Order of the Flame

Members of the Order of the FLAME in a mentoring group at the April
Renewal Conference at Epworth By The Sea, St. Simons Island, Georgia.

The First Order of the FLAME Renewal Conference, Epworth by the Sea, St. Simons Island, Georgia

In April, 2003, 125 young leaders in the Wesleyan/Methodist movement in North America worshipped under the Spanish Oaks where the Wesley’s walked 265 years ago. These leaders were experiencing the power and presence of the Holy Spirit at the first Renewal Conference of the Order of the FLAME.

Started in 1996 by World Evangelism, the Order of the FLAME (Faithful Leaders As Mission Evangelists) is composed of more than 600 specially selected young pastors and spouses from the churches in the Wesleyan Tradition in North America: African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Free Methodist, Church of the Nazarene, United Methodist and Wesleyan. All these leaders were originally trained in annual FLAME conferences and they have each committed to “do the work of an evangelist and carry out the ministry fully.”

Now, the Order of the FLAME has been incorporated as one of the primary elements of the World Methodist Evangelism Emphasis with the goal of spreading it to all parts of the globe!

See the news story and photo from the 2001 Order of the Flame Training Conference.

In the first Renewal Conference, the Regional Secretaries of World Evangelism, the faculty of the Order of the FLAME and the members of the Order focused their time together in three areas: The Witness of the Word, The Witness in the World, and The Witness through our Ministry.

International speakers Dr. Grace Imathiu, Dr. Jeff Spiller, Dr. Lyle Pointer, Dr. Darryl Starnes, Dra. Maimunah Natasha of Indonesia, Bishop Paulo Lockman of Brazil, Dr. David Wilkinson of England, Bishop John Bryant, and Bishop Nathaniel Linsey joined World Evangelism leaders Dr. George Morris, Dr. Winston Worrell, Dr. James Thurmond, Dr. Maxie Dunnam, Dr. Eddie Fox and members of the Order in “fanning the flames of evangelism” during inspiring worship, mentoring, and teaching sessions.
Many members of the Order of the FLAME testified about the encouragement they experienced in the small “Wesley Groups” held each day of the conference. Others spoke of the renewal and refreshment in the early morning Holy Communion in the Lovely Lane Chapel at beautiful Epworth by the Sea. Members of the Order spoke of their experiences:

• I came discouraged and I am leaving with a renewed faith.
• Thank you for renewal and reminding me as a spouse that we are valued and are called to ministry as Christians.
• We see the wide door that is open to us for effective ministry and we are going through the wide door in the name of Jesus.
• I will always preach for response.
• We will teach our people “Faith-Sharing.”
• Praise the Lord! We are part of a worldwide family.
• The Order of the FLAME is making a change in the world. I am sticking with Jesus!
• We will serve our world parish as long as life endures. We have seen the wide door and we are going through it.
• We will keep the covenant to do the work of an evangelist and carry out the ministry fully.
• Awesome!

The conference recalled Wesley’s desire, “Give me 100 preachers, who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergy or lay, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven upon earth.”
On the last evening of the renewal conference, following a challenging message, “Stick with Jesus” by Bishop John Bryant, World Evangelism leaders and members of the Order of the FLAME renewed their covenant to be faithful evangelists.

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