OUR VALUES
THE FM WAY
Free Methodists are first and foremost a Kingdom people. Yet throughout church history God has raised up distinct movements like ours to enrich the larger body of Christ.
These five values express the distinctions that clarify our sense of what God is calling us to become. We counsel every local church to create a unique culture as they lead a disciple-making, mission-engaging congregation that embraces The Free Methodist Way.
LIFE-GIVING HOLINESS | God’s call to holiness was never meant to be a burden, but a gift that liberates us for life that is truly life by delivering us from the destructive power of sin.
LOVE-DRIVEN JUSTICE | Love is the way we demonstrate God’s heart for justice by valuing the image of God in all men, women, and children, acting with compassion toward the oppressed, resisting oppression, and stewarding creation.
CHRIST-COMPELLED MULTIPLICATION | The gospel of Jesus Christ—the message He proclaimed, the life He lived, and the ministry He modeled—set into motion a redemptive movement destined to fill the whole earth.
CROSS-CULTURAL COLLABORATION | From the beginning, God’s intent was to have a people from every nation, culture and ethnicity, united in Christ and commissioned to carry out His work in the world.
GOD-GIVEN REVELATION | We hold unwaveringly to our conviction that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
For more resources on The FM Way, click here.
OUR BIG DREAM
As we join together in working toward these specific goals, we believe the Spirit’s accompanying work will propel us forward, empowering us for greater effectiveness in our shared mission.
We dream about becoming a network of 25,000 disciples!
We believe that as the Holy Spirit guides and empowers us, achieving these four goals will lead to ½% of the unreached population of our region (the equivalent of 25,000) becoming new Christ-followers in the years ahead.
MEET OUR STAFF
SUPERINTENDENT BRUCE RHODES
Bruce is a graduate of Spring Arbor College where he met his sweetheart, Jerilynn. After graduation in 1982, they were married and moved to Wilmore Kentucky to enroll in Asbury Theological Seminary. After earning his M.Div. Bruce began serving in Southern Michigan Conference churches in 1985. He served on staff at Chelsea and in the lead role at Garden City/Warren Road Light and Life, Kalamazoo and Ypsilanti before being elected to the office of Conference Superintendent in 2014.
Bruce and Jerilynn have three children and three grandchildren. Together, the Rhodes also enjoy outdoor recreation including camping, fishing, and hunting.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS JENNY RIVERA
Jenny is a Certified Public Accountant and is excited to serve our conference churches as a resource in the areas of finance and administration. She oversees the business operations of the conference and is available to local churches for resourcing in the area of finance and administration.
Jenny and her husband Carlos have been married for 14 years and have four children.
EXECUTIVE ADMIN ASHLEY TOHM
Ashley joined the conference team in July 2018 as our Office Manager and Executive Admin to Superintendent Bruce. Prior to moving to Michigan, she worked in Banking and Administration for 9 years in Washington State where she met her husband, Dustin.
Ashley & Dustin have been married for 12 years, and have two sons ages 2 & 6 years old.
EXECUTIVE ADMIN JULIE WEBER
Julie and her husband, Dwight, have been married for 40 years and have been in full-time ministry 38 of those years. Julie joined the SMC staff September 1, 2019 as Administrative Assistant to Mission Igniter, and as the MEG Coordinator. She comes with years of experience as an Administrative Assistant, most recently from the Pacific Northwest Conference and prior to that she served in several church and para-church organizations. She loves to organize and create processes to help systems flow smoothly.
Dwight and Julie live in Elkhart, Indiana where they are planting a network of micro-churches in the Michiana area (Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan). Julie works for the Conference Office remotely from her home in Elkhart. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. Her pastime is spending time with her family and enjoys doing life with them.
BOOK-KEEPER PEGGY FORNEY
Peggy and her husband, Gareth, have 2 children, 7 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. God called her and Gareth into ministry in 1976. Since then they have worked in pioneering new churches and helping other churches in difficult seasons get back on track. Because many of the churches they have served had inadequate and outdated record keeping, Peggy began helping them update their records. That lead to helping other churches put together good financial systems as she helped them navigate their policies and procedures to comply with the ever-demanding changes in tax laws affecting the church. Peggy has worked for Non-Profit and For Profit companies throughout her career as a Bookkeeper.
Peggy joined the SMC/Mission Igniter team in 2019, and continues to be a valuable part of our team.
BOOK-KEEPER BONNIE PHILSON
Bonnie is a graduate of Spring Arbor College where she earned her degree in Mathematics and Business Administration with an accounting emphasis. Bonnie joined the Mission Igniter staff in June of 2023 as Accountant. She also continues to serve as Accountant at The Arbor Church where she has worked since 2003.
Bonnie and her husband, Brian, have been married for 37 years and have four adult children and three grandchildren. When she is not working, Bonnie enjoys spending time with her family, being up north at the lake and traveling.
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS JAMIN BRADLEY
Jamin has been the lead pastor at 1208 Greenwood Church since he graduated from Spring Arbor University in 2011. He and his wife Jodi have two kids named Beckett and Jericho who love to keep them on their toes. Jamin has authored several books, recorded a few musical albums, and enjoys playing games, cooking, and entertaining guests. He helps with various avenues of communications and graphic design for the SMC.