One of United Methodism's largest megachurches, Frazer UMC in Montgomery, Ala., announced Feb. 1 that it will seek disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church to join the Free Methodist Church.
Frazer Church
The Rev. Chris Montgomery preaches at Frazer UMC in September 2020. (Facebook Photo)
Long a stronghold of traditionalist adherents among United Methodists, Frazer's move to the Free Methodist Church surprised many observers who expected it to join the fledgling Global Methodist Church being developed by the Wesleyan Covenant Association.
The 6,000-member church issued a brief statement on its decision:
"The members of Frazer Church voted on January 30, 2022, to seek disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church, and pursue affiliation with the Free Methodist Church, another long-standing branch of the worldwide Methodist movement.
"It is not without sadness that we contemplate departing from our denominational ties with the UMC. The Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference of the UMC has been our home for many years, and we honor the connection we have shared and the work we have accomplished together.
"Nevertheless, we believe that the Free Methodist Church is a better fit for our present identity and future fruitfulness. We look forward to this new chapter in our history once this decision is ratified by the Annual Conference in June, in accordance with the guidelines of our UMC Book of Discipline.
"We pray for continued blessings on our Bishop, our Conference, and all UMC churches around the world, knowing that God’s Kingdom transcends all denominational lines."
Frazer's move to the Free Methodist Church surprised some church observers, given its history as a bastion of conservative movements in the UMC. During much of the 36-year tenure of its pastor emeritus, the Rev. John Ed Mathison, Frazer was the site of many conferences for conservative groups such as the unofficial Good News caucus. Dr. Mathison retired in 2008 but remains affiliated with the church.
Sources within the Alabama-West Florida conference where Frazer is located reported that Frazer's move to the Free Methodist Church appears to stem in part from its current senior pastor, the Rev. Chris Montgomery, who has ties to the Free Methodist denomination. Rev. Montgomery was appointed to Frazer in 2020.
The Indiana-based Free Methodist Church USA's website says it currently has about 68,000 members in the United States in 856 churches and claims more than 1 million members worldwide. Like the UMC, Free Methodists practice global ministries but emphasizes evangelism and holiness. The denomination recently published a statement of its beliefs called "The Free Methodist Way."
According to its website, Frazer began in 1889 "when a local preacher organized a Sunday School in a storeroom on Holt Street in Montgomery." During the 1980s and 1990s, Frazer was known as one of the fastest-growing UMCs in the United States, once notching the largest attendance in worship and Sunday school of any United Methodist congregation.