February 2024 News:  Pastor Stephen has been approved as a Global Methodist Church supply pastor

Pastor Stephen may continue to serve as Fellowship of Christ's pastor while completing course work required for ordination within the Global Methodist Church.

January 2024 News:  Fellowship Of Christ Will Affiliate With The Global Methodist Church On May 1

We received our approval from the Global Methodist Church to join the new denomination effective May 1, 2024.  Why May 1 you ask? This will give Pastor Stephen time to finish his application to the GMC and give us time to further align ourselves with the GMC Provisional Book of Discipline.  Our bylaws are very close to the BOD, but we need to change a few things in church administration. Also, we are unusual for a church affiliating with the GMC in that we are bringing our own pastor, and we don't want to lose him.  Pastor Stephen has applied for ordination with the GMC and will initially be what they call a "Supply Pastor" until he completes a few courses and is ordained a Deacon in the GMC.  You probably won't see a lot of visible change over the next two months but if you are curious about what is going on behind the scenes don't hesitate to ask any of your council members.

December 2023 News:  Fellowship of Christ members have elected to join the Global Methodist church

On December 10, 2023, our membership voted to affiliate with the Global Methodist Church.  The vote was 33 for to 11 against.  This does not mean we are immediately a GMC affiliate.  The newly elected church council will submit our application sometime after the first of the year.  We are currently researching some unanswered questions in the application process.  Come back to this page for updates when they become available.

Affiliation With The Global Methodist Church, discussion

One of the big questions since a number of us left the UMC and formed the Fellowship of Christ church has been, "Should we affiliate with a major denomination."  Specifically, the Global Methodist Church, which was established for most of the same reasons we at FOC left TLUMC, or more formally, the United Methodist Church.  Your council has been exploring the possibility of affiliation with Global Methodist for a while now.  Your council will recommend to you (members) to vote for FOC to affiliate with GMC on December 10.  Is that all there is to it?  Absolutely not!  That is only the first step in a fairly long and rigorous process.  But as I said, that is only the first step and we can go no further without your vote to affiliate.  Further, anytime before we become officially GMC we (the church) can walk away and remain what we are now, an unaffiliated, Methodist type of church.

In this space over the next week or so I will try to present the pros and cons of affiliating with GMC.  First we would like to show the why.  I recommend your thought process begin by reading a short article,  "A Book for every Member," published by the GMC.

What do Global Methodists believe.  This link will take you to a very readable discussion and the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline.  If you read nothing else, you should read the introductory page at this link.

How does the GMC compare to the UMC and more importantly the Fellowship of Christ. This is literally an all day discussion but come back in a week or so an I will link you to a chart that compares the three.

The FOC mission and Vision clearly state:

Our Mission: To Grow A Biblically Based Church In The Wesleyan Tradition.

Our Vision:  ....To Grow A Community For Christian Worship, Study, Fellowship, And Service.  

-The GMC affiliation will allow us to fulfill both.  The key word in both is " to GROW."  It should be obvious that GMC fits the mission, but to grow, the GMC will provide an identity for us to the unchurched folks that are currently looking for the traditional, liturgical Methodist Church and service.  Our sense is there are a lot of folks like that in the local area.  As someone said to me, "there are literally hundreds of storefront, unaffiliated churches available, why should they join us.  Further, and probably more important, the Provisional Book of Doctrines and Discipline will provide us with a standardization of theology.

-What about Pastor Stephen?  Pastor Stephen is not currently ordained in the GMC.  However, he is committed to that ordination by taking the necessary classes and interviews.  In fact, he will probably be an ordained GMC deacon before we complete the affiliation process if we proceed.  Pastor Stephen is working closely with Linda Pelletier, GMC's presiding elder for Colorado districts, to assure his steps towards GMC credentialing are successful. If he isn't finished by the time we affiliate, he would not be able to perform the sacraments until his ordination.  This means he would not be able to perform baptisms or consecrate the elements of communion.  The elements can and will be blessed by an ordained GMC pastor prior to Pastor Stephen serving communion.

-Will affiliation cost the FOC?  The short answer is yes.  Once our church is affiliated we will pay 4% of our contributions for connectional start up funding, plus the benefit costs of the pastor and staff.    This rate can be increased over time but is is capped within the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline at less that half what TLUMC paid to the UMC.  While it is impossible to predict exactly what "benefits costs" will be, they will not be insignificant.  However there is also provisions for a "Missional Church" which the FOC appears to meet the requirements exactly.  If we are accepted as a missional church all connectional funds will be waived for a number of years. (NEW)

-Do I have to become a member of the GMC to attend FOC?  The church will affiliate with the GMC not the individual, you will remain a member of FOC or not.  Remember, all are welcome to the message and the meal.

-FOC currently operates and defines itself via the church bylaws, will those bylaws remain in force?  No, with affiliation we will adopt the GMC provisional Book of Discipline in their place.  Our bylaws can be somewhat fluid.  That is, the church council can change our bylaws with a majority vote on any issue.  The GMC Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline is more glacial in nature.  It can be changed but only via the GMC conference system.

I have answered this issue more thoroughly here.  This link takes you to the blog pages or you can go direct from events.(NEW)

Here is a thoughtful article, not about Methodism, but denominations in general.

Here is an article by a young UMC pastor who is going with the GMC.

Here is another article (longish) that really says it all.  If you only read one article that I post, this is the one! 

Yet another article by the same author as above, perhaps more comprehensive.  If you are short on time, this is a good one to start with. 

Here are two short reads that are also very thoughtful.  Five lousy reason to Align with the Global Methodist Church and Five Good Reasons to Consider Aligning with the Global Methodist Church. 

Why should young adults be excited about joining the GMC?  A very short read, but very thoughtful about something we lack, young adults.