We welcome inquiries from ministers and lay church members from our wider Wesleyan traditions who desire to affiliate with the Evangelical Methodist Church denomination. In a day of historic denominations exchanging their biblical roots for 21st century relativism and rejection of biblical authority, the Evangelical Methodist Church maintains and practices the original articles of historic Methodism. Due to inquires from people who desire their local church and ministerial credentials of their pastor(s) transferred to our denominational family we offer these guidelines. The Cabinet of Superintendents created the guidelines in order to maintain integrity and ethical accountability before the Lord.

Should a group of people seeking to dissolve its relationship with a congregation and/or denomination make contact with the Evangelical Methodist Church, counsel is available concerning the appropriate process of becoming an Evangelical Methodist Church.

Official affiliation papers cannot be signed with the Evangelical Methodist Church when a congregation occupies church facilities and properties which are encumbered with another denomination. This may not be an issue for churches whose property rights are vested with the congregation.

We recognize the emotional attachments to historic church buildings. Where the denomination and not the local congregation own such a building and property, we have experienced repeated situations where God honors the establishment of a new EMC congregation that is willing to trust God for a new building and property. The prophet pointed Amaziah to obedience of God’s will and answered his inquiry about the losing his investment with these words, ‘The man of God replied, "The Lord can give you much more than that."’ (2 Chronicles 25:9)

A unified core group and a pastor committed to biblical orthodoxy teamed with our District Superintendents and Board of Evangelism may under God’s blessing establish a new Evangelical Methodist Church in your community.

In a situation where the local church’s present affiliation is with one of our sister denominations in the Christian Holiness Partnership, an open interchange of communication will be maintained between the denominational leadership of all parties who have vested interest in that local church.