Editing Free Methodist Church (section)

==History==
[[File:GC23 Business Meetings.jpg|alt=Group of people in a business meeting. GC23 logo on digital background blue screen.|thumb|Free Methodist Church USA General Conference 2023]]
The Free Methodist Church was organized at [[Pekin, New York]], in 1860.<ref>George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, ''Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5'', Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 916</ref> The founders had been members of the [[Methodist Episcopal Church]] but were excluded from its membership for earnestly advocating what they saw as the doctrines and usages of authentic Wesleyan Methodism. Under the leadership of the Rev. [[B. T. Roberts|Benjamin Titus (B. T.) Roberts]], a graduate of [[Wesleyan University]], the movement spread rapidly. Societies were organized, churches built, and the work established.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of American religions|last=Melton, J. Gordon|year=1996|isbn=0810377144|edition= Fifth|location=Detroit|oclc=35250496}}</ref>

Before the founding of the church, Roberts began publication of a monthly journal, ''The Earnest Christian''. In 1868, ''The Free Methodist'' (now ''Light & Life'') was begun. A publishing house was established in 1886 to produce books, periodicals, and Sunday school curriculum and literature.<ref name="ReferenceB">''Light & Life'' Magazine, July 1995.</ref>

The name "Methodist" was retained for the newly organized church because the founders believed that they were continuing the authentic practice of the doctrines and standards of Methodism; to them, their expulsion from the Methodist Episcopal Church happened because of their adherence to the same. The word "Free" was suggested and adopted because the new church (1) was anti-slavery; (2) wanted pews to be free to all regardless of status, rather than sold or rented (as was common); (3) promoted freedom of worship in the Holy Spirit, as opposed to stifling formality;<ref>''A Brief Story of Our Church'', C. L. Howland, Winona Lake, IN.</ref> (4) upheld the principle of "freedom" from secret and oath-bound societies (in particular the [[Freemasonry|Masonic Lodge]]), so as to have full loyalty to Christ; (5) stood for "freedom" from the abuse of ecclesiastical authority (due to the bishop's action in allowing expulsion of 120 clergy and lay); and (6) desired its members to experience [[Christian perfection#Wesleyan teaching|entire sanctification]] via the Holy Spirit through [[Consecration in Christianity#Entire consecration|consecration]] and faith.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Snyder |first=Howard A. |date=2022 |title=B. T. Roberts and the Founding of Roberts Wesleyan University |url=https://fmcusa.org/wp-content/uploads/B.-T.-Roberts-and-the-Founding-of-Roberts-Wesleyan-University.pdf |website=Free Methodist Church USA}}</ref>

At the 1910 session of the General Conference of the Methodist Church at Rochester, New York, a full acknowledgement was made of the wrong done to the late Roberts fifty years before, and the credentials taken from him were restored in a public meeting on his behalf to his son, Rev. Benson Roberts.<ref>Editorial, ''Free Methodist'', May 1941.</ref>

[[Conservative holiness movement|Holiness Conservatives]] within the Free Methodist Church left to form the [[Reformed Free Methodist Church]] in 1932, the [[United Holiness Church]] in 1966 (which joined the [[Bible Methodist Connection of Churches]] in 1994) and the [[Evangelical Wesleyan Church]] in 1963.<ref name="Jones1974"/><ref name="Melton2009">{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/glenn-griffith-movement#E|title=Glenn Griffith Movement|year=2009|publisher=Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions|language=en|access-date=11 July 2018}}</ref><ref name="Kostlevy2010">{{cite book|last=Kostlevy|first=William|title=The A to Z of the Holiness Movement|year=2010|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|language=en|isbn=9780810875913|page=19}}</ref>

Free Methodist headquarters were located in [[Winona Lake, Indiana]] until 1990, when the denomination moved to Indianapolis, Indiana.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.freemethodistchurch.org/users/marston/| title = Marston Historical Center| access-date = December 14, 2007| archive-date = November 15, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071115035700/http://www.freemethodistchurch.org/users/marston/| url-status = dead}}</ref>

The Free Methodist Church released a 21st Century articulation of its Historic Freedoms to include the following:

# Freedom of all races to worship together in unity.
# Freedom for the poor to be treated with dignity in the church and with justice in the world.
# Freedom for women and men to be treated respectfully and use their gifts equally in the church, in the home, and in the world.
# Freedom for laity to be fairly represented in the governing bodies of the church.
# Freedom from spiritual, political, social or conceptual alliances that compromise or subvert the exclusive allegiance we profess to Jesus Christ.
# Freedom to engage in worship that is moved and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
# Freedom from sin's power through full surrender to God.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2023 |orig-date=10/4/2023 |title=Leading in the Free Methodist Church |url=https://fmcusa.org/wp-content/uploads/Leading-in-the-Free-Methodist-Church.pdf |website=Free Methodist Church USA}}</ref>