Racial Unity A Position Paper of the Free Methodist Church - USA — Page 1
Racial Unity
A Position Paper of the Free Methodist Church — USA
Introduction
The Free Methodist Church endeavors to honor and include people from all races, cultures, and ethnicities
as made in the image of God and welcome them among every aspect of leadership and membership of
the Free Methodist Church.
While the Free Methodist Church seeks to bring the good news of Jesus’ love and redemption to all
people, it must be recognized that racial inequality is a part of global church history including the history
of the Free Methodist Church. Our world history includes slavery, colonization, and the deconstruction
of indigenous communities. Jesus’ ministry, by contrast, has always been clear: “Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is
this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31).
Our understanding of “neighbor” must extend beyond monocultural experiences to include all people:
people of color, and people with experiences not like our own. Unfortunately, tension along racial lines
is an ongoing reality for the church. How do we align ourselves with the gospel to create agency for the
equity and inclusiveness of all races?
Our FM Commitment
In the Free Methodist Church, we seek to bring holy order and unity to people of all races, nations,
languages, and tribes. In 2019, the Free Methodist General Conference chose to address racial equity
through our Book of Discipline as seen in the following section.
pg. 12 — lightandlifemagazine.com
Dignity and Worth of Persons
We are committed to the dignity and worth of all humans, including the unborn, regardless of gender,
race, ethnicity, color, socio-economic status, disability, or any other distinctions (Acts 10:34–35) and
will respect them as persons made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27) and redeemed by Christ’s
death and resurrection.
(From Paragraph 3221 of the 2019 Book of Discipline)
The Bible clearly articulates God’s intention to unite all people in covenantal relationship with God and
one another. Inclusion in the Old Testament was not limited to male and female, but included all cultures
and people, who were, as descendants of the first couple, made equally in the image of God. The New
Testament continues to build on the Old Testament’s foundation of God’s restorative action toward
humanity. God’s partnership with diverse people groups becomes more explicit in the actions of Christ
incarnate and the teachings of the apostles. The New Testament also teaches more overtly on humanity’s
expected partnership with one another in Christ.
/lightandlifemagazine.com