Wesleyan - we believe in a theology that
wholly embraces both God's sovereignty and grace, and
in a disciplined small group accountability for
believers.
Holiness - we believe God's Holy Spirit will
transform the self-centerdness of every Christian who
sincerely seeks it.
Free - we believe God wants to set us free
from all fears and sins which put us in bondage
Early Church:
The New Testament church in Acts and the New
Testament Writings
Was one church but had various apostolic
overseers who led their churches differently.
Romans 15:20
Catholicism:
In 325 AD Christianity was institutionalized when
Constantine declared Christianity the official
religion of Rome. Catholicism became corrupt and got
away from the Bible as their primary source of
authority.
Reformation:
In the 1500’s Martin Luther and others
protested the corruption, and formed what came to be
known as "Protest-antism".
The Church of England was one result from this
protest.
John Wesley:
In the early 1700’s John Wesley sought to
reform the Church of England which had grown
spiritually cold. He emphasized a personal
relationship with Jesus, holy living and serving the
poor.
Wesley’s followers were called "methodist"
because of their "methods" of daily
devotion and prayer.
Through Wesley and his follower’s preaching the
renewal movement grew and spread to America.
The Methodist Church:
In 1784 Methodism began in America as a
denomination separate from the Church of England. It
flourished and spread rapidly across the nation.
The Free Methodist Church:
By 1860 the Methodist church had grown
spiritually cold. A group of Methodist pastors and
leaders led by B.T. Roberts wanted to bring renewal
to the church. When their efforts were rejected they
formed a new team of believers known as Free
Methodist. This happened in New York.
From 1860 to 2000:
Free Methodism spread rapidly across America
starting a 1000 new churches in 40 years. 7 Colleges
were started. Social compassion ministries were
organized. Missionaries took the gospel to many
foreign nations.
