The Fundamental Methodist Conference, Inc., is a body of independent

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

congregations organized in 1942. In 2001 there were 814 members in 13 congregations. By 2018 the conference listed five congregatio

all of which are located in southwestern

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, with headquarters near

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

. The conference is a member of the American Council of Christian Churches. It holds its annual conference at the Fundamental Methodist Conference Grounds near Ash Grove in Lawrence County,

, where it hosts an active youth camp ministry. This body is a member of the American Council of Christian Churches. The denomination publishes ''The Evangelical Methodist'' in conjunction with the likeminded Evangelical Methodist Church of America.''The Evangelical Methodist'', Vol. 92, No. 4, May/June 2014 (retrieved 8 Sept. 2016)

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Background

The Fundamental Methodist Conference was instituted at

Ash Grove, Missouri Ash Grove is a city in Greene County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,512 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Ash Grove was laid out in 1853. The city was named from ...

, in 1942 under the name Independent Fundamental Methodist Church. The title was changed to Fundamental Methodist Church, Inc., when the first annual conference was held in 1944. The Fundamental Methodist Conference traces its origins through the

Methodist Protestant Church The Methodist Protestant Church (MPC) is a regional Methodist Christian denomination in the United States. It was formed in 1828 by former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, remaining Wesleyan in doctrine and worship, but adopting ...

to the Anglican reformation and evangelical awakening of the Wesley brothers, John and Charles. The three major Methodist conferences in the United States – the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Protestant churches – united under the name The Methodist Church in 1939. The union was attended with dissatisfaction among certain people in all three groups. The John's Chapel Church (formerly part of the Methodist Protestant Church) of

Lawrence County, Missouri Lawrence County is located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri, in the area of the Ozarks. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,634. Its county seat is Mount Vernon. The county was organized in 1845 and named for Jame ...

, withdrew from The Methodist Church on August 27, 1942, and elected a committee to draw up a constitution and by-laws for fundamental Methodists. On August 23, 1944, the first annual conference was held in

Greene County, Missouri Greene County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 298,915. making it the fourth most-populous county in Missouri. Its county seat and most-populous city is Springfield. The county was organized ...

, with three churches representing. The denomination was chartered on February 27, 1948. Unlike most Methodists, the churches of the Fundamental Methodist Conference do not baptize infants, though dedication of children is retained. They only observe immersion for baptism. Since they do not regard baptism as initiation to the universal church, they will receive members from other churches who have been baptized by sprinkling or pouring. Government is more congregational and less connectional than generally practiced by Methodists. Each congregation owns its property and calls its pastors. The church has no bishops; the annual conference elects a District Superintendent and a Secretary-Treasurer.

References

Bibliography

*''Handbook of Denominations'' (6th ed.), by Frank S. Mead *''History and Discipline of the Faith and Practice of the Fundamental Methodist Church'' (1980) *''Minutes of the Fundamental Methodist Conference, Inc.'', 2001 *''Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States, 2000'', Glenmary Research Center

External links

The American Religious Experience - Methodists
{{American Council of Christian Churches History of Methodism in the United States Christian organizations established in 1942 Methodist denominations established in the 20th century Methodist denominations in North America Fundamentalist denominations 1942 establishments in Missouri