Methodism began as a renewal movement within the 18th century Church of England. While the 18th century in England was the age of reason and scientific advance, the resulting urbanization and industrialization created high levels of poverty, unemployment, poor living conditions, and disease. It was a time of moral decay, high crime rates, rampant alcoholism, and child labour abuse. For the ordinary person, life was hard, suffering was great, and hope for anything better was scarce.

The established church had a difficult time keeping up with these significant socio-economic changes. The church was doing little to address moral decay or alleviate social need. The corruption prevalent in society and government was also evident in the church. Significant questions were raised about both the competency and character of the clergy. Spiritual fervour and church attendance were in decline. Spiritual paralysis had gripped the church of England.

John Wesley, an ordained minister in the church of England, believed that the alleviation of suffering and hardship would only come through spiritual renewal and total devotion to God’s great commandment to love. He traveled the country preaching about the power of God’s grace to change a person’s life. He developed discipleship groups, urging holiness of heart and life; that is, giving oneself totally to God through personal devotion (heart) and to others through selfless service (life). Wesley became the leader of the Methodist revival that brought widescale spiritual and social reform in England.

The Methodists were leaders in compassionate ministry and would seek innovative ways to help people in need. They developed schools and orphanages for the most disadvantaged children, advocated for prison reform and child labour laws, and actively opposed the slave trade. Cottage industries were set up to provide income and dignity for the poor. Wesley established the first free pharmacy for the poor in London and set up “banks” for those who didn’t have collateral to access loans from existing financial institutions. Wesley funded these banks by begging door to door.

The Methodist movement quickly found its way across the Atlantic, carried by immigrants to North America. When the American Revolution forced Anglicans to separate themselves from the Church in England, the Methodist Episcopal denomination was formed, carrying on the ethos and beliefs of the Methodist revival.

A century later, however, the enthusiasm and fervour of the revival had left the Methodist Episcopal Church. Much of the church leadership had become compromised—more concerned with social prestige and acceptance than with the standards of growth in holiness of heart and life that fueled the 18th century revival. These trends that compromised traditional Methodist values established by Wesley and the Methodist revival were opposed by some of the preachers and many lay persons in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

When it became clear that those holding to historic Methodist values were being marginalized within the church and even expelled from the church, a new denomination was born under the leadership of Benjamin Titus Roberts, one of the ordained ministers expelled from the Church.

Organized in 1860, the new denomination was named “The Free Methodist Church,” holding forth the freedoms God wants for all people:

• Freedom from sin – believing that God empowers us to live in holiness of heart and life, free from both the guilt and grip of sin in our lives;

• Freedom for slaves – upholding the right of every person to personal liberty;

• Free seats in churches – opposing the renting of pews, a practice that treated the poor as second-class members;

• Freedom of the Holy Spirit in worship – allowing authentic, joy-filled, enthusiastic worship led by the Holy Spirit;

• Freedom and openness in relationships and loyalties – refusing to allow secret societies to usurp the loyalty believers owed to Jesus alone (a particular problem at that time);

• Freedom of lay persons – including women – to be involved at all levels of leadership and decision-making in the church;

• Freedom from materialism – in order to devote themselves to the aid of the poor.

B.T. Roberts and the early Free Methodists articulated the new denomination’s sense of mission as follows: “To maintain the Bible standard of Christianity, and to preach the gospel to the poor.” By “Bible standard”, they meant holiness – that is “being like Jesus and doing what Jesus did” – personally and corporately, which included fulfilling Jesus’ mission to bring good news to the poor (Lk.4:18).

The Free Methodist Church in Canada continues the mission of the first Free Methodists in some 150 congregations from Quebec to British Columbia. And we are part of a worldwide movement of Free Methodism with churches in more than 180 countries around the world.