I recently had the privilege to celebrate the Free Methodist Church of India becoming a general conference. In India, I learned a church is a church. A pastor is a pastor. The main difference is our address. Our mission is still the same.
As I got to know FM Pastor Shirish Ahaley in Mumbai, I learned that one of his close friends is my friend Eric Spangler, an FM pastor at LifePoint Church in Lake Stevens and Everett, Wash. Ahaley and Spangler have known each other for 20 years. Their kids know each other. They share ideas and resources. Their ministries are linked around a common mission. They helped me realize India isn’t “there†and the United States “here.â€
In a recent Vision Cast, Bishop David Roller shared that one in 14 Free Methodists is in the United States (fmchr.ch/globalclip). Missions are changing from the model of “us†sending people to “them.†Now we all share resources with each other. What partnerships and
resources can we bring to the table for the global church?
This issue features Free Methodists connecting globally and locally. Join in the conversation and share your stories at llcomm.org and Facebook. We’re all in this together no matter what our ZIP code is or even if we don’t have one.  Read the articles and share with your friends.
