Occasionally a denomination or group of related established churches may wish to merge with The Free Methodist Church in Canada. Mergers require extensive negotiations, and the development of related legal agreements.
1. When another denomination or group of churches with a polity and doctrine compatible with the Free Methodist Church has an interest in merging with The Free Methodist Church in Canada, the board of administration may establish a committee to enter into exploratory merger discussions.
2. If these discussions provide a favourable indication that a merger is feasible, the board of administration may authorise further detailed discussion to define the draft terms of merger, and the development of draft legal merger agreements.
3. The board of administration is empowered to conclude and approve a final merger agreement with another denomination or group of churches if:
- The denomination or group is willing to adopt The Manual of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
- Appropriate legal merger agreements are developed and approved by appropriate bodies within both denominations. These agreements must indemnify The Free Methodist Church in Canada from any financial or legal liabilities, present or past, of the merging denomination or its congregations.
- The merger will have no impact on the Free Methodist Church outside of Canada.
- The ordained ministers of the merging denomination are willing to meet the qualifications for acceptance into ordination in the Free Methodist Church.
4. If any of the above conditions cannot be met, the merger must be approved by a full session of the General Conference of the Free Methodist Church. If the merger will have impact outside of Canada, the merger shall be negotiated as needed with other General Conferences and the World Conference.
