The Reformed Free Methodist Church (RFMC) was a

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 b ...

denomination in the

conservative holiness movement The conservative holiness movement is a loosely defined group of theologically conservative Christian denominations with the majority being Methodists whose teachings are rooted in the theology of John Wesley, and a minority being Quakers (Frie ...

History

The formation of the Reformed Free Methodist Church is a part of the

history of Methodism in the United States The history of Methodism in the United States dates back to the mid-18th century with the ministries of early Methodist preachers such as Laurence Coughlan and Robert Strawbridge. Following the American Revolution most of the Anglican clergy who ...

; it was founded in 1932 as a result of a

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

with the

Free Methodist Church The Free Methodist Church (FMC) is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement, based in the United States. It is evangelical in nature and is Wesleyan–Arminian in theology. The Free Methodist Church has members in over 100 ...

spearheaded by Samuel E. West. The Reformed Free Methodist Church was one of the first denominations in the

Name

The name of the denomination derives from the Church it left, the Free Methodist Church, as well as the word "Reformed", which does not refer to the theology of the denomination, but invokes the meaning of the word in plain English, "refined" or "improved". The Reformed Free Methodist Church upheld traditional

Wesleyan-Arminian theology Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles ...

Traditions

Communicants of the Reformed Free Methodist Church sung hymns in corporate worship

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

and wore

plain dress Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of traditional gender ...

(with black and white clothing preferred at the liturgy), in keeping with historic Holiness Methodist standards. The denomination published ''The Reformed Free Methodist Standard''.

Camp Meetings

The earlier

camp meeting The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in England and Scotland as an evangelical event in association with the communion season. It was held for worship, preaching and communion on the American frontier d ...

s of the Reformed Free Methodist Church were held at McClain's Grove in

Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania Belle Vernon is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. It is situated along the Monongahela River abutting two other counties, Westmoreland to the north and Washington across the river. As of the 2020 census Belle Vernon had a population of ...

. The Reformed Free Methodist Church then held its annual camp meeting, the Flatwoods Camp Meeting, at

Perryopolis, Pennsylvania Perryopolis is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The borough is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 1,705 at the 2020 census. History George Washington purchased here when land first became available. He visite ...

after acquiring property there. It was free of cost, running only off of the free-will offerings of those who attended it.

Churches

The Reformed Free Methodist Church had congregations throughout North America, with notable churches existing in Buffalo,

Perryopolis Perryopolis is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The borough is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 1,705 at the 2020 census. History George Washington purchased here when land first became available. He visit ...

, Fairmont, Morgantown and Havelock, among many others. The church building of the Reformed Free Methodist Church in

Alliance, Ohio Alliance is a city in eastern Stark County, Ohio, United States. With a small district lying in adjacent Mahoning County, the city is approximately northeast of Canton, southwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 21 ...

was the oldest one in that city until it was demolished on 25 January 2019; the congregation, ministered by the Rev. Herbert Smith, is now located at the Home Mission in Alliance. The Reformed Free Methodist Church of

Morgantown, West Virginia Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as th ...

, with a membership of around two hundred people, was unique in that its architecture resembled a

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

References

External links

Reformed Free Methodist Church, Monongalia County, W. Va.
{{Methodism footer Methodist denominations Methodist denominations in North America Holiness denominations Holiness movement History of Methodism in the United States Christian organizations established in 1932 Holiness pacifism