¶161 THE QUESTIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP/PARTNERSHIP *
(In the Free Methodist Church in Canada, the term partnership may be used instead of the term membership with respect to those coming into or living in a covenant relationship with a FMCiC congregation.)
Pastor: Friends, you have been baptized into the life of Jesus Christ and are now part of the family of God. This morning you are indicating your desire to become a partner/member of this congregation of the Free Methodist Church. We’re glad that God’s mercy has brought you to this point in your journey; and we’re joining our prayers with yours as you take this step.
Pastor: 1. Do you have the assurance that God has forgiven your sins through faith in Jesus Christ?
Candidate: I do.
Pastor: 2. Do you believe the Bible is God’s written word, uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit and do you accept its authority for what you must believe and how you must live?
Candidate: I do.
Pastor: 3. Do you intend by God’s grace, to be like Jesus in heart and life, to be fully
open to the cleansing and empowering activity of the Holy Spirit, and to be
guided by the Scriptures, and by the nurture and fellowship of this faith
community?
Candidate: I do, by God’s enabling grace, with the help of this community.
Pastor: 4. Will you accept and endeavor to live in harmony with the foundational principles
of the Free Methodist Church, including the Articles of Religion, the
Membership Covenant and the goals for Christian conduct, and be guided by the
leadership structures of the Free Methodist Church?
Candidate: I will do so, trusting God’s power to help me.
Pastor: 5. As a follower of Jesus Christ, will you partner with our faith community and the
Free Methodist movement as we actively participate in the mission of God in this
world; and will you joyfully join us in giving sacrificially of your time, talents
and resources to help carry out that mission?
Candidate: With God’s help, I will.
Pastor: We welcome you into our faith community and the wider Free Methodist Church. May the experience of partnership/membership in this body not only enrich your life and the life of our church; but also advance God’s desires for our community and world.
- * Paragraphs 161-164 are a uniquely Canadian re-arrangement of materials. They are not part of the actual Constitution of the World Free Methodist Church, but are placed here together for convenience of reference with respect to membership matters.
- Full members are those who have reached the age of majority for their province.
