summer 2011
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Free Methodist Newsletter Summer 2011TRANSCRIPT
The Free Methodist Church in Canada | Summer 2011 | Volume 8 Issue 3 Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family
COVER
Free Methodism celebrates 150 years of ministryDan Sheffield
PAGE 2
Editor’s Desk
What do we do now?Jared Siebert
100 Church Challenge
Upcoming Foundational Courses
PAGE 3
From the Developing Godly, Competent Leaders for Today and Tomorrow Study TeamKim Henderson
PAGES 4-5
Conference Attendees share their experiences
That’s my story and I’m sticking to itRyan Young of New Horizons
Reflections on GCVic Stonehouse of Trulls Road FMC
Enjoying ministry momentsJody Pfeifer of Weyburn FMC
A very inspiration eventArthur Perry, Retired Minister
I came expectingFred McCracken of Athens FMC
GC Prayer Journal Excerpts
PAGE 6-7
Let’s get on with it, strip down, start running and never quit - eyes fixed on JesusBishop Keith Elford
PAGE 8-9
General Conference A Snapshot
PAGE 10
Passages
Online Resources Topics Worth Thinking About
We are freaking broke!by Sandy Crozier
CONTENT
FREE METHODIST BEGINNINGS IN CANADA
One hundred and fi ft y years ago, in 1860, Canada with it vast stretches
of unsettled land and small scattered population was not yet a nation.
Canadian Methodists were fractured into seven diff erent denominational bodies. A decade later, Canada had become a nation with its own Prime Minister, but the move to unite various Methodist bodies into a respectable, socially acceptable denomination bothered some – among them Robert Loveless, a concerned Canadian Primitive Methodist layman in Toronto.
In 1873, he found a copy of B.T. Robert’s Earnest Christian magazine in a post offi ce, was deeply moved by what he read about the message, passion and vision of Free Methodism, and invited Roberts to come to speak in his church.
Th is is where the story of the Free Methodist Church in Canada begins ...
Th ree years later (in 1876), Roberts sent Charles Sage from the North Michigan Annual Conference as a missionary to
“Canada.” At the time, Sage felt this appointment would “crush” him.
Two years later, when 28-year-old Daniel Marston was also appointed to Canada, “He dropped his head on the seat in fr ont of him and cried like a child.” Marston said to Sage: “the idea of sending a boy to Canada!”
Th eir work for the next several years involved responding to invitations from Canadian Methodists who were troubled by the drift toward union, toward middle-class propriety, and away from Wesleyan fundamentals. Th ey gathered these disaff ected Methodists into new Free Methodist congregations throughout southern Ontario.
Not everything went smoothly in those early days. Sage admitted he was “unacquainted with the people and customs of Canada, especially their natural prejudices against the Yankees!” When promoting his revival meetings, Sage billed them as “a chance to see a live Yankee preacher.” Later he refl ected: “I could not have done a worse thing.”
Four years aft er Sage arrived in Canada, B.T. Roberts organized the Canada Annual Conference in Galt, Ontario. Th ree years later, the work was being led by Rev. Albert Sims the fi rst Canadian superintendent. By 1884, the other Methodist bodies in Canada had formed their fi nal union, leaving Free Methodists as the only non-mainline grouping of Methodists left in the country.
CANADIAN SELF-DETERMINATIONTh e move in 1880 to form a district of the North Michigan conference into a Canadian annual conference was a leap
forward in developing an indigenous contextualized voice north of the 49th parallel. At the same time, Canadian Free Methodists now had their own voice in the denomination’s legislative body, the General Conference
In his State of the Work report in 1880, Charles Sage was passionate about the task still to be done in Canada: “we have no place for lounging, whining preachers… we need men baptized with the Holy Ghost and fi re, with the love of souls at heart… who have never learned a retreat and don’t know when they are whipped.” [Sage was obviously speaking of ‘men’ generically, because two years later conference appointments included 10 women on the roll]
Fast forward 40 years to Sarnia, Ontario just across the border from Michigan where Canadian leaders came together in an All-Canada Convention in 1920. Th e Canadian annual conferences spread across the country all related directly north-south to the North American General Conference, with no east-west national dialogue among themselves.
From this Sarnia Convention would emerge a new Canadian identity, the development of Th e Canadian Free Methodist Herald magazine, and work toward founding Canadian pastoral training schools. Th e establishment of a Canadian Executive Board would coordinate uniquely Canadian objectives and retain fi nancial contributions for Canadian ministry concerns.
FREE METHODISM CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF MINISTRY | DAN SHEFFIELD
visit our website @ www.fmcic.ca
MOSAICis a publication of The Free Methodist Church in Canada4315 Village Centre CourtMississauga, Ontario L4Z 1S2T. 905.848.2600F. 905.848.2603E. [email protected]
For submissions: [email protected]
Dan Sheffield, Editor-in-ChiefLisa Howden, Managing Editor and Production
Mailed under publication agreement: #40008369Return postage guaranteed
MR. AND MRS. ROBERT LOVELESS
DANIEL MARSTON
SOME EARLY LADY EVANGELISTS TAKEN IN 1891
150 ANNIVERSARY CONTINUED ON BACK - PAGE 12
M O S A I C 2
Looking back, looking ahead and the inevitability of change
Working with Dan Sheffield for the past several months on the 150th ministry anniversary of Free Methodism has been an enlightening experience. We have a history and beginnings that we can be proud of, and in remembering where we came from – the who, why and how we came together – I think helps us to better understand the characteristics that define us as a movement.
Reading through the stories of the earliest Free Methodists sent to Canada as missionaries gives us a glimpse at the kind of “spiritual DNA” that is part of this denomination’s foundation. Hard-working pioneers like Charles Sage and Daniel Marston (who wept when he learned that he was being sent to Canada - but was obedient despite his feelings) are incredible examples to us of servant-leadership and humility.
The part that really struck me was the “expectation of sacrifice” that was commonplace in their lives. They knew in loving Jesus and in following Him that they would be called to surrender their rights to live as they pleased, that they were anticipating a life that in many instances would involve suffering. They sacrificed comfort, possessions, money, etc and they did it freely with joy for the sake of the Gospel.
I believe their lives as well as the lives of all those Free Methodists who have followed have left their thumb print behind: the decisions they made, both good and bad, have marked us and affect who we are today.
This issue of the MOSAIC attempts to cover a lot of ground, from our beginnings as a movement to a summary report on our recent General Conference. But I think they are rather deeply connected. In every decision that we make — to give of ourselves sacrificially, to grow in maturity, to reach out beyond ourselves to extend Christ’s love to others — we also are leaving behind our thumb print for future generations of Free Methodists.
We often use the analogy of a stone falling into water and causing that ripple effect to demonstrate our “waves of influence.” The faithfulness to Christ we demonstrate as individuals, as churches, as a general conference have a rippling effect that continues to change us.
The deception would be in believing that our actions will not leave their mark – they absolutely will. Change is as inevitable as movement in a river. We can move with the current or we can struggle against it – the one thing we cannot do is remain in the same place. Change is inevitable, but direction . . . now that’s optional.
I have been reflecting lately on the kind of thumb print – or spiritual DNA – I’m leaving behind for others to build on. Is it self-sacrificing? Is it Jesus-centred? Will it inspire others to find joy in surrendering their lives? It’s humbling to realize that I’m still a long way off, but my prayer is that when I miss the mark history will show that I did not fall back but stumble forward.
Lisa HowdenManaging Editor
EDITOR’S DESK
WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
“What’s Next?” seems to be an important question aft er this General Conference. God acted in some pretty
extraordinary ways and I believe is looking for a response from us. May I suggest that we consider our response to God in three ways?
HEART RESPONSEI am writing this article around the time of game 1 of the Stanley Cup fi nals. It is a frequent phenomenon that the best teams (on paper at least) frequently never make it to this point in the play-off s. How can that be? Shouldn’t this just be a contest between the “best” teams in the league? In the case of Vancouver that is true. Th ey fi nished the regular season as the top team. Boston didn’t. Boston was 7th overall. Part of what makes the Stanley Cup and other kinds of fi nals so thrilling is that there is more to winning than fl awless strategies and mountains of talent. Desire can oft en be a bigger factor than talent and strategy. All of the biggest prizes in sport are for those that want it the most. Less talented teams oft en win because they want it more. Th e same principle can hold true in the church as well. Desire is one of our most important assets. How else do we explain how 12 apostles birthed the church in the middle of a context where they were out-classed, out-numbered, out-funded and openly opposed in every imaginable way? Th e answer? Th ey had God-given desire. Th ey allowed their desires to be shaped by God’s. Th ey loved the things He loved and hated the things that He hated. Th ey were so sold out to the message that they stopped at nothing in sharing it.
I believe at the 2011 General Conference, God planted the seeds of those kinds of desires in our hearts. It is up to us in the weeks, months and years to come to water those seeds until they become full-fl edged forests of desire. Desire to see God live and act among us. Desire to see our regions, towns and cities transformed by the power of God. Desire to see our churches healthy. Desire to see God’s kingdom come. No amount of talent and strategy can equal the power of people that will stop at nothing to see it all happen.
HEAD RESPONSEBuilding on desire we need to respond with our minds as well. We cannot simply surrender to God in general. Our responses must be thoughtful and specifi c. In the swirl of all of these emotions something sustainable must emerge if our emotions are to have any meaning. Anyone can be caught up in the emotions of a wedding day but it takes sturdier stuff to turn them into a lifelong commitment. Lifelong commitments are not simply intentions to change — they are sustained actions. Lifelong commitments are real, specifi c and permanent changes
to behaviour. As we leave General Conference we cannot simply vow that things will be diff erent. We must make those vows real by actually living diff erently.
To do that we are going to need to do some thinking. We need to look at our contexts with new eyes. We need to ask ourselves how we can specifi cally serve in this place in this time? We need to create sustained responses to what we see in the world around us. We need to plan. We will need to commit to and work that plan.
HANDS RESPONSEOnce we have worked through our desires, once we have thought it all through, we need to look at our capacities. Capacities, sometimes called “counting the costs”, involve taking stock of what we already have and what we will need to obtain to carry out our responses to God. We need to ask ourselves some questions like: What specifi c strengths do we have? What can we start working on already? What do we need more training in? What do we need to do to get more training? Who do we know that can help us with this? Do we have enough money? If not, then what is our plan for having enough? Do we have enough leaders? If not, then what is our plan for fi nding, training and releasing more leaders?
God undertakes action on His own time table and through His own will. God, on His own initiative, acted in some pretty powerful ways during General Conference. As such we are looking for a way to respond. To respond with our entire selves: hearts, heads, hands. We respond with our hearts by accepting the course corrections and the reshaping of our desires. We respond with our heads through reasoned and sustained actions that get us heading in the right direction. We respond with our hands as we take stock of what we already have and what we will need to keep going.
Rev. Jared Siebert is the Director of Growth Ministries for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. You can contact Jared via email at [email protected]
God given desire ... I believe at the 2011 General Conference, God planted the seeds of those kinds of desires in our hearts. It is up to us in the weeks, months and years to come to water those seeds until they become full-fledged forests of desire.
Personal and Church Stewardship Foundational Course
September 26-28, 2011 Wesley Acres Camp in Bloomfield, ON
October 24-26, 2011 Holt FMC in Mount Albert, ON
This foundational course is required for those who are tracking toward ordination or commissioned minister in The FMCiC. It is also a required course for ALL members of conference (optional for retirees) to be used for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and must be taken before General Conference 2014.
Tuition for each course is $150 and must be paid whether you choose to take the course for full credit or only audit the course.
Detailed information on all the FMCiC foundational courses and how to register can also be found on the website at www.fmcic.ca
COURSE REGISTRATION DEADLINES Wesley Acres - September 19, 2011 Holt FM Church - October 17, 2011
You will find other helpful information on the website regarding tracking for credentialled ministry in The Free Methodist Church in Canada under the Leadership Development section >> tracking
Church Planting is vital to the ongoing health and sustainability of our movement
As a movement we are putting out a call for 100 churches to support church planting across our country by generously giving $3700/year – that’s $308/month; or $10.15 a day! . . to the Church Development Giving Stream.
Can we count you in?Contact Davika Dotson [[email protected]], Growth Minstries department, if you would like to donate to the 100 Church Challenge.
Upcoming Foundational Course
3 M O S A I C
FROM THE DEVELOPING GODLY, COMPETENT LEADERS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW STUDY TEAM
Once again, another General Conference is behind us. Th e preparation for General Conference reminds me of preparing for Christmas dinner: all of the planning
and work that takes hours, sometimes days and the meal itself can be over in thirty minutes! Th at’s not where the comparison ends, though. I think most of us look forward to Christmas dinner with healthy anticipation of something that will be both good and good for us and I believe that was true of General Conference 2011 as well.
I presented the report and the recommendations brought by the Developing Godly, Competent Leaders for Today and Tomorrow on behalf of the National Ministerial Education Guidance and Placement committee (NMEGaP). Th e NMEGaP members serve as the study team. ‘DGCLf TaT by NMEGaP’ – we certainly had the longest title.
For those who weren’t able to attend, here are some highlights and the recommendations from the Developing Leaders Study Team that were passed. For those who were in attendance, this will be reminder of what we said ‘yes’ to.
I shared some updates on the work done on sabbaticals and the new pastor orientation, as both were recommendations from GC 08. Th e previous two issues of the Mosaic have contained highlights on both of those topics.
I also introduced some new resources that NMEGaP has been developing. Th ese resources are geared to help pastors discern if it’s time to leave their current pastoral appointment. Our theme song for this is ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ – courtesy of Th e Clash. Our hope is that all of us will make this an annual discipline and we’ll spend some time with the Father, asking Him the question ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’. Th e resources includes books, articles and a Scripture-based self-refl ection inventory. Other resources we are working on are personal stories from our brothers and sisters who have asked God this question and the answer they received, as well as a version of the inventory that a pastor can ask someone else to complete on his/her behalf, for another perspective. Th e resources are available by contacting myself or Susan DePlanché.
Now on to the recommendations ...
Recommendation #1: Th is recommendation addressed pastoral transitions. Th e conference approved changes to paragraphs 340, 875 and 880 that include provision for a local church to initiate a transition. Before this recommendation passed, provision for a pastor to request transition existed but there was no provision for a local church to initiate a transition other than through a performance appraisal. Th e changes also address congregational input to board decisions about a transition, when necessary.
Recommendation #2: Th is recommendation was an addition to the Leave of Absence Guidelines (Par. 374.6) that addressed the need for a gradual and progressive re-entry plan for a pastor, done in consultation with the board, the pastor’s physician and the Director of Personnel, when the pastor has been on a medical leave and is ready to return. To go immediately back into full responsibilities can quickly undo the benefi ts of the time off and result in another leave.
Recommendation #3: Th is recommendation provided some good discussion both at the resourcing session and on the conference fl oor. It addresses lay leadership at the local church, and conference approved an addition to Par. 320.3.6 stating the board chair and the delegate positions should not normally be fi lled by the same person. Th is is to provide a broader leadership perspective as well as to guard against control (perceived or real). Th e approved change is not a mandate.
Recommendation #4: Th is recommendation proposed some Manual changes for non-member voting. Aft er some really good questions, conversation and input during the resourcing session, we realized that there were better ways to address the major points of the recommendation than what we had originally proposed, so NMEGaP withdrew it. My thanks to those who participated in the resourcing session conversation and helped us see a better approach to take. As the actual presentation of this report happened on Saturday aft ernoon of conference, I’m sure I can say ‘thanks’ from all of us as this meant there was one less recommendation to process!
Recommendation #5: Conference approved this recommendation that proposed two changes to Par. 853 for located ministers. Located ministers keep their credentials but their membership is transferred from the conference to the local church, making them eligible to serve on the church board and other leadership teams. Th e approved changes adjusted the conference’s contact with located ministers to one time between each general conference and provided the option of depositing credentials with the denomination, in the event a decision regarding credentials need to be made.
Recommendation #6: In keeping with the connection with located ministers, conference approved necessary contact between the personnel offi ce and those members
of conference serving under special appointments at least once between each general conference. Th is includes pastors attending school, chaplains, those in denominational ministry, general evangelists, those released for service beyond the denomination
and retirees. It does not include interim ministers or supply pastors because they give regular accountability to their networks and offi cial boards because they are appointed to a local church.
Recommendations #7 & 8: Th ese recommendations dealt with pastoral and staff evaluations. Aft er viewing the data on the number of performance appraisal (PA) reports actually fi led with the personnel offi ce since 2004, there was agreement that as a movement, our performance in this is less than stellar. NMEGaP also realizes that are good reasons why a PA would not be done annually as ‘one size does not fi t all’. Th e recommendations proposed changes to paragraphs 335 and 374.5 that call for annual evaluation based on board-approved job descriptions for all appointed pastoral staff . At least once between each general conference the annual evaluation has to be a 360 PA (or approved equivalent). In the other years an informal review needs to be completed. Guidelines and forms for the informal review process will be available in the fall. Conference approved these recommendations.
NMEGaP also has the responsibility to initiate and oversee changes to Chapter 8 of Th e Manual, and these changes are reviewed by the Board of Administration. All changes made to Chapter 8 since General Conference 2008 were included in the report. As NMEGaP has the authority to make changes to Chapter 8, if you have questions about changes or suggestions for changes please send them to me and I will put them on the agenda for NMEGaP which meets in January 2012.
All of the Chapter 8 changes (and other Manual changes from GC2011) are now refl ected in the online version of Th e Manual as well as in CD and binder form.
Th e fi nal recommendation that conference approved was the MEGaP Stats Report. Th is document is a list of FMCiC personnel: ordained ministers, deacons, commissioned ministers and ministerial candidates currently in the denomination, who have left , who have transferred to other denominations and so on. As part of this recommendation I brought a report on the Character of Ministers. Th is recommendation was approved by conference.
It really was an amazing conference. I believe those who came anticipating both something good and good for us found that the Spirit was so present with us – both in the planning and work done ahead and as well as in the moment. Like Christmas dinner when there is work aft erwards before the left overs are dealt with and the dishes are done, things at the Ministry Centre are more back to ‘normal’ following General Conference. But we still continue to eat meals aft er Christmas dinner – and so we need to work and put into practice these Spirit-led decisions we have made. May God us faithful to all He has called us to be and do.
Rev. Kim Henderson is the Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. You can contact Kim via email at: [email protected]
New Resources! These resources are geared to help pastors discern if it’s time to leave their current pastoral appointment. Our hope is that all of us will make this an annual discipline and we’ll spend some time with the Father, asking Him the question ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’. (Our theme song, courtesy of The Clash)
MANY THANKSWe want to acknowledged those who have served on National MEGaP so faithfully for the last three years.
Davina Anderson
Lorraine Brace
Dennis Camplin
Neta Dawson (served 3 terms)
Greg Elford (serving as Network Leader)
Réal Gagné (served 3 terms)
Dan Massey (serving as Network Leader)
Heather Persson (served 3 terms)
John Rigby
Sylvia Shepherd (served 3 terms)
Rob Van Norman
Grant Wolfe (serving as Network Leader)
Pierre Zidor (tracking/credentialed ministry)
M O S A I C 4
That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to it
Th is year was my fi rst year to experience a General Conference, and by all accounts, it was a good year to be a conference “newbie.” It’s hard to put an experience like GC in a nutshell, but I want to highlight a few
impressions and experiences that may give you a “tasting sample” for how God used conference to grow and challenge our church movement.
Th e expectations that we bring with us to an event like this are important because they shape how we perceive our experiences, so I want to briefl y lay out the questions and thoughts that ended up in my backpack along with my computer.
In these early years of the third millennium statements like “culture is changing rapidly,” and “things that used to work aren’t working as well any more,” garner general agreement in both secular and ecclesiastical settings. We are in a season where the church has some new challenges and opportunities in successfully communicating the Message of Jesus, (and here I am speaking broadly of the church both inside and outside our denominational sphere). How we navigate the next century as the Free Methodist Church in Canada is beyond vitally important. With this in mind I was looking forward to some words of insight, encouragement, and adventurous dreams from our church leadership. Are we asking the right questions? Are we successfully retooling our denominational ship for success in new waters? Are we focusing on the elements of our spiritual lives that animate church health? Are we sending our “surveyors” to the right places? Where is God leading us?
So the following is the “sample platter” that I promised. I don’t have enough space to include everything I heard and experienced, but I hope that these snippets give you a fl avor of our time together.
Camels, dust, pizza dough, & Joe Six-Pack. Our guest speaker Bishop David Roller had the remarkable gift of casting vision and hitching it to epic stories and memorable ideas. “Are we ready with answers to questions that nobody is asking?” “Are we telling the Story of Jesus in a way that Joe Six-Pack can understand?” “Are we ready for church version 2.0?”
Bishop Keith asked us if we’re ready to run toward the purpose that God has for us as a church. He relayed stories from his own experience as a long-distance runner. All I have to say is that it’s good to remember to wear shorts when you run (you’ll have to check out the audio recording to know what I’m talking about). He told stories about how picking up garbage on his daily walks as a practical application of Wesley’s “Acts of Mercy,” is moving him towards thinking about God’s creation and caring for it as well as the people in his neighborhood. And this simple act of care is leading others to care (and leading Bishop Keith to wonder who else is picking up garbage on “his turf.”
Jared Siebert, the director of Growth ministries on the National Leadership Team, told us that the purpose of the church is not just to grow for the sake of growth, but “we exist because the Eternal Community (the Trinity) wants community with us.” We oft en start with the church and what we need to do, but he reminded us that “the church doesn’t have a mission, rather God’s mission has a church.” We need to start with understanding God and his mission fi rst, to understand where God is calling us as his church.
Th ese quotes and word pictures don’t have the same impact here in these short paragraphs as they had in the context of sermons or presentations, but I have a point in sharing them. I remember them over a week later without looking at my notes. I remember these ideas because they were painted with vivid words, descriptive words, memorable words. Th ese words were spoken in a way that was relatable and understandable. Th ese words were meaningful to me because they captured my imagination and held it.
General Conference reminded me of the power of story: all the stories of what God is doing in us and through us. God’s Message never changes but the way we tell it must change so that we can be ready to answer the questions that people are asking. If you look at our Scripture, God has always used story and poetry to reveal Himself. To me General Conference was a call to poets and wordsmiths and dreamers and visionaries to be ready. Ready to tell the stories of God; ready to tell the stories of what God is doing in us; ready to tell the stories of what God is doing in our local context.
And let me say that hearing from our national leaders gave me deep hope and excitement. God has graciously given us the right leaders for this season of change. We have leaders who understand the power and dynamics of storytelling. Th ey are gently leading us back to ancient foci ( John Wesley’s “Means of Grace”) that will allow the Holy Spirit the access He requires to breathe into us the words and pictures we need to tell Jesus’ Story anew.
Th at’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Ryan Young, Associate PastorNew Horizons FMC - Sarnia, ON
Reflections of GC
Th e focus on Church Health and the call to intentionally practice the “Means of Grace”, (the works of piety and mercy), was profoundly convicting for me. As the various people addressed the body, they did so with a level of
passion and conviction that stirred me deeply.
Th e opportunity to form prayer groups (near the end of the event) proved to be a very signifi cant experience for me.
Chris LewisConference Coordinator
Camille BoodhooLivestream Operator
Katherine SiebertPortairt Photographer
Nathan ColquhounThe “Fixer” of all things computer related
THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON AT GENERAL CONFERENCE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. HERE ARE A FEW PERSPECTIVES FROM SOME OF OUR ATTENDEES . . .
Ryan YoungConference Photographer
Dean HoltzConference Photographer
Emily ArboHead Teller
Camera OperatorsThanks to Dean Holtz, Fred McCracken, Andrew SuttarRyan Young, John Lang (and others) who volunteered to stand during those long sessions so that we could see everything!
You were awesome!!
Here are just a few of the “Behind the Scenes” participants who helped make things happen!
5 M O S A I C
Th e Trulls Road delegation was seated in the last row. Th is meant that the gallery was immediately behind us. As a result, I found myself praying with a retired pastor and a pastor’s wife. I was impressed by how comfortably we shared with each and our level of honest transparency. We followed the admonition of James 5:16, as we humbly “…confessed our sins…and prayed for each other…”.
As we bowed together, I was reminded of a little booklet, written by Norman P Grubb entitled, Continuous Revival. Th e author shares that as we “walk with Jesus”, we must do so in an attitude of “brokenness”. Th is is an essential step in the process of “continuous revival. As the three of us prayed together, we experienced that brokenness in His presence.
Vic Stonehouse, Lead PastorTrulls Road FMC - Courtice, ON
Enjoying Ministry Moments
Every now and then ministry moments happen that are so remarkable you just want to frame them and hang them on your wall. For me, being invited to be part of the General Conference Worship Team was just
that! Our time together was amazing. Rehearsals were late, sound checks were early and leading was oft en but I loved every minute of it.
I worked hard with the General Conference Worship Team but because I was doing what I love, surrounded by people I love and who love me, I experienced purpose, passion and pleasure. I had a taste of God’s best for me and it was awesome!
I count myself incredibly fortunate to have had that experience but I am also painfully aware that many people don’t come anywhere close to God’s best for themselves. Th ey have no idea that anything like that could exist for them and therefore many people I know are coping at best.
Well, Jesus didn’t come so people could cope. He came so people could fi nd life! At conference, I committed to God and in front of others to fully let go of my hang-ups and excuses and wrong thinking so that I can help people at all stages of faith, fi nd their purpose, passion and pleasure. I want to get on with it. I want to help people discover God’s best because when you do, it’s pretty fantastic.
Jody Pfeifer, Associate PastorWeyburn Free Methodist Church
A very inspiring event
Many years have passed since I fi rst attended an annual conference, yet I must say this General Conference was one of the best.
Even though I had to bring my scooter, because of a weakness in my limbs, I am so glad to have been able to attend this one. A wonderful spirit prevailed throughout the business sitting and the times of worship.
I still remember at a conference held in Belhaven in a tabernacle 1948 when I was ordained. And the singing of, “A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify” has helped me to keep my eyes fi xed on Jesus. And the Sunday morning hymn this year, “And can it be” is so heart warming. It helps to remember that while we were yet sinners Christ shed His blood for our redemption. Th e former Rev. Arthur Slater would truly have enjoyed hearing it again.
My heart has been blessed to meet several friends, and to have ministers mention how much they appreciate the comments I send out on the ministers’ forum.
God willing, and I am still living, I plan to be at the next General Conference.
To God be the glory, great things He has done.
Arthur Perry, Retired Minister
I came expecting
I have attended two General Conferences. To compare, they were both where I met God on a deeper level. “Stripping down,” getting away for a break with the refreshing and renewal in my spirit and soul is what
Jesus did when he “left the crowd to be by himself.” I went expecting with anticipation.
Yes, business was on the agenda in a hotel near Toronto airport, as well as the local restaurants, for which we were a witness. We were uplift ed by one another in prayer, given the push to continue “running the race” by speakers and leaders, including Bishop Keith, Bishop David, the N.L.T. Th ere was reconnecting with colleagues and making new friends. Most importantly, meeting Jesus.
We took away thoughts, fresh ideas and experiences from others. We may have learned a thing or two, taking them back to our local churches, continuing to “get on with it.”
Jesus, in his humanness wanted to quit many times I am sure. But God gave him the power. We have that same power, if our “eyes are fi xed on Jesus.” What will God do between General Conferences.
Fred McCracken, PastorAthens FMC, Ontario
GC Prayer Journal ExcerptsPrayer made up an important part of the success of General Conference. Each attendee was given a specific time to pray - this made it possible to have the conference covered in prayer 24 hours a day. Below are just some of the inspiring letters and prayers that were recorded in the prayer room journals.
In this world where everything is changing, I’m thankful that you never change, God.
Father, I want to thank you for a great weekend. I want to praise you for what you are doing through this movement - I feel privileged to be a part of it. Please continue to grant us wisdom as we seek your direction for our lives, your churches and our country.
I pray for all the damage that has been caused by the flood waters around Clarenceville, Quebec. I pray that God will open doors for us to reach out and connect with those in need. May we be a blessing to hurting people in our area. May the effect of the flood waters decrease and the Holy Spirit flood our souls.
I pray for the vision of our church. Help us keep that vision and the commitments we have made at this General Conference in our minds and on our heats as we leave this gathering and return to the places you have called us. May all we do be for Your glory. Help us to remain faithful not only in thought but in action.
Help us to be a witness of generosity to those in need in our communities, our country and around the world.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the many reminders this weekend of the importance of “The means of grace.” You have shown me, in a new way, how indispensible they are to my walk of holiness (sanctification). Lord, I confess my neglect of these means. I repent of this neglect and ask for a ministry of your grace that will enable me to consistently walk in the means of grace.
Lord God, make me a servant. Holy Spirit, give our movement a fresh understanding of your grace and power. Father, renew our love for you and for the hurting. Lord Jesus, help us to find unity in your Body and build your church. Thank you for your many extravagant blessings.
I pray that we would live our lives aware of your presence. You are with us now, inviting us - leading up to join you in the mission of freeing those who are held captive. Open our eyes, ears and heart to your work.
Our time here at General Conference is almost at an end, but the work You have for us all to do is not. Father, give us enough light to see the next step and enough courage to take it!
Derek Redmond broke the record for 400 metres at 19 years of age and earned gold medals at the World, European and Commonwealth
Games levels. But, it was something that happened at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona that makes him memorable – and it wasn’t the medal that he won. He didn’t win one.
On the day of the Olympic race, he and his father Jim agreed that no matter what happened, Derek would fi nish the race. When the starting gun went off, Redmond broke from the pack and seized the lead. Only 175 meters away from the fi nish line, he was clearly going to win the heat and make the fi nals. Suddenly, he pulled up as if he had been shot and he fell to the track clutching his right hamstring.
When the medical crew arrived, he waved them away, and started hobbling down the track.
The crowd began to catch on to what was happening, the roar of their cheering began to build. Meanwhile, Jim Redmond fi nally got to the bottom of the stands and leaped over the railing.
Together, arm in arm, father and son fi nished the race. With the crowd of 65,000 in an absolute frenzy, Jim released the grip he had on his son, so Derek could cross the fi nish line by himself.
“I’m the proudest father alive,” Jim said afterwards. “I’m prouder of him than I would have been if he had won the gold medal. It took a lot of guts for him to do what he did.”
But it was more than guts. He was a runner!! His mind and will were focused on the fi nish line. To fi nish, he drew upon strength built up during
years of disciplined training and he would rather deny himself any relief than let comfort deny him the fi nish line.
We too are surrounded by a crowd of witnesses, the writer to the Hebrews tells us and there is a fi nish line out in front of all of us. You know what I’m talking about or do you? I’m talking about the fi nish line at the end of every week, at the end of every year and, of course, at the end of our lives. And my question is: At each of these fi nish lines –the doctrine that we embraced, the discipline we followed, and the self-denial that we exercised … what did they actually produce in us and what difference did it make in the world that God loves?
Runners ... they have strong hearts and enlarged lung capacity. But this superb physical condition didn’t just happen. If we follow them closely,
we see that they think like runners even when they eat or drink. They have a “runner’s worldview”. They sleep according to a routine. They have discipline. Watch how long they socialize before getting to training and we see self-denial in order to embrace the passion of their lives - running. It’s in the running that we see what they are becoming and what they are capable of. They have enduring, persevering power because of the way they think, the discipline they embrace and their ability to deny even what is good in favour of the fi nish line.
God has more that He wants to accomplish through The Free Methodist Church in Canada and we do praise Him for the positive things that are happening. Yet, I see lots of unrealized capacity for bringing good to
M O S A I C 6
Let’s give doctrine a new face and call it “embracing Jesus’ worldview” – an embrace that is lodged with clarity in our heads, with firm conviction in our hearts and with perseverance in our hands and feet.
LET’S GET ON WITH IT, STRIP DOWN, START RUNNING AND NEVER QUIT – EYES FIXED ON JESUS | BISHOP KEITH ELFORD
7 M O S A I C
our neighborhoods, and for glory that would ultimately fl ow to the Lord Jesus. I want to see God’s power released in a greater way to see our leaders – both lay and ministerial serving as joyful and enduring disciples, committed to being used by the Spirit of God to raise up all kinds of people to be like them in understanding what it means to “get on with it, strip down, start running and never quit – eyes fi xed on Jesus”. (Hebrews 12: 1, 2)
When I talk about God’s power I’m not thinking only of the dynamic power released on the day of Pentecost. That would be welcome. But I’m thinking about the enduring “Book of Acts” power where we live in the ongoing story of those earnest disciples who rejoiced in times of favour and persevered in times of storms and persecution, and through their disciplined endurance, the Gospel went from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the outer reaches of the Roman Empire and down into Africa.
When Jesus talked about the enduring power of the Kingdom, he talked about being salt, light, branches of the vine, and yeast in the dough. He said that we are to be “salt of the earth” where our infl uence would bring cleansing (and sometimes even cause stinging) but healing would come and what is good would be preserved from going rotten.
He talked about us being “lights” that keep shining into the darkness with hope, and help and wholeness … about us being “branches of a vine” that keeps drawing resources and extending out, producing beautiful fruit - crop after crop, pruning after pruning. He talked about dough that would lose its fl atness and rise because one particle of yeast alongside a dough cell changed it and then another and then another.
This is the kind of unstoppable, enduring power that I’m talking about where ordinary disciples did not quit doing whatever it took to see more disciples formed, who did whatever it took to see more disciples formed and on it went until the gospel came to you and to me. Their goal was to make joyful, enduring disciples.
I’ve been reading about John Wesley. It encouraged me to understand that Mr. Wesley was discouraged from time to time with how things were going – especially as time passed and the new converts
experienced what missiologists call “redemption and lift”. Their children lived comfortably and their grandchildren knew little about the dynamic of the revival.
Later in his life, he wrote an intense sermon entitled: “Causes of the Ineffi cacy of Christianity”. Methodist scholar, Randy Maddox, helpfully summarizes what Wesley preached in that sermon and wrote an article entitled “Wesley’s Prescription for Making Disciples of Jesus Christ – Insights for the 21st Century Church”.
Wesley’s sermon opens with an extended lament – why so little global impact by Christianity? Why so little impact on England their nation? Why even so little fruit among the Methodists when they started so well? His answer … a laxity in doctrine (their embrace of Jesus’ worldview), a laxity in discipline, (their
embrace of practices that develop maturity) and a laxity in self-denial (their ability to say no to impulses – especially at a sacrifi cial level). I know what this sounds like: doctrine, discipline, self-denial … Buckley’s! It tastes terrible, but it works.
Just for a minute, let’s talk about hugging. What’s in a good embrace? We begin with opening our arms in a defenseless posture. Then the arms go around; there is a mutuality of response as we move towards each other and in the amount of pressure we apply. It’s reciprocal. There’s appropriate, momentary intimacy. Then there’s a mutual unspoken signal to “break” the embrace. If the hug was wholesome, something comes away with each hugger that says “What?”... “I received something from that person and I freely gave something of myself to that person.” This is quite different from hugging someone that you don’t want to hug … like Uncle Herman … because your parents said: “You kids need to hug Uncle Herman because he’s leaving.”
How about embracing doctrine, discipline, and self-denial and being embraced by them? What’s your reaction? Uncle Herman? Buckley’s? If so, we’ve missed something in our discipleship? The Holy Spirit can help us to see that, if we let doctrine, discipline and self-denial embrace us regularly (and we began to embrace them back), we would see what all enduring, mature disciples down through the ages have seen – expanded capacities to make ongoing differences in our neighbourhoods – especially when we link up with accountability to one another.
Let’s give doctrine a new face and call it “embracing Jesus’ worldview” – an embrace that is lodged with clarity in our heads, with fi rm conviction in our hearts and with perseverance in our hands and feet. That’s what a full mutual embrace with living doctrine does. It is alive with clarity in our heads, fi rm conviction in our hearts and perseverance in our hands and feet.
Let’s do an embracing doctrine exercise with Jesus’ worldview concerning salvation using the book of Romans. In Romans 1-7, we see the awfulness of life apart from God, that the wages of sin is death, but in the middle of it, there’s some good news … God commends His love towards us in that while we were alienated from Him, Christ died for us. The section ends with a description of the war within us – we don’t do what we know we should, and we keep doing what we realize doesn’t work and then these fi nal, desperate words: “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”
With chapter eight, hope seeps into our hearts – there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We are not slaves, but
the Spirit testifi es that we are God’s children and absolutely nothing, can separate us from the deep, passionate, sanctifying love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Chapter 12 takes the message from our head and heart to our hands and our feet. “Therefore in view of God’s great mercy, we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifi ces.” If we, as living sacrifi ces, don’t crawl off the altar, maturity has a chance. Joyful endurance becomes a reality rather than just a remote possibility.
For example, read this passage from Romans 12:9-18 and let its worldview embrace you.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affl iction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
What did you take away from it?
So, how do we wholesomely embrace doctrine, discipline and self denial? The Means of Grace. Wesley talked about two groups of habits and, if they are practiced, maturity and joyful endurance will be the result. One he called “the works of piety” – practices like prayer, Bible reading, fasting, corporate worship, listening to teaching, discussion with other believers, resolving to obey God and being accountable to others.
During his ministry Wesley wrote letters to many seeking to know God. Among them was Miss J. C. March, a woman of wealth and education who was serious about experiencing the fullness of salvation. In order to be more like the Lord Jesus, she told Wesley that she needed to have extended times where she could seek God in seclusion.
Wesley’s response was to encourage her toward the Means of Grace that he called the “works of mercy”. These have to do with responding to those listed in Matthew 25 – the hungry, the thirsty, the lonely, the sick, the imprisoned, the strangers. In fact, in his sermon entitled
“I agree that we are saved
by grace, not works, but
our salvation needs to be
worked out in good works
for us to attain to the full
stature of Jesus.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Robust Christians embrace both
the works of piety (because
through praying, reading and
worshiping they meet God and
become more like Him) and in
the works of mercy, they go out
and serve God!
M O S A I C 8
3
6 7 8
11
12
13
9 M O S A I C
General Conference
A SNAPSHOT 1. Sunday Morning Worship Service 2. Saturday Morning 3. Chaplains, Stephen Merriman, Jennifer
Anderson and Bob Lay 4. BOA prays for Bishop Keith and Donna
Elford 5. Darryl Dozlaw - Northview FMC in
Regina, SK playing a ukelele 6. Mary-Lee DeWitt of New Horizons FMC
in Sarnia, ON 7. Keith Schnell and Rick Ashton of West
Springs - Calgary, AB with Dan Sheffield 8. Colleen Zavrel and Wes Wood of
Whitby FMC, ON 9. Greg Ford, newly elected BOA chair 10. Honouring Retirees Ed Yoshida, Vic
Stonehouse, Elizabeth Nickel, Gary Walsh and their spouses
11. Guest Speaker, U.S. Bishop David Roller 12. John Hyndman Jr. St. Joseph`s Island
and Esther Teal, Rice Road Community Church, Welland, ON
13. Ministry Centre Staff members Davika Dotson, Vinola Pakkianathen and Roseline Isaac
14. Kim Henderson with Randy Williams of Smiths Falls FMC, ON
15. Retiree Reynolds James 16. Réal Gagné, one of our conference
translators
1 2
4
5
9 10
14 15 16
M O S A I C 10
PASSAGES
These were unusual words to hear at the General Conference, but they certainly got my attention –
along with everyone else!
We were in a rather lengthy discussion on how to fund a potential new National Leadership Team position (Director of Church Health). It was one of those win/lose moments where we all knew something important needed to be said and heard! Th at was when Garry Castle from Next Church in Kingston stood up.
With obvious heartfelt passion, Garry laid these words on us… “I am part of a pretty young church that is no longer a church plant but a full society. We are tithing to core - and we are fr eaking broke! But it is something I value in my own life. It is something that I value that my church did. We had a 10-year plan to get there and when I got somewhere near the helm, I said “We are going to go there now because we have to model this for each other. Th is is our family and we believe in the work of our family.”
Th is is when the Next Church became one of my most favorite cousins in the family!
Let me extract two phrases from Garry’s input that grabbed my heart. Aft er all, generous stewardship is a matter of the heart. Garry said, “We are tithing to core and we are fr eaking broke!” and “We are going to go there (tithe) now because we have to model this for each other. Th is is our family and we believe in the work of our family.”
As someone who strives to help all of our churches create a culture of generous stewardship, my heart leaped. Here was a small, young, and broke church that got it. Th ey understood why they gave. It wasn’t about how much they had, but about being part of the ‘family’. You give because this is how you model generosity to the people in your church. You give not because you have to, but because you want to. You give because you are part of the family.
It reminded me of Paul’s praise for the Macedonian church that gave despite being extremely poor, because of their overfl owing joy in being part of what God was doing in the greater church. (1 Corinthians 8:2-3)
Just as with individual families, most churches struggle with meeting budgets, unexpected expenses, and the need to get everyone in the ‘family’ involved. Generosity is something that needs to be both taught and caught. If we want our people to give to the local church, then we have to teach why generosity is so important in our conforming to the Image of Christ. But perhaps before we can ask the people to give, the leadership of the local church also has to model it fi rst.
Th e FMCiC has intentionally structured the support of the denomination on the biblical model of tithing. Simultaneously as individuals give to support the ministry of the local church, there is opportunity for each church to tithe 10% to support the work of those at Ministry Centre who work on behalf of all local churches. If all our churches modeled tithing this way, we would not only
have the resources to fund our present level of ministry, but also the much needed future NLT positions. Th e position on the radar right now is the Director of Church Health.
Paul tells us that God blesses us with resources, so that in turn we can bless others when they are in need (2 Corinthians 8:14). What is so encouraging about Next
Church and others like them, is that these churches are not waiting to be a certain size, or till they meet budget, or to fi nish their building project. Even in their poverty – they give faithfully. Despite being a small church – they give. And even when it might not make sense – they still give.
Imagine what we could do collectively throughout Canada and beyond if every church tithed to Ministry Centre? And just imagine what God could do if everyone in your local church learned from their Offi cial Board’s example to give this way. What ministry could you do in your community?
Creating a culture of generous stewardship means so much more than simply giving out of duty or obligation. It is not trusting our wealth, but trusting in God. It is becoming rich in good deeds and willing to share. It is building community with the needy.
We are not called to be generous to simply pay the pastor, pay the bills, run programs, support the denomination or because we are told to. We are called to generosity because this is a spiritual issue; a central matter of discipleship and a transformational issue of the heart.
We may start giving as a discipline. But if we allow it, God uses generosity to transform our hearts by rooting out selfi shness and apathy. Without this transformation we are all “fr eaking broke” in a spiritual sense. As long as we cultivate a desire to be rich in money to meet our needs, we miss the opportunity to be rich towards God in generosity.
But when we recognize how rich we are in Him, and cultivate a desire to be generous like Him, we cannot help but give. We are then giving as a love response to God from a blessed heart. Th e question changes from “How much do I have to give?” to “Where can I start giving?”
Sandy Crozier is the Stewardship Development Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. You may contact Sandy at [email protected]
VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES
WE ARE FREAKING BROKE!
Appointments
Stephen An – Chaplain, Canadian Armed Forces, Trenton, ON, effective June 15, 2011
Brian Bell – Lead Pastor, Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON, effective September 15, 2011
Peter Goodyear – Pastor, Asbury FMC, Perth, ON, effective July 10, 2011
Tom Gurnick – Pastor, Queensway FMC, Niagara Falls, ON, effective June 1, 2011
Phil Hamilton – Associate Pastor, Chapel Ridge FMC, Stittsville, ON, effective August 1, 2011
Munetoshi Hatsusegawa – Pastor, Wesley Chapel Japanese FM Church, Toronto, effective June 15, 2011
Paul Millar – Pastor, Westport FMC, Westport, ON, effective August 15, 2011
Ordination approved and service scheduled
Judy Crowe – June 12, 2011 at Frankford FMC, ON
Change of Status
Elizabeth Nickel – retired, from Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon, SK, effective Aug 31, 2011
Catherine Stonehouse – retired, from Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY, effective June 30, 2011
Edward Yoshida – retired, from Wesley Chapel Japanese, Toronto, ON, effective June 15, 2011
Churches in transition
Avonlea FMC, Avonlea, SKBarrie FMC, Barrie, ONCharlemont FMC, Wallaceburg, ONChurch-on-the-Hill, Orillia, ONCornerstone Community Church, Almonte, ONEyebrow FMC, Eyebrow, SK First FMC, Moose Jaw, SKHarrowsmith FMC, Harrowsmith, ON Kingston West FMC, Kingston, ONPine Grove FMC, Seeley’s Bay, ON
ONLINE RESOURCESTopics worth thinking aboutThe site, maintained by the Study Commission on Doctrine, is intended to be a place where articles can be found on topics of interest. There are also several helpful pastoral resources.
Visit www.fmcic.ca >> who we are >> Study Commission on Doctrine for access to the following resources . . . .
Communion - Free Methodist stance regarding Communion; Children’s Communion Brochure [pdf]; Children’s Communion Brochure - Leaders Guide; Communion Service for Children; Communion Bibliography
Ecclesiology - Ecclesiology Affirmation
Evangelism - Eastern Thought and the Gospel; Ministry and evangelism in contemporary Canadian society
Human Sexuality - Christian Marriage; HIV/AIDS: Implications for the Local Church; Statement on Homosexual Behaviour; Providing Pastoral Care for Same-Gender-Attracted Individuals
Methodism - Defining the Elements of a Methodist EthosSanctification; Seeing the World through a Wesleyan Lens; Seven Steps Toward Free Methodist Renewal; The Free Methodist Synthesis
Ordination - What is the Meaning of Ordination?; Life and Character of an Ordained Minister; Dennis Camplin interview on the meaning of ordination; Tom Gurnick interview on the meaning of ordination; John Vlainic interview on the meaning of ordination
Science and Ethics - Cloning, Embryonic Stem Cell; Research, and Approach to Bioethics; End of Life CareOrgan and Tissue Donation; Ethics - How to Make Ethical Decisions in a Complex World
Social Issues - Compassion and the Poor; Human Rights; Social Justice; The Environment; Child Abuse Prevention Policy (Winning Kids Inc); Suicide - A Funeral Sermon Resource
Theological Issues - Documents to Help Us with Issues of Truth [PDF]; Baptism and Dedication; Divine Healing; Open Theism; The Security of Believers; Theology of Possessions
Women in Ministry - Women in Ministry (FMCNA, FMCIC); Wesleyan Perspectives on Women in Ministry; Women in Ministry (Reading the Bible as a whole, 1 Timothy 2:12)
1 1 M O S A I C
“On Zeal,” he essentially says that if you want to grow into full maturity and, if on a rare occasion, you have to choose between works of piety and works of mercy, go with works of mercy fi rst.
We might say: “Just a minute, Mr. Wesley, we’re protestant evangelicals saved by grace - not works – Ephesians 2:8,9.”
Wesley might reply: “I agree that we are saved by grace, not works, but our salvation needs to be worked out in good works for us to attain to the full stature of Jesus.
Robust Christians embrace both the works of piety (because through praying, reading and worshiping they meet God and become more like Him) and in the works of mercy, they go out and serve God! It looks like that on the surface, but Jesus says in Matthew 25 that they actually meet Him in the works of mercy and are transformed.
Joerg Rieger, a Wesleyan scholar, writes: “Works of mercy are more than just correct actions. As a real means of grace, they are channels that convey grace to the one who acts mercifully. A work of mercy is, therefore, no
longer a one-way street leading from the well-meaning Christian to the other in need. Something comes back in return, which transforms the doer of mercy as well. In doing works of mercy – and this is absolutely crucial – a real encounter with God takes place that cannot be separated from the encounter with the other.”
Everyone who has gone on a mission trip
knows that this is true. If you had a wholesome embrace in that experience, something came back with you that said “What?” … “I just received something and I just freely gave something of myself.”
Likewise, if there is a pregnant teen in our family or in the family of close friends. Our attitudes toward teen pregnancy change when it’s our niece or our daughter or our friend’s son. When we are right “there”, personally involved in a human situation that demands mercy, it changes us.
This is why Wesley taught his followers to intentionally and regularly put themselves in real-life-works-of-mercy situations that demand a response. Why? Because, when the heart of God really embraces you in the works of mercy, you come away with this deepening conviction that what is needed is a gracious response and you grow in grace.
If you stay, you grow in grace. If you run, you stay immature, self-centred, fi ghting for your point of view and preference….and you take that aroma into the life of the congregation and the smell you give off doesn’t change when you go out into your neighborhood.
So here’s what I’m thinking. What about instead of once-in-a-lifetime mission trip experiences, we embrace the discipline of being on a mission trip regularly in our community? God needs to lead you into this. I’m not talking about sensational initiatives here. It’s ordinary grace-fi lled participation in life and then watching to see what happens – inside us…and around us.
For several years now, on my morning walks, I pick up garbage and drop it in garbage barrels along the way. And here is what it has done for me. I’m more convinced that the earth is the Lord’s and my convictions about Christ centred ecology are growing deeper. From picking up garbage! Guess what? There’s less garbage to pick up. I suspect that my practice, like leaven, is infl uencing other walkers who have seen me doing this. Somebody else is on my turf picking up garbage. This is a work of mercy that has to do with stewarding God’s creation, but it’s also making our community a nicer place to live.
When I meet teenagers on my walks, I say “Hi” even if they ignore me or just grunt way back there inside their hoodies. Jesus has a worldview about the worth of all people and this practice has taken me on a journey of personal transformation that has eventually led me into prisons. One of the kids on our street that I always took time to talk with grew up to be a drug dealer. If you listened to my Easter video greeting, you heard about my visit with him at Collins Bay penitentiary – not an exposé on life inside a prison, but about a conversation with this young man, who is my friend, about working out what it means to follow Jesus.
What do you suppose would happen if you asked God to show you where you could meet Him in ongoing works of mercy? “I was a slow learner at school and you came and helped me”. “I just landed in Canada and didn’t have a clue how things worked and you came alongside me”. “I was all alone in my hospital room and you came. You had the aroma of Jesus and when I knew that I trusted you, you told me about Him.”
This is not about our churches becoming religious service clubs that omit sharing the whole gospel. It’s about discipleship practices that put us in places where we ourselves meet Christ in new ways …. and others around us also meet Him because when the time is right, we talk about the place that He has in our lives.
When we embrace works of mercy, our hearts change. We fi nd the time, energy, and money to follow what captures our heart and we have to say “no” or at least “not yet” to other things. Look, almost without realizing it, we’re embracing self-denial but it’s from a totally different motivational base!
Can you imagine what good would be released if every person in our movement were regularly embracing doctrine, discipline and self-denial on these terms? Without realizing it, our people would be the talk of the town, but for Christ honoring reasons.
Finally, some sober questions. A joyful, enduring disciple on these terms. Do I honestly want to be one myself? Do I want to put out to see such maturity formed in others? Will they learn what it means to be a joyful, enduring disciple from watching me?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, “let’s get on with it, strip down, start running (for the joy of the race) and never quit – eyes fi xed on Jesus”.
Rev. Keith Elford is Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada
Note: This is an abridged version of Bishop Elford’s sermon to the 2011 General Conference
What about instead of once-in-a-
lifetime mission trip experiences,
we embrace the discipline of
being on a mission trip regularly
in our community?
When we embrace works of
mercy, our hearts change.
We find the time, energy, and
money to follow what captures
our heart ...
WHAT DOES PARTNERSHIP LOOK LIKE AT ICCM?• Pray for your child daily• Send letters to encourage your child • and their family• Remember your child’s birthday and Christmas
and give them gifts to celebrate these important events
• Purchase a Bible and hymnal through ICCM and help them develop a deeper relationship with Jesus
• Visit your child during an ICCM trip
HOW DO I GET STARTED PARTNERING WITH A CHILD?• Contact us at the ICCM office 905.848.2600• Are you interested in a specific country? [Does
your church already have a local-global connection?]
• The cost is $30/month
Payment Options
PAC (Pre Authorized Chequing) Credit Card ::: Through our website only ::: Cheques Preferably sent quarterly ($90.00), semi-annually ($180.00), or annually ($360.00)
Paula MoriarityInternational Chid Care [email protected]
BURUNDI
INDIA
PHILIPPINES
M O S A I C 12
150 ANNIVERSARY - CONTINUED FROM COVER
Albert Sims, who had direct connections back to Canadian beginnings with Roberts and Sage, was elected Chairman of this new board. Charles Fairbairn, later Bishop Fairbairn, was a delegate with connections to the future of the movement.
Th e intervening years led toward the fulfi llment of the vision and goals set forward at that 1920 gathering.
In 1971, however, some laymen at the two Ontario conferences suggested it was time to start thinking about the next step, full autonomy as a General Conference. Although there was strong support for this from the Canadian side, American leaders objected to any Canadian ‘secession.’ As an interim measure, the concept of a Jurisdictional Conference (now known as a provisional general conference) was birthed and the Canadian Jurisdictional Conference was approved by the North American General Conference in 1974, with Donald Bastian, a Canadian, being elected to serve as Canada’s fi rst resident bishop.
Th e challenge posed for Bishop Bastian and the team of Canadian superintendents was to shape a movement unsure of its identity and place in its own context, yet eager for change and advance. Bastian would lead the Free Methodist Church in Canada for 20 years through growth, leadership development and organizational maturity toward the inauguration of the Canadian General Conference in 1990.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO WIDER FREE METHODISMAs we refl ect on Canadian contributions to 150 years of Free Methodist witness we think of people like Charles Fairbairn. He was a gift ed pastor from eastern Ontario who went on to become an evangelist and pastor in the United States until elected as bishop in 1939 – a role he
fulfi lled for more than 20 years. Fairbairn had suggested a fi ft h bishop for the North American Conference to serve in Canada as early as the late 1950s.
He was instrumental in the development of Christian Youth Crusaders or CYC while serving as director of the Commission
on Education. Just before his retirement Fairbairn played a key role in the merger with the Holiness Movement Church in Canada which also brought signifi cant work in Egypt and Hong Kong under the Free Methodist umbrella.
James Gregory from Ontario founded Lorne Park College in Mississauga, then went on to serve as president of Spring Arbor College in Michigan, and as editor of the denomination’s magazine, Th e Free Methodist.
Canadian pastor J. W. Haley and his wife Jennie went to Southern Africa in 1902 where they served as missionaries for more than three decades before moving on to the Great Lakes region of equatorial Africa to establish a new work in Burundi-Rwanda. Th is area of Africa is today home to one of the largest concentrations of Free Methodists in the world, who in turn have given birth to ministry in Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, and now Uganda and southern Sudan.
Canada has come full circle now with Rwandans and Burundians planting churches and serving in leadership in the Canadian conference.
Canadian Holiness Movement missionary, Alton Gould served in China, as did Canadian Free Methodist missionary, Stanley Ryding, both of whom contributed to laying the foundations of Free Methodist ministry in Hong Kong in the 1950s. It was Gould who gave birth to what is now the International Child Care Ministries program.
In the early 1960s a Canadian local church with connections in Hong Kong birthed a new notion – young
adults serving abroad in short-term mission assignments. “Canada Youth Abroad”, organized and directed by Free Methodist Churches in Toronto, sent a small team to Hong Kong for a year, including a young Gary Walsh, future pastor, superintendent, and bishop. Several years later this idea was picked up by the American missions department and rebranded as Volunteers in Service Abroad, VISA.
In the past decade the Canadian Study Commission on Doctrine began work on rearticulating the Free Methodist understanding of entire sanctifi cation. Th is eventually gave birth to a new statement adopted in 2010 by Free Methodist General Conferences around the world under the leadership of the Free Methodist World Conference. Canada’s present bishop, Keith Elford, served for two terms as the fi rst president of this new body aft er it was inaugurated in 1999. Th e World Conference has fl eshed out a new international identity for Free Methodism.
NEW GROWTHBastian articulated a ministry truism faithful to the Wesleyan worldview and a contextualized missiology: “I cannot see that the church really grows anywhere if it does not grow where a particular congregation meets and ministers. My concern is for the growth of the local church.”
At the 1993 General Conference, it was this very concern that led to fundamental changes in Canadian Free Methodist organizational structures and practices. A motion called for a thorough study of denominational structures and procedures so as to ensure effi ciency and eff ectiveness. Th is became newly elected Bishop Gary Walsh’s key assignment for the next several years.
What emerged from this process was a renewed emphasis on the pivotal role of local churches in advancing the gospel in communities across Canada. Denominational structures and procedures were reconfi gured to ensure that personnel and fi nancial resources were more focused on “empowering kingdom growth” at the local church level and less on conference systems and infrastructure.
A renewed emphasis on developing healthy churches, missionally-oriented pastors, and church planting among groups and communities without eff ective witness has led to new works being started across the country. At the present moment, 25% (1 in 4) of Canada’s 150 churches is a congregation planted since 1995.
In 150 years, we have come a long way from the days of B. T. Roberts and the Free Methodist world of 1860. As Canadian Free Methodists, we join with Free Methodists around the globe to joyfully commemorate 150 years of history and to look forward with faith and vision to a future of faithful witness and service until, in the fullness of time, we celebrate together for eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Lord of history.
Rev. Dan Sheffield is Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries for The Free Methodist Church in Canada
REV. AND MRS. ALBERT SIMS AND FAMILY
BISHOP DONALD BASTIAN
REV. CHARLES FAIBURN
MISSIONARY ALTON GOULD
MERGER MEETING, FREE METHODIST CHRUCH AND HOLINESS MOVEMENT - KINGSTON, ON 1958
CANADA YOUTH ABROAD - BRIAN PRITCHARD AND GARY WALSH (SEATED, SECOND AND THIRD FROM RIGHT
AND VIC STONEHOUSE SEATED, SECOND FROM LEFT)
L TO R - 1918 IMPRESSIVE YOUNG PREACHERS FROM VERONA; LORNE PARK COLLEGE - MAIN BUILDING; B.T. ROBERTS; MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN EXECUTIVE BOARD - MOOSE JAW SK; ALDERSGATE BIBLE COLLEGE