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New Design, Same Objective The Earnest Christian emerged in January 1860 and declared: “Our object is to publish a revival journal; our aim shall be to set up the Bible standard of religion. We hope by our ... uncompromising advocacy of ‘righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,’ to make our magazine a favorite and welcome visitor.” Free Methodist communication has changed dramatically in the century and a half since B.T. Roberts, the denomination’s principal founder, wrote those words. Another publication, The Free Methodist (later renamed Light & Life Magazine), debuted in 1868. “The Light & Life Hour” radio broadcast (1944-1979) started small but later shared the gospel with 10 million people a week in 14 countries. We hope to connect with millions more
through interactive websites such as the new fmcusa.org and llcomm.org telling the stories of our denomination. We have developed mobile and tablet apps that make Free Methodist content as accessible as your smartphone. But magazines aren’t going away. This issue launches a reimagined Light & Life Magazine (LLM), which will be published more frequently and with English and Spanish editions. Each issue will have a relevant theme with biblical advice for holy living. So join the conversation at llcomm.org. Tell us Archer i Jason Executive Director which topics will stoke revival and of Free Methodist make LLM a “welcome visitor.” [LLM] Communications
Reader’s guide
Each issue has a common theme reflected in sections. [openers] who we are [feature] in-depth look [bishops] reflections from a bishop [foundation] a biblical basis
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” — John 1:4
LLM LIGHT & LIFE MAGAZINE
Developing Earnest Christians Since 1868
[history] learning from our past [action] living our faith [news] what’s happening [world] church outside U.S. [discipleship] small group or personal study [resources] helpful tools
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To receive Light & Life in Spanish please contact our office: (800) 342-5531 or kelly.sheads@fmcna.org.
Website: www.llcomm.org Email us: www.llcomm.org/staff News and submissions: jeff.finley@fmcna.org Advertising: jason.archer@fmcna.org Address all correspondence to: Light & Life Magazine, P.O. Box 535002 Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002 (317) 244-3660 LLM: Light & Life Magazine (ISSN 0024-3299) was established in 1868 by the Free Methodist Church. Published monthly by Light & Life Communications. © 2011 Free Methodist Church - USA, 770 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214. Views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent the official position of the Free Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations, no portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.
Whole No. 5229, Vol. 144, No. 2 Printed in U.S.A. Member: Evangelical Press Association, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, IN, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster, send address changes to: Light & Life, P.O. Box 535002, Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002
Free Methodist, for
Jesus’ Sake
r
by howard a. snyder
T “
o maintain the Bible standard of Christianity, and to preach the Gospel to the poor.” The words are so simple we can miss their punch. These are the words of B.T. Roberts and the first Free Methodists as they founded the new denomination in 1860.
Free Methodists embrace “the Bible standard of Christianity.” We know God has once for all shown the way of salvation, revealed in Scripture. The gospel centers in Jesus Christ’s gift of abundant life (John 10:10) to all who believe and follow Him.
3 [feature] Why Free? Early Free Methodists called themselves Free to make a point. Jesus gives us freedom — freedom from sin and guilt, the freedom of the Spirit, freedom to live freely for Jesus in every area. At the time Free Methodists (late 1850s, early 1860s) many emphasize Jesus’ commission: churches discriminated against the “Preach the gospel to the poor.” poor and black people by restricting Roberts said the church should do them to the poorest seating in their what Jesus did: Take the gospel sanctuaries. Free Methodists insisted to people who are hurting and on “free pews” for everyone — no oppressed; people with no hope. restrictions. (Many larger churches The gospel is for all, raised funds by auctioning An Apple Story but like Jesus we the best seats to the focus our resources As an apt symbol of highest bidders.) fruitfulness, the Free and compassion The Free Methodist Methodist Church especially on the Church was founded right prayerfully began in an poor and oppressed. before the Civil War. Millions apple orchard outside Jesus Christ, of blacks were bound as Pekin, N.Y., Aug. 23, our Savior and slaves. Free Methodists 1860. There, B.T. Robsource of salvation, insisted slavery was sin. All erts and sympathizers is also our example. slaves should be free. Here sat in the grass and His devout and holy was another important prayed to know God’s will. Then Roberts, life of worshiping reason for being Free his evangelist friend the Father and Methodists: No discrimination John Wesley Redfield, serving those in against blacks or the poor 45 laymen and 15 need shows what or the new immigrants then preachers met at the it means to be a flooding the country. Jesus adjacent campground Christian, a “Christwelcomed everyone; so and formed the Free follower.” should the church, His body. Methodist Church.
The basic principle of freedom included rights for women and the Spirit’s freedom in all parts of life. Complete freedom for women to be pastors as well as leaders in society is one of the deepest principles of Free Methodism. Every Christian, male or female, receives the Holy Spirit and gifts to serve God and others however God directs. We are to worship God in the freedom of the Spirit and to serve others in freedom as Jesus did.
Why Methodist? Our founders liked the word “Methodist.” Most had been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with roots in the great Evangelical Revival under John and Charles Wesley in England in the 1700s. Early Free Methodists loved the values and traditions of Methodism. Methodist means salvation by grace through faith available to all, not just a “predestined” few. It means the new birth is only the beginning. We are called to holiness, to active love of God and neighbors. John Wesley called this “all inward and outward holiness.” How? By the Spirit’s cleansing and by lives of shared discipleship in responsible Christian community.
[feature] 4 Free Methodists have always believed that the Christian faith is not just about Sunday worship. Faithful discipleship requires the “one-another” life taught in the New Testament. Early Methodists met weekly in house groups to encourage each another. They found practical ways to serve the poor, sick and needy, and to share their faith. Free Methodists believe that faithful Christian living requires sevendays-a-week discipleship, frequent contact with other Christian brothers and sisters, and widespread witness in the world. Free Methodists are optimists about God’s power to save people, redeem society and renew the earth. They believe God’s Spirit is much more potent than Satan or the entrenched powers of evil. Like the early Methodists, the Free Methodist Church is nondispensational. We reject the new theology born in the late 1800s that society can only get worse, and that Jesus must return to “rapture” His people from earth to heaven. Instead, Free Methodists pray and believe that by His Spirit, God’s will shall indeed “be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NRSV).
We affirm the great promise of the gospel: Through Jesus, God is reconciling “to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20 NRSV). He gives the church this “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18 NRSV).
has many branches. Not all agree on everything. But we hold in common with most Christians the basics of the faith: Belief in God the Trinity, His creation of the world and of people in His image, the corruption of sin, and salvation through Jesus Christ by the Spirit. We affirm “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the
Why Church? We are the Free Methodist Church, not a club or mere social group. We avoid two extremes. We are not just a group of individuals who get together for religious purposes the way people might gather to share hobbies. On the other hand, we don’t believe everyone must belong to our group, or that we are the only real Christians. Church means the body of Christ — all God’s people around the world and through time. We are part of the great tradition of the Christian faith, dating back to the first disciples of Jesus. We are no cult. The church of Jesus Christ
Free Methodists have always believed that the Christian faith is not just about Sunday worship.
5 [feature] scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised the third day in accordance with the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NRSV). We are sacramental, nourished by the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and we seek to live lives that are signs of God’s grace. Free Methodists have a specific calling to uphold biblical Christianity and bring good news to the poor. This is lived-out holiness. In key ways, the Free Methodist Church is countercultural.
www.fmfoundation.org
To be church means that we find the essential direction and meaning of our life in our fellowship with God and community with Christian sisters and brothers. Jesus said He came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 NRSV). We want to be like Jesus — lifting up the Savior, serving Him and serving others, for the sake of God’s kingdom and God’s mission. We believe in putting first Jesus and His kingdom, not putting first
ourselves or our country. All this is captured in those remarkable words, “To maintain the Bible standard Snyder’s book, i Howard “Populist Saints: B. T. and of Christianity, Ellen Roberts and the and to preach First Free Methodists,” has been republished in the Gospel to abridged form. See the back cover for more. the poor.” [LLM]
[bishops] 6
Until Jesus Is Done
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t General Conference 2011 and beyond, we are earnest followers of Jesus. We start, continue and finish with Jesus. It is not so much that we have Jesus in our hearts but that Jesus has us in His heart. We delight not so much that Jesus is part of our lives as that we are part of His. Others depend on an experience they had with Jesus. We depend on a daily reliance on the real person of Jesus who continues His life and work in our world. Jesus is the author and finisher, the source and consummator, the alpha and omega of everything for us. As we follow Jesus, we are drawn into whatever He is and does. Following Him inevitably means joining Him in His mission. He proclaims good news to the poor, and announces forgiveness of sins and freedom for captives. He opens blind eyes and gladdens the hearts of the hard-pressed. He brings this good news to everyone everywhere. Jesus accomplishes the mission by self-sacrificing and atoning love. He hung on the cross, and His grave-busting power and presence energize us. He breathes His Spirit into all who follow and receive. Though we sometimes share in His sufferings, we will surely share in His glory. Earnestly following Jesus draws us to one another. As we follow and join His mission, we learn to be church. Together, we organize our lives around following and missioning with Jesus. We are so earnest, so ardent that it sometimes hurts us. We live this way until the time comes to die this way. We live this way until it’s the only way anyone lives. We live this way until Jesus restores and renews everything. Bishop We are committed to follow, to mission and to the church that i David Kendall results until Jesus is done and Jesus comes. [LLM]
As we follow
Jesus, we are drawn into
whatever Jesus is and does.
7 [foundation]
Dandelion Holiness b y dic k freed
SCRIPTURE: JOHN 1:1-14 JOHN 4:14-21,23 JOHN 14-15 1 JOHN 1:5-2:6
D
andelions are subversive; they have no regard for orderly, green lawns. And if you mow ’em down, they just keep coming back. They are so hard to get rid of because they have strong roots. Dig them out too shallowly, and those subversive, destructive yellow invaders will keep popping up. Free Methodists are celebrating our roots these days: B.T. Roberts, John Wesley Redfield ... John Wesley. But our roots go deeper: the Brethren of the Common Life, Francis of Assisi, Patrick of Ireland and countless others, famous and obscure, back to the apostles. John wrote that God came among us, bringing us a new way to live (1:1-14). Luke wrote that Jesus came to set people free (4:14-21). Matthew showed Him engaging people in their struggle with life, healing their diseases and inaugurating a new reality in their midst (4:23). He recruited disciples and sent them out to do what He was doing. He told them they would do even greater things if they stayed rooted in Him (John 14-15). Then He broke the power of death, setting them free to live as He’d lived. His Spirit inhabited those disciples, who picked up right where Jesus left off. They weren’t flawless, but they lived as Jesus had, calling a liar anyone who claimed to know Him but didn’t live as He had (1 John 1:5-2:6). In every generation since, some have surrendered to the embrace of God’s love in Jesus, been drawn into ever-deepening intimacy with the Father and have extended the kingdom of God on Earth. They’ve fed the hungry and clothed the naked; they’ve healed the sick and set captives free. They’ve told the story of a different reality that continues to grow. They’ve been muzzled, beaten, imprisoned and killed, but new ones keep popping up everywhere. Blame the roots. So let it be known that whatever else we are, Free Methodists are a subversive people who’ve been set free and empowered to live the way Jesus lived. [LLM]
[history] 8
With Us Always by k at e m c ginn
A
tension between the urban and the rural has existed since the inception of the Free Methodist Church. The denomination was established in an orchard not far from a small train station in eastern New York. Yet the emphases agreed to on that August afternoon were penned in the city, while B.T. Roberts pastored in Buffalo, N.Y. The birth of Free Methodism coincided with a great migration of people from the country to cities. During this flux, Roberts and other early Free Methodists managed the two worlds efficiently. John Wesley Redfield could bring hundreds to a city church and thousands to a camp meeting not 20 miles away. Converts who came to Christ outside the city frequently became the staunchest champions of its poor. Surprisingly, the changes that made travel easier between town and country seem to have exacerbated rather than relieved tensions. Cities and their numbers of poor grew considerably after World War II. At the same time, many Free Methodist churches left city centers to follow their departing flocks. Simultaneous with this urban flight was a subtle shift in Free Methodist pastoral appointments. Fewer pastors rotated to new churches every three years, and urban pastors tended to stay in urban churches. Pastors on both sides, besieged with burgeoning and shifting needs, were allotted little time to consider the similarities between town and country congregations. They focused instead on the readily apparent differences. Stories thrive on dramatic tension. I don’t see why denominations shouldn’t either. Different settings demand different, not divisive, strategies. Whether in rural or urban areas, all Free Methodists have responded to the same call “to maintain the Bible standard of Christianity, and to preach the Gospel to the poor.” [LLM]
Los Angeles’ First Free Methodist Church
Different settings demand different, not divisive, strategies.
Positive Tomorrows Children by Jeff finley
Photo by Michael Metts
for Homeless
[action] 10
Photo by Michael Metts
F
ree Methodists have helped homeless children since the denomination’s early days. Bishop Walter Sellew established the Orphanage and Home of the Free Methodist Church in Gerry, N.Y., in 1886. That same year, Thomas Arnold, an FM pastor and the denomination’s publisher, began welcoming street children into his Chicago home. He started Woodstock Children’s Home in 1891. Flash forward to 2011, and another Free Methodist leads an effort to help homeless children. Susan Agel serves as president, executive director and principal of the Positive Tomorrows nonprofit school in Oklahoma City. “It is a school focused on the needs of children who are homeless or who are dealing with delays of some sort due to recent homelessness,” Agel said. Positive Tomorrows works with 45 students at a time. It served a total of 110 children in kindergarten through fifth grade last year. The school’s teachers and social workers focus on meeting students’ academic, social and emotional needs. “It’s our goal to sustain them through that rough patch and get them ready so that when it’s time,
they can transition into public school and do very well,” Agel said. She believes churches can play an important role in helping families move out of homelessness by providing mentoring relationships. Research indicates the value of mentoring relationships in the transition from poverty to the middle class. Although in her current position for only two years, Agel has devoted her life to helping people. She served for 10 years as the director of the Deaconess Hospital Foundation and has worked for several other nonprofit agencies, including a homeless shelter and a hospital for children with disabilities. “For me personally, dealing with the needs of the poor and disenfranchised is particularly a calling,” Agel said. Mid-America Conference Superintendent Jeff Johnson has seen Agel repeatedly act on that calling during the 14 years he has known her. “She is quick to speak for those who do not have a voice: the widows, the poor, the immigrants and the orphans,” Johnson said. “She gracefully blends holy living and holy loving in everything she does.” Agel’s volunteer efforts include
serving as vice chair of the board of trustees at Central Christian College of Kansas A volunteer and multiple mentor helps a student roles within the Free Methodist at Positive Church at the local, conference Tomorrows and denominational levels. in Oklahoma “I only know of her giving City. | Photo 100 percent to the task before courtesy of her, which means she gives Susan Agel. 200 percent when working on two projects simultaneously,” said Daniel Mobley, assistant to the pastor of Agel’s home church, Resurrection FMC. Agel’s family shares her commitment to education. Her husband of 34 years is Elias Agel, a retired high school science teacher. Her oldest daughter, Amanda Ward, is a high school English teacher, and her youngest daughter, Kaitlin Agel, teaches high school chemistry. Positive Tomorrows is funded through tax-deductible donations; it does not receive government grants. For more information about the school or to donate, visit positivetomorrows.org. [LLM]
i
11 [news]
‘Bad’ Is Good for FM Pastors b y michae l metts
W
hy am I here? What has experience taught me? Am I worthy? Dr. Rob McKenna believes people are driven by these tough questions, and leaders must be purposeful in addressing them. Through the commission on leadership development formed at General Conference 2007, the Free Methodist Church discovered a need to offer its leaders a self-development tool. McKenna, a self-development expert and associate professor of industrial/organizational psychology at Seattle Pacific University, was chosen to fulfill that need. “Our goal was to create a virtual toolkit that helps people answer those tough questions but then gives them the tools they need to develop,” McKenna said. The solution is badbobby.com. “Bad Bobby” is McKenna’s video gaming username. He chose his gaming name because he wants users to understand how all aspects of their lives contribute to who they are as leaders.
Anyone can use the tool, but McKenna believes it will be especially helpful for pastors. On the website, users can complete questionnaires, set and share goals and view their progress. Answering surveys allows them to audit their leadership experience, form a strategic network and understand their ability to lead under pressure. “It’s very helpful,” said Bishop Matt Thomas, a Bad Bobby user. “I like the fact that it makes you think through your call and purpose.” Everything on the website is private (unless shared by the user), so pastors can authentically evaluate and get an accurate picture of themselves. “As someone who comes from a psychology background, I was
very impressed,” said Mark Taylor, director of church planting for the Pacific Northwest Conference. Dennis Jeffery, superintendent of the River Conference appreciates the feedback tools, which offer “a very helpful way to assist a leader’s growth by raising self-awareness and decreasing blind spots.” The denomination is providing full Bad Bobby access to all ordained pastors, but anyone can experience the goal-setting portion at badbobby.com. [LLM]
[news] 12 HANDS OF HOPE Bessemer and Pleasant Grove, Ala.; Greeneville, Tenn., and Spalding County, Ga.
Southern Free Methodists thank God they survived devastating tornadoes April 27 and 28 that left extensive damage in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. Contributions to the rebuilding efforts may be made to the Bishops’ Crisis Response Fund, P.O. Box 535002, Indianapolis, IN 46253. Please specify “Hands of Hope” on your contribution.
FIRST FMC Indianapolis
Pastor Greg Coates welcomed Free Methodist bishops and an international audience into First FMC’s sanctuary April 13 for the denomination’s first virtual town hall meeting. More than 700 online comments were made in the live chat window. The meeting video and the bishops’ answers to additional questions are available at llcomm.org.
HILLSIDE FMC Evanston, Ill.
Hillside Food Pantry co-founder Faith Albano was honored at Northwestern University as the Evanston Volunteer Recognition program celebrated her ongoing work with the pantry. Hillside, which served 206 families when it started in May 2009, now serves more than 2,000 families a month and specializes in fresh food.
FM URBAN FELLOWSHIP Indianapolis
Urban pastors and church members from across the United States gathered April 27 to 29 at West Morris Street FMC/Comunidad Cristiana in Indianapolis for the FM Urban Fellowship’s Continental Urban Exchange (CUE). The theme was “Do Not Be Afraid,” and speakers included Anthony Headley, professor of counseling at Asbury Theological Seminary.
i The Rest of the Story Want to find out more about the stories of these remarkable FM churches? Visit llcomm.org.
We want to hear from you! Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the U.S. and around the world. Submit your story at llcomm.org.
13 [world]
BRIEF
J
apanese Free Methodists appreciate prayer and support following the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis. “Your earnest prayers have been encouraging as well as helpful to us all,” a Japanese FM leader told Bishop Matt Thomas. “March 11 will be the day that will live in our collective minds forever. We have shed tears of sorrow, but, as Christians, we have also shed tears of hope as we are hopeful that many in Japan will find the love of God.” Contributions may be made to the Bishops’ Crisis Response Fund, P.O. Box 535002, Indianapolis, IN 46253.
Haiti Becomes Provisional General Conference
A
packed room in Port-auPrince thundered with applause and jubilation as the Haitian Free Methodist Church became a provisional general conference in March and elected its first bishop. “They clapped and clapped and clapped and they wouldn’t stop clapping,” said Bishop David Roller, who commissioned the new bishop. “They were just so happy to celebrate.” Celebration is a welcome change from the heartache and suffering brought by the January 2010 earthquake. The Haitian church is strongest in Port-au-Prince, the main area affected by the earthquake, which damaged every church building and pastor’s home. With the death toll at more than 230,000, most Port-au-Prince families suffered at least one loss. In February 2010, Roller and other U.S. church leaders discussed the upcoming transition with Haitian church leaders. They decided to move forward as planned. “It really was a courageous step, because everything at that point was in shambles,” Roller said. The transition to provisional general conference is a significant milestone for the Haitian Free Methodist Church, which has 14,000 members. For expanded coverage, go to llcomm.org. [LLM]
INTERNATIONAL LEADER SPOTLIGHT Clovis Momplaisir, pastor of the Rensberry FMC and former general superintendent of the Haitian conferences, is Haiti’s newly elected bishop.
“He is a man who obviously does not serve for personal gain. He has been a servant of the church,” Bishop David Roller said.
[discipleship] 14
Born to Be Wild by joh n b u n n
A
s I examine the roots of our faith and the foundations of Free Methodism, I’m struck with a thought: Any movement that has changed the course of history has been led by a rebel — or a group of rebels. Many of their contemporaries likely considered B.T. Roberts and the other founders of Free Methodism to be rebels. For us, “rebel” may conjure an image of a tattooed and pierced, leatherclad, hard-living Harley rider. It’s difficult to Our Christian picture Roberts in leather (on a Harley … faith and maybe), but that’s not what I mean by the word. denomination A rebel is willing to challenge the status are rooted in a quo, to stand up for his or her convictions, to question the process. When you look good kind of through that lens, it’s a little easier to see rebellion. the rebel in Roberts. Jesus was a rebel. He constantly did and said things that ruffled feathers. Our Christian faith and denomination are rooted in a good kind of rebellion. If we’re going to be true to our heritage as followers of Christ, if we’re going to be true to our foundation as Free Methodists, isn’t it important for us to be willing to be a little rebellious? Be rebellious toward culture, injustice, complacency and the status quo. This ought to be extremely liberating! We don’t have to do things the way they’ve always been done. Your small group and your personal walk with Christ do not have to follow cookie-cutter patterns. If we’re really going to be true to our roots, we’ve got to be willing to change. It worked for B.T. and company. Let’s follow their lead as individuals, small groups and churches. Start a rebellion. Let it begin with you and your group. [LLM]
GROUP DISCUSSION: [1] W hich of our group activities have become routine or mundane? [2] What can we do to change those things? [3] What might it look like if our group rebelliously lived out our faith?
Want to know more about the first Free Methodists? For a limited time, you can buy the new, abridged version of Howard A. Snyder's definitive book on B.T. and Ellen Roberts for more than
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