination on account of sex, or race or condition" (1890 General Conference Minutes, p. 131). After much debate, the motion lost by a vote of 37 to 41. Deeply grieved by this action, Roberts took up his pen. In 1891 he published Ordaining Women--Biblical and Historical Insights. In the preface Roberts states the purpose for his writing: "That truth may prevail, Christ be glorified, and His Kingdom be advanced on earth" (Roberts, p. 8). Unfortunately, Roberts died in 1893 without seeing women fully released to build the kingdom of God through the Free Methodist Church.

Although the 1890 General Conference refused to grant ordination to women, a step of progress was made for women. The Free Methodist (the denominational magazine) for October 22, 1890 reported, "Two of the lay delegates having seats in the General Conference [sic] are ladies. ...Both are doing some committee work. Most of our readers will be glad to know that the question of admitting ladies as lay delegates did not in the least disrupt the equanimity of the conference." Through its history, the Free Methodist Church has not officially limited the role of women in the church except in the case of ordination.

The General Conference of 1894 again addressed the place of women in ministry. It added a paragraph to the section on evangelists. "When women have been licensed by the Annual Conference, and have served two successive years under appointment as pastors, they may ... have a voice and vote in the Annual Conference; and in the transaction of Conference business they shall be counted with the preachers" (see Hogue, Vol. 1, p. 218). Though evangelists were supposed to be lay, non-pastoral preachers, the church acknowledged that women evangelists were pastoring.

Ordination was finally granted to women by the 1911 General Conference. But it was a limited ordination. They could be ordained Deacon, "provided always that this ordination of women shall not be considered a step toward ordination as Elder" (Hogue, Vol. 1, p. 218). Women could preach and pastor, but they were barred from senior leadership in the church until 1974.

In the Foreword to the 1992 reprint of Ordaining Women, John E. Van Valin says, "For the last 132 years, the Free Methodist Church has with honour taken her place among many other groups within the Christian faith who accord to women honour and respect in ministry. For our church this honour is in part symbolized by ... ordination. ...The reprinting of this centenarian volume signals not so much a new era in the life of the church but a presentation of her cherished heritage."

Interpreting Scripture

In the search for truth, Free Methodists want to know what the Bible says on any issue. Scripture is the ultimate authority on which we depend. But Scripture must be interpreted to ascertain God's message for us. How one approaches the task of interpretation makes a great deal of difference in the meanings discovered. Before examining the biblical bases for women in ministry, let us identify the principles that should guide interpretation.

W. Ward Gasque in his article "The Role of Women in the Church, in Society and in the Home" identifies several principles that need to guide our study of biblical texts. First, the contextual principle. What is the author discussing in the surrounding verses? How does the verse under study relate to the theme and logic of the whole passage? The context provides insight on the meaning.

Second, the linguistic principle. The Bible was written in Hebrew or Greek. Translating meaning from language to language is a challenge. Understanding God's Word for us requires an honest examination of a passage in its original language. What meanings might words have carried? Is that meaning accurately and fully translated in English? Have translators used different English words for the same Greek or Hebrew word in different passages? For example, in Romans 16;1, Phoebe is called a "servant." The Greek word used here is usually translated "deacon" or "minister" in verses speaking of men. Why is Phoebe not similarly called a "deacon" or "minister"?

Third, the historical principle. Without an understanding of the historical setting in which biblical authors were writing, we often miss the revolutionary nature of Scripture in contrast to pagan ways. Reading Paul's letters to the churches without knowing the historical setting is like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. Our interpretation may be distorted if we do not seek to understand the heresies being spread in the early church and the lifestyle issues that infant Christians brought into the church.

Fourth, interpret a particular text within the context of an author's writing as a whole. To discern Paul's views on women, one must wrestle with all that he said on the subject andmake sense of the whole. When there seem to be contradictions, the historical and contextual principles may help unravel the mystery.

Fifth, the principle of the analogy of faith. Christians assume the consistency of Scripture as a whole. Any individual text must therefore be interpreted in the light of the whole. Understanding the flow of Scripture is important in discovering its consistency. Gilbert Bilezikian in Beyond Sex Roles suggest that creation - fall - redemption summarize the flow of Scripture (Bilezikian, pp. 15ff.). In Genesis 1 and 2 we find God's creation design; Genesis 3 records the Fall and the rest of the Old Testament tells of God's first covenant with fallen human beings. The New Testament proclaims the story of redemption and the new covenant through which persons can be redeemed and empowered by God's Spirit to live in accordance with God's will -- the creation design. When interpreting specific Scripture passages, it is important to distinguish between the creation design, descriptions of God working patiently with fallen humanity under the first covenant, and God's vision for those who are redeemed.

It is interesting to note that where persons begin their study of what the Bible has to say about women impacts their final conclusions. Some begin with statements from Paul and Peter that seem to limit the role of women in the church and make them subservient to men in the home. They then see the rest of Scripture through these verses. Others begin with Genesis 1-3 and move on through Scripture. They are amazed by Jesus' treatment of women, thrilled by Acts 2:16 and Galatians 3:28. They celebrate the equality the Bible portrays of women and men. In the light of the whole, they wrestle with the difficult passages and discover the harmony of these verses when sound interpretive principles are used (see Gasque, p. 1).

The last principle mentioned by Gasque is the history of biblical interpretation. For centuries Christians used Scripture to prove the rightness of slavery. Finally, principles similar to those identified above were applied to the verses referring to slaves and 19th century evangelical Christians began to call for the abolition of slavery. Their approach to biblical interpretation also led them to support the ordination of women (see Dayton, p. 90). It is interesting to note that in the first chapter of Ordaining Women, Roberts states, "If those who stood high as interpreters of Reason and Revelation, and who expressed the prevailing sentiments of their day, were so greatly mistaken on [the slavery issue] ... is it not possible that the current sentiment as to the position which WOMAN should be permitted to occupy in the Church of Christ may also be wrong?" (Roberts, p. 11). Sound principles of interpretation are needed to clear up misunderstandings and destructive error.

Biblical Support for Women in Ministry

In recent years, many excellent books have been written to articulate the biblical perspective on the place of women and men in the church and home. Many of the insights presented by these modern writers had already been anticipated by Roberts in his brief book. Since we are here addressing Free Methodists, we will turn first to Roberts for help in seeing what the Bible says about women in ministry and amplify his work with insights from other scholars. The bibliography at the end of this article provides resources for further study.

Old Testament Insights

Roberts begins his biblical study with Genesis 2:18, "The Lord said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" Some use this verse to prove that women are simply to "help" men, to serve them. Roberts reads this verse to mean that "woman was created, not as the servant of man, but as his companion, his equal." Adam Clarke, he notes, understood the Hebrew to imply "that the woman was to be a perfect resemblance of the man, possessing neither inferiority or superiority, but being in all things like and equal to himself." The word translated "helper" in Genesis 2:18 appears nineteen times in the Old Testament. Fifteen times it refers to God helping needy people. It therefore carries no connotation of inferiority (see Evans, p. 16).

To both man and woman, God gave the order to be fruitful and to take dominion over the world (Genesis 1:28). There is no hint of woman's subjection before the Fall. Roberts notes that when Jesus was asked about divorce in Matthew 19:3, he based his response on Genesis 2:24, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Why did Jesus refer to the time before the Fall? "To reenact the law enacted then. Thus Christ restored the primitive law. He said nothing about the subjection of women--not one word. ...Christ calls redeemed humanity to live out the creation design.

The Old Testament tells of two categories of religious leaders, priests and prophets. All the Hebrew priests were male. With the coming of Christ and our great high priest, the order of priests ended. The prophets are therefore more the Old Testament counterparts of contemporary Christian ministers. And there were women prophets including Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14). The Scripture presents their stories, making no issue of their gender. Women judges and prophets were both recognized.

Roberts concludes his review of the Old Testament by stating, "There is nothing in the creation of woman or in her condition under the law which proves that no woman should be ordained as a minister of the Gospel" (Roberts, p. 37).

New Testament Insights

Jesus shocked his world by the way in which he treated women. He respected them, taking time to talk with them (John 4), heal them (Luke 8:48), forgive them (John 8:11), engage them in theological discussion (John 4:19-26; 11:23-27), and welcome them as disciples, i.e., learners (Luke 10:39, 42). He drew into his teaching parables from their experiences (Luke 15:8-10). No other rabbi of Jesus' time did such things. Jesus' treatment of women was revolutionary. He even commanded a woman to be the first witness to the resurrection (John 20:17). Moreover, Jesus made no statements limiting women in their ministry for him.

But, some may say, the twelve apostles were all men. Does that not indicate church leaders should be men? To this objection Roberts responded, "If gentiles are to preach, why did [Jesus] not choose a gentile among the twelve? Why were the twelve Jews, every one of them? The example is as binding in the one case as the other" (Roberts, p. 37).

The key text on women's ministry for the 19th century holiness movement was Acts 2:16-18, "This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'" One Methodist woman preacher declared Pentecost as "Woman's Emancipation Day." A new age began with Pentecost, an age in which the Holy Spirit anointed daughters as well as sons to preach and prophesy (Malcolm, pp. 120, 127).

For Roberts Galatians 3:28 was the key verse that settled the question of whether or not women could be ministers, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Some claim that this verse refers only to salvation. To this objection Roberts replied, "If this verse referred only to salvation by faith, the female would not be specified. ...In the many offers of salvation made in the New Testament, woman is not specially mentioned. ...'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,' included woman as well as man. Everyone so understood it. ... We must understand [Galatians 3:28] to teach, as it actually does, the perfect equality of all, under the Gospel, in rights and privileges, without respect of nationality, or condition, or sex. If this gives to men of all nations the right to become ministers of the Gospel, it gives women precisely the same right" (Roberts, pp. 37-39).

But, you may be asking, what about the verses that seem to limit women's involvement in the church? Are they in conflict with the rest of the Bible, or is there a way of understanding them that is in harmony with the flow of Scripture? Two such passages are 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12.

In 1 Corinthians 11:5, Paul talks about women covering their heads when they pray and prophesy. Those instructions would not be needed if all "women should remain silent in the churches" (1 Corinthians 14:34). Paul's theme in chapter fourteen is orderly worship. Verses 26-35 identify three groups of person who apparently were creating disorder and needed to be silent: persons speaking in tongues when there was no interpreter (v. 28), those who continued to speak when someone else received a revelation (v. 30), and women who were speaking out during worship (v. 34). John Bristow notes that the word translated "speak" in verse 34 is laleo, which of all the verbs that may be translated "speak" is the only one that can simply mean talk to one another (Bristow, p. 63). The Corinthian women were told not to interrupt the church service by conversing together; if they had questions about the topic at hand, they should wait and discuss them at home (v. 35). Probably these women were experiencing new liberties as Christians. They were not accustomed to being in public gatherings. Paul is calling, not for the silencing of women preachers but for the silencing of women who disrupted worship with their conversations and questions, along with the silencing of others whose behaviour detracted from worship (see further, Evans, pp. 95-108).

We have already noted that Free Methodists historically have not silenced women in the church. Women have testified, sung, preached, and taught in the church. But for over one hundred years the leadership and authority of women were limited by denying full ordination. One speaker in the 1890 General Conference debate declared, "We would give her the same educational advantages, and the same property rights as man. We would acknowledge her to be the equal of man in intellect, equal in ability, but not equal in authority (see Gramento, p. 77).

Persons holding such a view would probably quote 1 Timothy 2:12 as their biblical support, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." A look at linguistics and the historical context can help shed light on the meaning of this passage. In verse 12 Paul uses the Greek word authentein for authority, rather than the common words he uses in all such cases. Authentein carries the idea of autocratic or totally self-directed behaviour, or usurping authority or domineering. Paul forbids women to usurp authority that is not rightly theirs (Evans, p. 103). The word translated "man" in this verse is the Greek word often translated "husband." Some scholars believe verse 12 speaks to husbands and wives as they relate to one another in the worshipping community and not to the role of women in general.

Pastor Timothy was dealing with false teaching in Ephesus. Paul was concerned that Timothy not allow men or women to teach false doctrines (1 Timothy 1:3). In the context of this concern, Paul stated that women "should learn in quietness and full submission" (1 Timothy 2:11). The call for an attitude of quiet submission on the part of the learner probably reflected first century education ideas rather than limitations prescribed for women. But the significant point in verse 11 is that Paul wanted women to be learning. In our day of education for all, we miss the radical nature of Paul's statement (Evans, p. 102).

At the end of her study on 1 Timothy 2:11-12, Mary Evans concludes, "While the prohibition [to teach and have authority] is not absolute, it remains a prohibition. No believer, male or female, has an automatic right to teach. Any, particularly women, who are untaught and easily deceived, must continue to concentrate on learning rather than on usurping an authoritywhich had not been given them" (Evans, p. 106). When viewed in their literary and historical context with insights from the Greek, these passages do not contradict what we find elsewhere in Scripture.

Conclusion

What does the Free Methodist Church believe the Scriptures teach about the place of women in the church? Bishop Roberts summarized those beliefs well.

Man and woman were created equal, each possessing the same rights and privileges as the other.

At the Fall, woman ... became subject to her husband.

Christ reenacted the primitive law and restored the original relation of equality of the sexes.

The objections to the equality of man and woman in the Christian church, based upon the Bible, rest upon a wrong translation of some passages and a misinterpretation of others.

We come, then, to this final conclusion: The Gospel of Jesus Christ, in the provisions that it makes and in the agencies that it employs for the salvation of humankind, knows no distinction of race, condition, or sex (Roberts, p. 103-104).

With these beliefs, women should be encouraged to take their place in all areas of church leadership and ministry. Jesus calls us all, women and men, to make disciples and build the kingdom of God.

Response

The Canadian Study Commission on Doctrine wholeheartedly affirms the denomination's position on women in ministry.

The Commission further recommends that leaders across the denomination explore the barriers that continue to hinder women, and find ways of removing those barriers to release women for more effective leadership and ministry through the Free Methodist Church.

Because God gifts both men and women for ministry and leadership, as stewards of his grace, we urge sensitivity to the need to help both to discover their calling (e.g. pastoral leadership, denominational leadership, worship leadership, governing board membership, small group leadership, etc.).

Select Bibliography

Bilezikian, Gilbert. Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says About a Women's Place in the

Church and Family. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985.

Bristow, John. What Paul Really Said about Women. San Francisco: Harper, 1988.

Cowles, C.S. A Woman's Place? Leadership in the Church. Kansas City: Beacon Hill,

1993.

Dayton, Donald W. "The Evangelical Roots of Feminism." Discovering an Evangelical

Heritage. New York: Harper, 1976.

Evans, Mary J. Woman in the Bible. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1983.

Ferder, Fran and John Heagle. Partnership: Women and Men in Ministry. Notre Dame:

Ava Maria, 1989.

Gasque, W. Ward. "The Role of Women in the Church, in Society and in the Home."

Priscilla Papers, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Spring 1988).

Gramento, Jean Hall. "I. Those Astounding Free Methodist Women" A Biographical History of Free Methodist Women in Ministry. II. Extending Bibliography of Free Methodist Women's Studies: with Selected Ecumenical Entries." Doctor of Ministries dissertation; United Theological Seminary, October 1992.

Hogue, Wilson Thomas. History of the Free Methodist Church of North America, 2 vols.

Chicago: Free Methodist Publishing House, 1915.

Hull, Gretchen Gaebelein. Equal to Serve: Women and Men in the Church and Home.

Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1987.

Jewett, Paul. The Ordination of Women. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.

Kroeger, Catherine and Richard. I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in

Light of Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.

Malcolm, Kari Torjesin. Women at the Crossroads: A Path Beyond Feminism and

Traditionalism. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1982.

Oden, Thomas C. "Women in Pastoral Office." Pastoral Theology: Essentials for Ministry.

San Francisco: Harper, 1983.

Palmer, Phoebe. "Tongue of Fire on the Daughters of the Lord (1859)." Phoebe Palmer:

Selected Writings, edited by Thomas C. Oden. New York: Paulist, 1988.

Richardson, Jack. "B.T. Roberts and the Role of Women in Nineteenth Century Free Methodism." Masters of Arts dissertation; Colgate Rochester Divinity School, April1984.

Roberts, Benjamin Titus. Ordaining Women: Biblical and Historical Insights. Indianapolis:	

Light and Life, 1992 (first published in 1891).

Stanley, Susie C. compiler. Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy: A Preliminary Bibliography.

1994. Available from Susie C. Stanley, Western Evangelical Seminary, PO Box 23939, Portland, OR 97281.

Tucker, Ruth. Women in the Maze; Questions and Answers on Biblical Equality. Downers;Grove, InterVarsity, 1992.

This paper was originally prepared by the Study Commission on Doctrine of the North American General Conference of the Free Methodist Church. It has been edited slightly by the Canadian Study Commission on Doctrine to fit the Canadian context.