#Values: Values are definitions of what we hope will identify us. These articles are primarily intended for those who wish to join us in this project—whether to pray, donate, or collaborate.
We love God, our neighbor, and creation, joining in His redemptive work. God sent His Son out of love, and we have been sent to represent Christ in the world.
Beta Values #6: Living on Mission
We are guided by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses in word and deed, making disciples of Christ both locally and globally.
Beta Values #8: The Body of Christ in Motion
We inhabit culture with discernment, valuing what is good, while seeking restoration and transformation in Christ, according to His Word.
Beta Values #7: We Inhabit Contextually
We show His love in tangible and relational ways, imitating the character of Christ and valuing the image of God in all people.
Beta Values #9: Divine Justice
Just as God sent His Son, the Son has sent us (John 20:21). It is a mistake to think that we should live in a bunker, removed from our context, lamenting the hostility that results from our witness. Such an attitude is contrary to the example of both Jesus and the Apostle Paul. Our lives should be marked by love, peace, joy, and goodness—but always with discernment, so that the light of Christ may shine through us, even in life’s darkest moments (Matthew 5:13–16; John 17; 1 Corinthians 9:20–22). Only then can we speak of real but unjustified persecution, as experienced by millions of our brothers and sisters in the faith around the world. This, then, is the only way to live according to Christ’s purposes—by inhabiting our context while seeking that people from all cultures come to know Him through the patterns of their own culture, whether they share our heritage or not, whether they are here or in distant parts of the world (Acts 1:8; 2:1–13; 6:1–7; 8:4; 10–11; 13:1–3).
We must acknowledge that we have often failed in trying to maintain our identity while also being relevant in the world. We strongly believe that both are possible, but to achieve this, we must be willing to revisit the paths of our predecessors and allow the Word of God to speak powerfully to our current context. We see a clear example of this in Paul’s address to the Athenians in Acts 17, which could serve as a paradigm for our post-Christian era. Even though he was facing a culture clearly opposed to Christianity, Paul did not use his indignation as an excuse to attack the people. Instead, he presented the gospel in a way that could be heard—even quoting elements from popular culture. This would be unthinkable if we continue to live disconnected from our context, failing to value and redeem the cultures in which we are immersed. These cultures, though fallen, still reflect God’s good creation.
Likewise, we must recognize that all people reflect God’s good but fallen creation. Despite the fall, we remain the image of God, as Genesis 5:1 and 9:6 remind us. Therefore, we must understand our human dignity (as image-bearers of God), but also recognize our fallen reality (marked by weakness, death, and the curse). Life and death frame the whole of human history. Human beings are neither completely good nor completely evil; both realities coexist in each of us. For example, our families may be our greatest source of joy or our deepest source of pain. Evil, with its many forms of suffering, permeates every aspect of life. It is precisely in this context that the Christian hope of restoration is grounded.
Therefore, if we want to be part of God’s mission in the world, we must live as Christ did—yet contextualized in our own realities. We should long for everyone to be reached by His light, and for that to happen, we must actively engage in reflecting Christ, bearing witness to Him both through our words and our lives. We must act as He did, especially amid the darkness in our societies.
It begins by recognizing that Christian spirituality is not merely mystical, but also deeply grounded in the earth. That is, when we pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we affirm that God’s will must be made manifest in our daily reality. It is not just about loving God, but also about loving our neighbor. It is not only participating in the ministry of the Word of God, but also in the service to the most vulnerable among us (Acts 6:1–7). It is not only about sharing in the Lord’s Supper, but ensuring that our communities are not broken by division or by valuing some people more than others (1 Corinthians 11–12). Nor is it about waiting for this reality to be destroyed so we can go to heaven, but desiring for Christ to return and for the New Jerusalem to descend from heaven (Revelation 21:2; 22:17, 20).
We must live according to the incarnation and resurrection of Christ. A clear example of the highest expression of our spiritual longing is the risen Jesus, who sits at the table with His disciples in John 21:12–14. As seen elsewhere, spiritual and physical nourishment go hand in hand (Luke 24:30–31). In this way, our love for God must be expressed in love that translates into concrete actions to meet the earthly needs of our existence. For as Jesus said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:31–46).
Jesus’ approach to discipleship was primarily relational, as He dedicated most of His time to a few, expecting them to follow His example. His mission is now our mission. We believe this redemptive movement of multiplication applies to every believer and should permeate our Free Methodist culture at every level: believers reaching nonbelievers, disciples making disciples, leaders developing leaders, churches planting churches, and movements birthing movements.
— Book of Discipline, Free Methodist Church, 2023
God’s law for human life—personal and social—is expressed in two divine commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” These commandments reveal what is best for the person in relationship to God, to others, and to society. They establish the principles of human duty in both individual and social action. They acknowledge God as the only sovereign. All people, as created by Him and in His image, have the same inherent rights regardless of gender, race, or color. Therefore, all owe God absolute obedience in their individual, social, and political actions. They must strive to ensure respect for all people—in their person, their rights, and their greatest happiness in the possession and exercise of rights—within the boundaries of the moral law.
— Book of Discipline, Free Methodist Church, 2023
In a time of growing polarization in our nation, we resist the pull toward either fundamentalism or theological liberalism—not out of a spirit of compromise, but from a radical commitment to what Wesley called “the middle way.” It is a path that takes the whole gospel seriously and continually calls us to both/and convictions in an either/or world.
— Book of Discipline, Free Methodist Church, 2023
Love is the way we demonstrate God’s desire for justice by valuing the image of God in all men, women, and children—acting with compassion for the oppressed, resisting oppression, and stewarding creation.
— Book of Discipline, Free Methodist Church, 2023