8
History
NO V 20 1 1
LLM
11
News
13
World
1 [openers]
Free (Indeed) Methodists
I
was born in Alton, Ill., where a pro-slavery mob killed pastor and abolitionist publisher Elijah Lovejoy. I once worked near the St. Louis courthouse, where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom from slavery. In an infamous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against them. I thought slavery was a sad but distant chapter of history that ended more than a century ago. When someone asked me about the “Free” in Free Methodist, I responded by mentioning opposition to slavery but adding that it was no longer an issue (so I thought). Then I worked for a newspaper that reported some of my beloved Chinese buffets paid their immigrant employees less than minimum wage for a workweek of more than 60 hours. Slave-free shopping and reading 1] Do you use QR codes on your smartphone? Scan this box with your phone to access more information on the modern abolitionist movement. 2] Do you want to avoid inadvertently supporting slavery with your purchases? Find information about stores specializing in products not made with slave labor. 3] Would you like to find books for in-depth knowledge on this topic? The QR code also takes you to a list of books that discuss human trafficking.
i
What’s this? This symbol means there’s more info at llcomm.org.
Via Facebook, I reconnected with a high school friend who moved to South Africa and started an organization trying to end human trafficking there. Recently, I learned that fellow Free Methodists, such as Kevin Austin and Ginger Coakley, are emerging leaders in the fight against slavery here and abroad. God is using our denomination to bring people both physical and spiritual freedom. Let’s join the fight against all forms of bondage, remembering John 8:36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” [LLM]
i
“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
Lead Writer Lead Designer Writer/Photographer Copy Editor Art Director Project Manager Web Director/Rich Media Publisher
Jeff Finley Erin Eckberg Michael Metts Dawn McIlvain Stahl Andrea Anibal Julie Innes Peter Shackelford Jason Archer
Spanish Translation Janeth Bustamante Joe Castillo Jennifer Flores Guillermo Flores, Lead Joel Guzman
Carmen Hosea Karen Kabandama Samuel Lopez Rodrigo Lozano, Coordinator
To receive Light & Life in Spanish please contact our office: (800) 342-5531 or jeff.finley@fmcusa.org.
Jeff Finley Lead Writer
Website: www.llcomm.org Email us: www.llcomm.org/staff News and submissions: jeff.finley@fmcusa.org Advertising: jason.archer@fmcusa.org Address all correspondence to: Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214 (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. 5233, Vol. 144, No. 6 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 Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214
M
ore slaves are in the world today than at any other point in history. Women, children and men are trafficked into slavery in every country and forced to work or sell their bodies in atmospheres of violence and shame. Humanity is denied. Destinies are stolen. uuu
by Kevin austin
3 [feature] The Free Methodist Church, founded on freedom issues, worked to end slavery in the 19th century. Although liberation occurred, freedom has not yet been fully
slavery permeates almost every segment of the world economy. realized. Instead, the system of slavery — fueled by greed, racism and poverty — broke apart and flew to the dark corners of our society, where it has continued to thrive. Today, according to the U.S. State Department, more than 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year. There are more than 30 million slaves in our world. They pick cotton for our clothes, make bricks for our homes, harvest tomatoes for our tables and pick cocoa beans for our desserts. Slavery permeates almost every segment of the world
economy. Brazil, for example, may have as many as 100,000 slaves in agriculture, according to “A Growing Concern: Modern Slavery and Agricultural Production in Brazil and South Asia” by Justin Campbell. Thailand’s sex tourism industry is the No. 1 money-making business in the kingdom, according to Kevin Bales in “Disposable People.” Children from Honduras end up in Romania; Haitians orphaned by earthquakes are trafficked through the Dominican Republic and then put on boats to places unknown; runaway teens in Seattle are picked up and moved from city to city while trapped in drug addiction and sexual abuse. As people of God, we need to respond. Ending slavery is challenging. Economic systems and our lifestyles support modern-day slavery. Law enforcement and educational approaches are limited in their effectiveness. Smart business solutions and passionate engagement are in short supply. Apathy and cynicism reinforce
worldviews that allow people created in God’s image to be held in captivity. As daunting as the task is and as easy as it for us to find excuses to ignore the issue, the reality demands a response and God’s love compels us to act. Like an automobile engine, which has many parts moving together to get us down the road, the abolitionist movement needs to engage every sphere of society: culture, law and government, business, education, and faith. All of these can provide real solutions to end modern-day slavery. All of us can do something. Ending modern-day slavery is the first step in the solution to creating freedom. Liberation is not the same as freedom. We can pass laws, arrest the perpetrators and set captives free. We can teach people to read and improve job skills. We can break chains, kick in brothel doors, provide shelter and feed orphans. We need to do all of these things, but we also need to create new futures. We need to combine liberation with freedom. When God rescued the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt, He did not leave them there. He created a new future for the liberated ones in a
[feature] 4 new place. God led them to a wide expanse of freedom. It took a journey, a new identity, a covenant and many leaders. Jesus completed this work in fullness. On the very day Jews were remembering the Exodus, the day God liberated them from slavery, Jesus died to bring holistic freedom. Jesus, the true Passover Lamb of God, died on the cross and brought true freedom to the world. The work of the cross should not be limited to forgiveness of sin. Jesus’ sacrifice brought holistic freedom: forgiveness, hope, healing, joy and life in abundance. Jesus’ work on the cross was followed by the Resurrection — life. Resurrection power is now ours with the help and blessing of the Holy Spirit. God created new futures for us. Now we create new futures for others. Ending modern-day slavery and creating new futures is the complete, holistic work for which the church was created. The Exodus, Isaiah 58, Jesus’ declaration in Nazareth, the cross and the Resurrection all point in the same direction. God is a God of freedom. Jesus came to set us
free in every way. We are called to be free people. We are called to set others free. Christians led the abolitionist movement of the 19th century, which included William Wilberforce, the early Free Methodists and others. Sacrificial commitment fueled by the compelling love of God and love for those held in bondage created an unstoppable force. Liberation occurred, but the work was incomplete. We must complete the work. It’s time to set everyone free in every way.
How to engage How do we engage in this work? First, we lean back into our heritage. Free Methodist Church members have conversations with people who ask, “What’s a Free Methodist?” We have a powerful heritage of holistic freedom. We should be bold to
declare that we have come to set the captives free from everything that holds people in bondage — financial, emotional, spiritual or physical — and then align our lives, work and worship to do just that. The Free Methodist Church is in a prime position to be a major transformer of society for God’s glory. In the future, the conversations could look very different: “You’re a Free Methodist? You’re the group that’s setting people free and ending modern-day slavery, aren’t you? Cool!” Not just remembering, but also living out the reality of who we are as God’s people will empower us for the work. We are God’s children, filled with the Holy Spirit, gifted, called and empowered with Resurrection power. Balancing both humility and courage, there is nothing we cannot do with God as our guide and helper. We can [re]abolish slavery in our lifetime. Second, we need to work smart.
5 [feature] Good intentions and passion are not enough. Being aware and learning more about modern-day slavery are not ends in themselves. Worldviews need to change. Cultural values need to be adjusted. Partnering with effective organizations working to bring about holistic, transformative change is essential. Not For Sale is one organization leading the way in this movement. Not For Sale seeks to transform society and give each person a way to use his or her skills
to make a difference. Athletes, musicians, business people, soccer moms, people of faith and others can all find ways to engage with Not For Sale, at notforsalecampaign.org. Third, we need smart activism that moves beyond exhortations, awareness and learning. Just because we know things does not necessarily mean we’ll do the right things. We must determine to live sacrificially and to act from a heart of love. Those held in bondage
will benefit from our prayer-infused, hope-filled movement that creates new futures. We must act, not simply be Austin is a Free i Kevin aware. The Methodist missionary in the U.S. abolitionist traffickers are movement, the director committed; of Not For Sale’s Abolitionist Faith Community we need to and a staff pastor at be more Lifepoint (FM) Church, Lake Stevens, Wash. committed. [LLM]
Want to
reach
Free Methodists? We’re your
connection. www.fmfoundation.org
Get your message out to at least 75,000 people with our great advertising opportunities. Large range of prices available, plus digital edition and online ads.
Contact us today:
(800) 342-5531 ext. 313 or ads@fmcusa.org.
[bishops] 6
God Wants Them to Be Free
W
hen our forebears identified themselves as Free Methodists, they took a stand for a birthright of all human beings. God made us in God’s own image, and Christ set us free to be whom we were meant to be. Therefore, wherever people are bound, God wants them free. Wherever people enslave others, God wants them to stop. God wants these things. Period. No qualifications and no exceptions. That there are many places where enslavement occurs doesn’t matter. Wherever slavery exists, freedom must flow. That there are a host of slave-mongers makes no difference. Whoever the captors are, liberty leaves no options but for their captives to go free. That the means used to enslave people are varied and complex presents no mitigating factor to the urgencies of rescuing captives. Whatever the fetters and however they are made, freedom refuses to submit. That a majority organizes its world by systems that partially depend on slave making offers no exception; it merely underscores the darkness and brokenness of such organization. Liberty lifts to another level altogether and organizes in new ways. Though the price of freeing captives is high, it permits no peacemaking with traders and captors of human treasure. Whatever the cost, the value of liberty’s prize exceeds it. Free Methodists today eagerly embrace their freedoms in Christ and joyfully participate with others in setting captives free. In fact, this will never become optional for the earnest follower of Christ. Because they are earnest followers, they will join with others in Jesus’ relentless effort to achieve the glorious liberty of the children of God. We are grateful for organizations like Not For Sale and for the opportunity to observe Freedom Sunday each year. We urge all members and friends to take action for the sake of those waiting and David i Bishop longing to be free. [LLM] Kendall
Wherever slavery exists, freedom must flow.
7 [foundation]
SCRIPTURE: Luke 4:18 Jeremiah 34:8-22 Philemon 1:8-21
A brothel keeper and her slaves in a red-light district in Mumbai, India. (Photo courtesy of Kay Chernush for the U.S. State Department.)
Messianic Freedom b y d e nn y wa y man
J
esus introduced His ministry as one of freedom when He opened the scroll of Isaiah and proclaimed: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18). Since its inception, the Free Methodist Church has brought freedom to those who are imprisoned and oppressed. Human slavery did not end 150 years ago with the emancipation of slaves in the United States. Slavery moved underground and is growing with horrifying atrocities that many people ignore. To break through this denial, artists have created films such as “Taken” and “The Whistleblower” that graphically reveal the inhumanity necessary for modern slavery to exist. Although filmmakers effectively portray slavery’s horrors in these difficult-to-watch films, they do not offer a true solution. The church helped stop legal slavery in the 19th century, and the church is needed now to stop illegal slavery in the 21st century. Our Lord calls us to set the prisoner and the oppressed free. This is not a “cause” that we take on only if we wish, but rather a central mission of being in the service of the Messiah. Although sanctioned slavery was a part of most cultures throughout biblical history, God was at work to end this atrocity. From the proclamation to His people in Jeremiah 34:8-22 to Paul’s request that Philemon treat Onesimus as a brother rather than a slave (Philemon 1:8-21), both the Old and New Testaments call us to set people free. This is a call we dare not deny if we are to find freedom for those Jesus came to save. [LLM]
[history] 8
Free Methodist Roots in Slave City b y M a r k v a n v a li n
H
oward Snyder’s “Populist Saints: B. T. and Ellen Roberts and the First Free Methodists” summarizes, from B.T. Roberts’ own diary, the events surrounding the organization of the first Free Methodist Church. Roberts was invited to organize a growing St. Louis society of 150 members led by evangelist John Wesley Redfield. The core group had left the Methodist Episcopal Church. In March 1859, Roberts’ first trip west put him into direct contact with the flourishing slave trade in St. Louis. He was appalled at the sight of slaves being chained and transported from the river barges through the streets. He visited with a group held for auction in a slave pen. Many of the young men and women had light skin, revealing their white, slave-owning fathers. The organizational meetings evoked “excitable debate.” Some argued for allowing slave owners as members. Others expressed St. Charles, Ill., circa 1878 concern over the inclusion of the word “free” in the church’s (Photo courtesy of Marston Memorial Historical Center.) name. They rightly sensed the offense the word could give in a slave town like St. Louis and felt that it would prove a detriment to the reputation and growth of the young congregation. Prophetic voices prevailed, however, and the church held fast to its mandate that no slave owner would be admitted into membership. Furthermore, the church would retain its abolitionist witness, being known as a Free Methodist Church. Both Roberts and the little St. Louis congregation demonstrated uncompromising courage. Curiously, many Free Methodist churches today are jettisoning our historic name for the sake of being culturally relevant. Perhaps if we recalled our roots and the prophetic stand our founders took for social justice, we might find reasons to embrace anew both the name and the abolitionist passion for which it once stood. [LLM]
Our founders took a prophetic stand for social justice.
captives by jeff finley
Photo by Willard Frost
G
inger Coakley sensed God calling her into ministry, but she wasn’t sure where to serve. “I never really felt called to stand in front of people and preach on a weekly basis,” said Coakley, 30, who grew up in a Free Methodist family in Oklahoma City. uuu
Photo by Willard Frost
[action] 10 Between her junior and senior years at Greenville (Ill.) College, the psychology major traveled with VISA Ministries to Manila, Philippines, where she came to a realization: “Everyone who sits in a pew has a ministry. Everybody who claims to be a part of the kingdom of God has a responsibility to love people and to spread the gospel.” Her calling was unmistakable. “I just heard the Lord say, ‘I’ve called you for ministry, and it’s time to go get equipped.’” She worked with at-risk young people for several years and then enrolled in Asbury Theological Seminary, from which she received a Master of Divinity in 2009. Coakley is now a Gateway Conference ministerial candidate, but she still doesn’t see herself becoming a church’s senior pastor. Along with a new partner in life — high school teacher Lee Coakley, whom she married in June — she has a new role as Illinois representative of the anti-slavery organization Not For Sale. “I finally can see what my ministry is: advocating for the captive and letting people know that as people of the kingdom we have a message to bring of freedom and a fight to see slavery abolished in our lifetime,” she said. “I
love the Free Methodist Church. Its heritage is rich, and we need to hearken back to our roots.” Just as early Free Methodists were known for their strong opposition to slavery, Coakley wants today’s FM congregations to be on the forefront of the modern abolitionist movement, not only by rescuing captives but also by educating communities about the existence of slavery. Anti-trafficking efforts range from combating local prostitution to encouraging grocery stores to stock slave-free products. “You’ve got to change the culture and the mindset,” she said. “A big part of the problem is the supply and demand of human trafficking. It’s got to be a mindset where we’re talking to the traffickers and the johns who pursue the sex slaves.” Coakley has an ally in Women’s Ministries International (WMI), a Free Methodist Church – USA ministry that is exploring additional ways to work with her. “It is my hope that Ginger will fill a position on the WMI Executive General Board as a liaison to women, speaking in various venues, raising awareness of the exploitation of women, seeking ways to create new futures for those who desperately
Just as early Free Methodists were known for their strong opposition to slavery, Coakley wants today’s FM congregations to be on the forefront of the modern abolitionist movement. need a helping hand,” WMI President LaWanda Bullock said. “WMI desires to assist in raising funding for Ginger in order for her to do this work full time.” Online donations from a credit card or bank account can be made to Coakley through the “Make a Donation” area of fmwmi.com. Please choose the “Ginger Coakley Support” category. [LLM]
11 [news]
River Conference Serves Denver Neighborhood b y m i c h a e l m e tts
D
elegates and attendees of the River Conference leadership summit spent several hours serving Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood by removing graffiti, painting dumpsters and handrails, cleaning up a playground, hosting a soccer camp for children, and working on a construction project at Tha Myx, an urban Free Methodist church pastored by Age Sandoval. “Our community is underresourced, and it was just a great way to help connect people to our church ministry,” Sandoval said, “to let them know that we’re here to help them out any way we can.” CBS Denver covered the August event and featured View the the conference’s television station’s work on its evening report with news broadcast. this article Tom Greco, chief in the News & Events of staff for the River section of Conference, said fmcusa.org.
conference leaders were looking for a way as a group to meet human needs. Sun Valley is an impoverished community, with an average income of $4,400 per year, according to Tha Myx. More than 90 percent of Sun Valley families River Conference delegates and attendees paint over a graffitireside in subsicovered wall in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Denver. dized housing. Sandoval encouraged other Because not everyone was able to churches to become more involved in physically work in the 95-degree heat and 5,000-foot elevation, a group was their neighborhoods. “Just get to know neighbors,” he formed to pray for the neighborhood said. “Ask them what they think about and volunteers. According to Greco, the volunteers the needs of the community and how the church can help meet those received a positive response from needs.” [LLM] area residents and several requests to come back and work on other projects.
[news] 12 SPRING ARBOR FMC Spring Arbor, Mich.
More than 300 people ran or walked the Free2Run 5K on Aug. 13 in Spring Arbor, Mich., to raise money for the anti-slavery organization Not For Sale. Spring Arbor FMC’s youth group organized the run. Student leaders included Libby Ellis, Sarah Ellis and Ashley Ganton.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONFERENCE Marysville, Wash.
Marysville FMC, Arlington FMC and LifePoint Church organized and participated in an Aug. 27 Free2Walk event. More than 200 people walked for freedom. More information about Free2Walk is available at notforsalecampaign.org/free2walk. (Photo courtesy of Eastern Sky Photography.)
AUSTIN NEW CHURCH Austin, Texas
Austin New Church has several anti-slavery initiatives in its Restore Communities platform, including partnering with others in Haiti to build homes and dig wells for the homeless. More information is available at restorecommunities.org/ending-slavery and restorecommunities.org/restore-haiti.
FIRST FMC Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
On Aug. 5 and 6, First FMC of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., sold water at local sidewalk sales to raise money for Clear Blue Water. Children worked the table and took 50-cent donations for cold water, raising $110 over two days. “I think it is really bad that people don’t have good water,” said Mattie Goff, age 6.
i
The Rest of the Story Want to find indepth stories of remarkable Free Methodists? Visit fmcusa.org and llcomm.org.
We want to hear from you! Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the United States and around the world. Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory.
13 [world]
BRI E F
H
arriet Tubman worked with churches along the Underground Railroad to help escapees of slavery. Now, Free Methodists are joining congregations of other denominations to create a network of abolitionist churches around the world. On Feb. 26, the first Sunday of Lent, thousands of churches will observe Freedom Sunday with worship and prayer recognizing the fight to end the modern trade of human beings. Members of many congregations will fast and give to global anti-trafficking operations the money they would have spent on food that day.
For more information about Freedom Sunday, visit freedomsunday.org or email Kevin Austin, a Free Methodist missionary and pastor who directs Not For Sale’s Abolitionist Faith Community, at Kevin@notforsalecampaign.org.
ICCM Fights Child Trafficking in Thailand
I
nternational Child Care Ministries (ICCM) is building a hostel in Thailand to prevent child trafficking and promote holistic freedom. “ICCM recognizes that child sponsorship is the first line of defense in the battle against child trafficking,” said Linda Adams, ICCM director. “The basic education, stability and Christian care provided through ICCM sponsors make a difference for a child right now.” ICCM has begun construction on the hostel with money raised last Freedom Sunday. It is already workInternational Child Care Ministries helps ing with the Lahu tribal children in children in Thailand and 29 other countries the northern Chiang Rai region of escape poverty and potential exploitation. the Southeast Asian nation. Thailand is known for its sex tourism, which is fueled by poverty that keeps people desperate for survival. When faced with the choices of starvation or survival, some poor families sell children they cannot afford to keep alive to get needed income for the family. “Beyond sponsorship, ICCM has committed its resources to stand with local Free Methodists in the 30 countries we’re privileged to serve to assist them as they tackle 21st-century slavery,” Adams said. “The heritage of the Free Methodist people has come full circle, and we now have an opportunity to demonstrate our historic commitment to abolish slavery and lift up the freedom of all people.” For more information, visit childcareministries.org. [LLM]
[discipleship] 14
Embracing the “Free” in Free Methodist b y l e o ca r p e n t e r
I
n 1860, when the Free Methodist denomination was formed, the census recorded nearly 4 million slaves in the United States. The church’s founders were on the cutting edge of a movement that believed in the equality and unalienable rights of all — a belief the Declaration of Independence proclaimed but society did not yet apply to people of African descent. The “unalienable” right to liberty suggests that no one should be bought, sold or transferred. That tenet, coupled with a conviction that everyone should be able to participate equally Our biblical ancestors in a church environment, were among the basic pilunderstood lars of Free Methodism. unalienable rights and Our biblical ancestors, while still caught in the recognized them as trappings of slavery, underan edict from God. stood unalienable rights and recognized them as edicts from God. Job states: “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:13-15). In Galatians 3:28-29 Paul admonishes: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” As Free Methodists, it is our obligation to accept these truths as we interact with fellow believers and society as a whole. [LLM]
GROUP DISCUSSION: [1] Do we really see and embrace other people as equals? [2] Are there core truths in our beliefs that we need to revisit? [3] How do we recognize whose unalienable rights are being abused?
Did you know there are three more discipleship articles on our website? They’re perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study.
LLM
periodicals postage paid at indianapolis, In, and at additional mailing offices Publications Agreement No. 40716549 Station A P.O. Box 54 Windsor, On N9A 6J5 Canada e-mail: cpcreturns@wdsmail.com
LIGHT & LIFE MAGAZINE
770 N. High School Road Indianapolis, IN 46214
1 2 3
4
FREE2WORK APP Get as-you-shop info on how companies treat workers with the free smartphone app at free2work.org/app.
SLAVE-FREE CITYBOOKLET River Conference PDF booklet explains how to take a citywide approach to ending slavery: bit.ly/ny53YQ.
[resources] Educate yourself about human trafficking with these anti-slavery tools. Find additional resources at llcomm.org.
1 4
COMBATING SLAVERY VIDEO Kevin Bales, president of Free the Slaves, speaks at the TED Conference, which focuses on “ideas worth spreading”: bit.ly/o6No47.
TRAFFIC-FREE TUNES Ezereve’s “Stop Traffik” CD entertains and informs while benefiting a Christian charity helping women escape the sex trade: ezereve.com.
2
3