The Primitive Methodist is a resource for recovering the Anglican and sacramental heart of the Methodist tradition. Rooted in the evangelical faith, disciplined piety, and liturgical inheritance that formed early Methodism, we seek a renewed pan-Methodist identity—one shaped by Scripture, the historic Church, holy communion, baptismal life, and the pursuit of holiness.
In the 21st century, Methodism need not choose between evangelical conviction and catholic depth, personal conversion and sacramental grace, or mission and worship. We believe its original witness calls for all of these: a people formed at the altar, nourished by the means of grace, committed to holiness of heart and life, and sent into the world to proclaim Christ.
Want to Pray?
Primitive Methodist Prayer: Prayer in the Free Methodist Tradition invites you into the ancient rhythm of praying morning, midday and evening, rooted in the Wesleyan way. Each day follows the Revised Common Lectionary, offering psalms and Scripture readings from the Berean Standard Bible alongside meditations from Rev. Tyler Boyer’s Free Methodist prayer books. Pray alone or lead a group with the Solitude and Community versions, listen for the voices of John Wesley, Francis Asbury, B. T. Roberts and the saints of the Church, and close the day with the Daily Examen. Holy Communion can be added to morning or evening prayer, and the Services page includes a Sunday order of worship, Holy Communion, and Baptism and Confirmation. With Psalms you can sing, a collection of prayers from across the centuries, and a simple tracker to mark each time of prayer, it’s a companion for learning to live each day before God, free to use on any phone or computer at pray.theprimitivemethodist.com.
Recent Blog Posts
Translation Wars
This last weekend I went to Washington D.C with my wife to lead a bus for an organization called Passages Israel which provides trips to Israel for Chrisitan college students. these trips highlight the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, explore the history of...
Pruned or Rotting?
An image that is used in Scripture, and by extension preaching is the idea of being pruned. When a plant grows, sometimes the way that it is growing does not contribute, but actually takes away from the fruit production of the plant. Jesus talked a lot about the fruit...
Racisms Discipleship Problem
A major area of contention for the Church is answering the questions surrounding race tensions, and racial reconciliation. How are many in the Church to respond to the reality of histories where institutional organizations of denominations participated in the...
Narnia, Lord of the Rings & our moment of post-modern destruction
I was born in 1995, which is long after the lifetimes of both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. Yes, despite this large time gap, their written works have been some of the most enjoyed and formative pieces of fiction of my life, and I look forward to sharing them...
Why read old stuff?
There is a fantastic quote by C.S. Lewis in the introduction for my copy of On the Incarnation, by Athanasius where he says, “There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by the professionals, and that the amateur...
Is Full-time Ministry the Problem?
Recently I’ve been seeing a series of posts about what they see are the problems with full-time ministry. Part of his emphasis is the importance of pastors building alternative streams of income so they are not sole dependent on a fixed ministry income. Is this an...
Leaving the mountain
There's a certain kind of feeling when you have finished a long hike and you finally reach the scenic overlook. The beautiful display of God's creation laying below as it expands in its ever moving edges to the horizon. In those moments there is a sort of clarity,...
Young Life – Old Church
One of the big discussions happening in the Church is that of reaching to the next generation, most who have never and may never darken the doors of a Church building for a variety of reasons. The pool of research is growing into this field, seeking out how the...
Resisting the Pull
Many in the Church feel there is really only one of two options. We either give in to the political and philosophical ideas of the right-wing in order to pursue God’s call for the Church. Others feel to give into the political and philosophical ideas of the left-wing...
Made for Another World
Doesn’t it sometimes feel like the way things are handled in our greater world of politics just isn’t cutting it? The endless and vicious circle of talking points, ad hominin attacks and a victory at all costs mindset that hurts anyone in the way. This has been...
Hi, my names is Joel
Joel Webb is an ordained Elder of the Shoreline Conference in the Free Methodist Church, and as a pastor, theologian, and writer, he explores the intersection of Scripture, historic worship, and spiritual formation through a sacramental worldview. He is committed to helping the Church recover theological depth and faithful worship practices as a means of shaping disciples in a polarized age. Through his preaching, published writings, and podcasts, Joel emphasizes the importance of Scripture in its historical context (both Biblical background and Patristic commentary), the formative power of liturgical tradition, and the call of the Gospel to transform both individuals and communities. Joel is co-chair of the Coordinating Council for the Free Methodist Liturgical Network.
Joel lives with his family in the Thumb of Michigan
Lead Pastor – Croswell FMC
Joel is lead pastor at Croswell Free Methodist Church. A liturgical and sacramental expression of Free Methodism that seeks to bring the beauty of Christian worship to the modern world.
