REPRESENTING THE FMCIC IN SRI LANKA
I have just returned from a momentous visit to the Free Methodist Church in Sri Lanka. Our leaders there had prepared for months to host three events: Family Camp for our 20 pastors and their families, the Annual Meeting of the FMCiSL Mission District, and Youth Camp for 125 teens and young adults. All three events were marked by gracious hospitality, joyful worship, and rich fellowship. What a delight to finally greet brothers and sisters face to face after more than a year of zoom meetings!
Dr. Stella and Rev. Girish Bokare, special guests from the FMC in India, co-taught on being members of God’s family, and their teaching was enthusiastically received. Stella was also a big hit with the pastors’ kids at family camp and all the teens at youth camp. I had worked with her during my ICCM years, and it was a joy to see her gift of communication with young people sparkle in yet another setting. Speaking of ICCM, I met several sponsored children and their parents, who all asked me to send their gratitude back to you, our faithful Canadian supporters.
MCIC Senior Director of Finance and Operations, Deva Ratnam, joined me on this trip to his homeland and taught a session on stewardship and finance. We also welcomed Dr. Darin Land, Associate Area Director for Asia for Free Methodist World Missions. Our FMCiSL BOA has voted to join the Gethsemane Leadership Training (GLT) program that Darin leads. GLT facilitates a pathway to ordination that eleven of our current (unordained) pastors and all future pastors will benefit from. Working closely with the MEGAP in Sri Lanka, GLT’s team of leaders from several Asian countries will offer courses online and in person, tailored to Free Methodist Mission District settings. It’s an exciting development that meets a longstanding need. Canadians will still teach the Heart of Canadian Free Methodism course.
The Sri Lankan Nominating Committee had done its work to prepare for the election of a new superintendent and BOA. All the business was conducted smoothly, and our new Superintendent, Rev. Jagatheesan Jeyaranjini, was elected with a single ballot. A highlight of the Annual Meeting was distributing the Tamil translation of Chapters 3 and 5 of their Manual, a slightly revised version of our FMCIC Manual. (It was announced that the Singhala translation is at the proofreader and will be available very soon.) Please pray for our new Superintendent and BOA.
From the opening ceremony to our closing hour of prayer and Communion, our days were marked by the Holy Spirit’s presence. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, we also experience love, joy, peace, and unity. I came back to Canada filled with gratitude for the good work God is doing in Sri Lanka. I want to express our partners’ appreciation for all the financial and prayer support you provide. Please know there is an excellent “Return on Investment” for your generous giving—and let’s keep it up!
Next August, we’ll return with a Canadian Mission Team led by our new Director of Global Missions, Paula Moriarity. I eagerly anticipate returning to Sri Lanka and partnering with Paula and some others of you, who will share in this blessing and build relationships with our friends in Sri Lanka. Please pray for our work there to flourish in every way. We are privileged to belong to one another for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Role Overview The Executive Assistant to the Senior Director of Finance & Operations (SDFO) provides advanced administrative, operational, financial, and strategic support to the SDFO. This includes managing calendars and priorities, coordinating meetings, supporting correspondence, and preparing reports, all while maintaining a high level of professionalism and employing a proactive approach, with excellent interpersonal skills. This key team member will support the SDFO and FMCIC as a whole, bringing exceptional organization and communication skills.
Click here to view the full job description.
For more information about this position or to apply please email our Finance and Operations team: hr@fmcic.ca
The Role of the Bible in Discipleship
by Jervis Djokoto, Senior Director of Church Health
In our efforts to redefine Church Health, we acknowledge that a vital trait of a healthy church is being biblically grounded in all aspects of ministry. This involves allowing Scripture to guide and inspire all aspects of ministry. Today, I’m pleased to introduce Dan Jansen, a member of our newly formed National Church Health Team and Lead Pastor at Pineridge House Community Church. This church has successfully planted two growing congregations and has a deep love for the Bible.
I’ve asked Dan to share more with us about how he considers biblically grounded discipleship an indispensable key for the ongoing health of his local church, how he practices it in his own context, and how that kind of discipleship aids them even in raising new leaders capable of planting new churches.
In his response, he discusses the role of biblical wisdom in Christian discipleship, including their post-sermon dialogue in a discovery bible study format. His perspective on approaching Wisdom literature in the Bible, especially the book of Proverbs, again reminds me of the complex yet meaningful tapestry of ‘wisdom literature’ found in the Bible (in texts like Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs). For example, Proverbs generally reflects God’s intended order of life on earth, based on Solomon’s reflections and experiences. Meanwhile, Ecclesiastes shows the frustrations of a skeptic, examining the ‘glitches’ of life with doubt and wonder. As we read the bible even further, we also see that true wisdom not only goes beyond personal experiences with life’s causes and effects but also includes lessons from the Book of Job, which also recognizes life’s unpredictability and the surprising reality of suffering, (as well as the disparity between good and bad experiences). Wisdom literature, therefore, offers a comprehensive guide to understanding the complexities of faith and existence, ultimately pointing us to Jesus, who embodies God’s wisdom for us (1 Corinthians 1:24). Today, Dan Jansen explains how the book of Proverbs has unexpectedly become a vital source of wisdom in his church’s discipleship journey.
REMINDER: If you have not yet registered please do so as soon as possible.
We are excited to be gathering in September for our Western and Eastern Ministers’ Conferences.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you to this important and meaningful event. While the full agenda is still being finalized, we wanted to provide you with the key start and end times to help with your travel planning. We will begin with supper at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by the first session at 7:00 p.m. The conference will conclude on Thursday after lunch at 12:00 p.m.
August Highlights
ABOVE: Every year the entire National MEGAP team meets to review policy, discuss changes to systems and processes, to pray and spend time together as a committee. Of course, there’s always some fun and shenanigans mixed in with the business!
As with all national committees of the FMCIC, the team is made of 50% clergy and 50% lay members and the overarching mission of National MEGAP is to form and appoint credentialed ministers in our movement. In addition to the credentialing process, MEGAP participates in spousal support interviews, transfer interviews (ministers coming from other denominations), discipline committees, managing our Pastoral Counselling Program and the ongoing work of maintaining and updating Chapter 8 of the FMCIC Manual. They also provide broad support to the Ministerial Formation Department as needed. We are VERY grateful for this amazing group who give so much of their time and energy to this important ministry.
– Kevin Stenhouse
Director of Ministerial Formation
Please join us in corporate prayer. A law allowing medical assistance in dying (MAiD) for mental illness alone has already passed, with a built-in delay until it takes effect. On September 17, 2025, it will be 18 months until the expansion begins—unless a bill is passed to stop it.
We will meet online to pray together for our country, for those at risk and for this expansion of the law to be stopped.
EFC staff will give a brief update on MAiD for mental illness and a new bill that would stop this expansion. Leaders from evangelical organizations and churches will then lead us in a time of corporate prayer.
Topic: Prayer gathering on MAiD for mental illness alone
Time: Sep. 17, 2025, 8 a.m. Pacific / 9 a.m. Mountain / 10 a.m. Central / 11 a.m. Eastern / Noon Atlantic / 12:30 p.m. NL
When you register, you will receive an email response with the link to participate in the prayer gathering.
[Note: please enter a number for how many are attending in order to advance in the registration process, e.g. enter or select “1.”]
Bishop Linda offers a weekly Learning With Linda video and email message with updates, resources and personal reflections as the Bishop of the FMCIC.
You can view the playlist of her videos by clicking here.
Do you know someone who would like to receive weekly “Learning with Linda” emails? They can now sign up here.
Back-To-School ain’t just for kids!
The Free Methodist Church in Canada invites you to take part in one of our upcoming Foundational Courses. These in-person events provide valuable learning and the opportunity to connect with others on a similar journey. Some courses are also open to laypeople for auditing or credit.
To discuss which course is right for your journey, contact Kevin Stenhouse, Director of Ministerial Formation.
View what courses are on offer!
October 15 is the next deadline to apply for Leadership Scholarship Plan and for Special Scholarships for courses taken during the 2025 calendar year.
If you would like to grow your prayer life and make a Kingdom difference, join us as we pray for the renewal of the FMCIC and many other needs. We are growing!
Daily Prayer for Revival at Noon Eastern
Mon. to Sat. for half an hour at 12 noon EDT; 11am CDT; 10am
Monthly FMCIC National Prayer Meeting
Tues. Sept 30, for one hour at 7pm EDT; 6pm CDT; 5pm
If you would like to receive inspiration, resources, and events related to prayer, by receiving our monthly House of Prayer Updates, let us know at prayerteamfmcic@gmail.com.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
SAVE THE DATE – APRIL 15-18, 2027
