Videos and Podcasts

Meet Shemika Draughan, a dynamic leader at Light & Life West who demonstrates how to be a minister in unexpected places. In this inspiring leadership spotlight from FMCSC Annual Conference 2025, Shemika shares her unique journey of bringing the joy of the Lord to cast members working behind the scenes at Disneyland.

As Co-Lead of Operations at Light & Life West alongside Denise Edmonds, Shemika’s ministry began in the greeting ministry – the first place she served when she joined what she calls “the first church I chose for myself.” Now she’s passionate about leadership development and mentoring the next generation of women leaders.

✨ Key Insights:

• How greeting ministry shaped her leadership foundation
• Ministry opportunities backstage at “The Happiest Place on Earth”
• Bringing encouragement to those who create joy for others
• The importance of co-leadership and collaboration
• Investing in leadership training and development
• Passing wisdom to the next generation of women leaders

“People who work backstage don’t necessarily experience all the happy and joy that we bring to the guests. So myself and other members of my team try to bring that to them backstage.” – Shemika Draughan

This interview beautifully illustrates the conference theme “Generation to Generation” as Shemika honors those who invested in her while actively mentoring emerging leaders.

Hosted by Pastors Janelle Coleman and Cameron Shepherd-Beyenberg from Commission Church.

📍 CenterPoint Church, Murrieta, CA

🗓️ May 17, 2025

#MinistryInTheMarketplace #FMCSC #WomenInLeadership #LightAndLifeWest
Learn more about FMCSC: https://fmcsc.org

Experience the official business session from the Free Methodist Church in Southern California’s Annual Conference 2025, featuring powerful presentations on the future of church planting, ministerial development, and conference governance.
This comprehensive business session includes:
🌱 Church Planting Vision – Brian Warth shares a revolutionary approach to church planting that empowers local churches to be sending churches, honoring the 134-year legacy started by Rev. C.W. Ebay in 1891.
📚 MEG Process Overview – Kelly Roth presents the new Ministry Exploration Pathway, creating clearer pathways for ministerial candidates and emphasizing person-centered development.
🎓 Ordination Ceremonies – Witness the reception of 5 Conference Ministerial Candidates and 8 new Elders, including powerful testimonies about their calling and vision for ministry.
🗳️ Election Results – Liz Cornell announces the formation of the Superintendent Nominating Committee and shares results from rank-choice voting for various boards and committees.
🎂 Special Celebration – Bishop Kenny and Estelle Martin’s birthdays and 39th wedding anniversary!
Key Highlights:
• Brian Warth: “We believe the future of the Free Methodist Church in Southern California is already in our pews”
• Kelly Roth: “The best days of the church are ahead… God is doing good things”
• New vision for relationally-driven, sustainable church planting
• Ministry Exploration Pathway replacing traditional ordination-only approach
• Testimonies from new elders about revival, social holiness, and community transformation
📍 Recorded at CenterPoint Church, Murrieta, CA
🗓️ May 17, 2025
Learn more about FMCSC: https://fmcsc.org
#FMCSC #AnnualConference2025 #ChurchPlanting #Ordination #FreeMethodist
00:00 Opening and Call to Order
02:00 Church Planting Vision – Brian Warth
04:00 Rev. C.W. Ebay Historical Context
06:00 New Church Planting Strategy
08:00 “Mining the Gold in Our Pews”
10:00 MEG Process Overview – Kelly Roth
12:00 Ministry Exploration Pathway
14:00 Transfer of Members
15:00 Conference Ministerial Candidates Introduction
17:00 CMC Video Testimonies
25:00 CMC Questions and Affirmation
27:00 Elder Candidates Introduction
29:00 Elder Video Testimonies
45:00 Elder Questions and Ordination
47:00 Nominating Committee Report – Liz Cornell
48:00 Superintendent Nominating Committee Formation
50:00 Rank Choice Voting Explanation
52:00 Election Results Announcement
55:00 Recognition of Outgoing Members
57:00 Birthday Celebration for Bishop and Estelle Martin
58:00 Lunch and Breakout Instructions

Experience Dr. Chuck Hunt’s transformative keynote address from the Free Methodist Church in Southern California’s Annual Conference 2025. As Senior Director of Training at Fuller Youth Institute, Dr. Hunt delivers a compelling message about the church’s response to young people in crisis.

Drawing from Mark 2 (the paralytic lowered through the roof), Dr. Hunt challenges churches to radically rethink youth ministry for a generation that is anxious, adaptive, diverse, and lonely. With over 30 years of youth ministry experience and groundbreaking research from Fuller Youth Institute, he presents actionable insights for creating “Sticky Faith” and helping churches “Grow Young.”

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• Why 50% of youth drift from faith after high school
• The 4 elements of Sticky Faith: Relational warmth, Faith fluency, Authenticity, and Community
• 6 Core Commitments for churches to grow young
• Post-pandemic resurgence: Youth are returning for Jesus, not traditions
• How to create truly intergenerational churches

📊 Research-Based Insights:

• 70% of teenagers report feeling lonely
• Churches are calibrated for a world that no longer exists
• The best days of the church are ahead

Dr. Hunt’s message is both challenging and hopeful: “Y’all are doing a good job… but are we willing to tear through the roof for the next generation?”

📚 Free Resource: All attendees received a copy of “Future-Focused Church”

Introduced by Pastors Janelle Coleman and Cameron Shepherd-Beyenberg Sponsored by Aldersgate School of Ministry

📍 CenterPoint Church, Murrieta, CA

🗓️ May 17, 2025

#YouthMinistry #FMCSC #GenerationToGeneration #StickyFaith #GrowingYoung

Learn more: Fuller Youth Institute: [https://fulleryouthinstitute.org](https://fulleryouthinstitute.org)

FMCSC: [https://fmcsc.org](https://fmcsc.org)

00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Recognition

01:00 Opening: “Y’all Are Doing a Good Job”

03:00 The State of Young People Today

05:00 Mark 2: The Paralytic Story

08:00 “Why Are You Thinking These Things?”

10:00 Four Elements of Sticky Faith

15:00 Churches Calibrated for a World That No Longer Exists

18:00 Six Core Commitments to Grow Young

22:00 Post-Pandemic Hope: Youth Returning to Church

25:00 “Get Up, Take Your Mat, Go Home”

28:00 The Best Days of the Church Are Ahead

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Yvonne Arroyas at the Free Methodist Church in Southern California’s Annual Conference 2025. In this leadership spotlight, Yvonne shares her powerful testimony of faith, worship, and service spanning generations.

As a key leader at Chapel of Change and newly elected member of the Ministerial Education & Guidance (MEG) Board, Yvonne discusses:

• Her journey from a Methodist family heritage to Free Methodist leadership
• The transformative power of worship and prayer in ministry
• Influential women leaders who shaped her faith, including her grandmother Esther, Pastor Walkemeyer, and Bishop Kenny’s wife Estelle
• Her dual calling in public school administration and church ministry
• How she creates opportunities for prayer and faith in the workplace

Hosted by Pastors Janelle Coleman and Cameron Shepherd-Beyenberg from Commission Church, this interview highlights the importance of intergenerational faith transfer and women in ministry leadership.

📍 Recorded at CenterPoint Church, Murrieta, CA

🗓️ May 17, 2025

#FMCSC #AnnualConference2025 #GenerationToGeneration #WomenInMinistry #FreeMethodist

Learn more about FMCSC: [https://fmcsc.org](https://fmcsc.org)

In this powerful leadership moment from FMCSC Annual Conference 2025, Pastor Christopher Spolar shares how Expressions Church is responding to devastating fires that destroyed their building just three months after launching.

When the Eaton Canyon fires struck Altadena and Pasadena in January 2025, Expressions Church lost everything – their rented facility, equipment, and physical space. But Pastor Christopher’s response embodies the conference theme perfectly: “If the walls of the church have burned down, be the church beyond the walls.”

🔥 Key Initiatives:

• Leading relief efforts for fire-affected families
• Launching a Relief Sponsorship Program for 25 families
• Providing up to $1,000/month in grocery and gas assistance
• Connecting partner churches with families in need
• Transforming tragedy into community transformation

“Our prayer is not that God would rebuild. Our prayer is that God would renew.” – Pastor Christopher Spolar

This inspiring interview shows how a new church plant (launched October 2024) is demonstrating Christ’s love in crisis, proving that the church is not a building but a movement of God’s people serving their community.

Hosted by Pastors Janelle Coleman and Cameron Shepherd-Beyenberg from Commission Church.

📍 Recorded at CenterPoint Church, Murrieta, CA

🗓️ May 17, 2025

🤝 How Churches Can Help: Contact Expressions Church to sponsor a fire-affected family through their Relief Sponsorship Program.

#LAFires #ChurchPlanting #DisasterRelief #FMCSC #ExpressionsChurch
Learn more about FMCSC: https://fmcsc.org

Meet Doug Ranck, a faithful servant who has dedicated over 40 years to youth ministry at Santa Barbara Free Methodist Church. In this moving leadership spotlight from FMCSC’s Annual Conference 2025, Doug shares his inspiring journey and concludes with a powerful commissioning prayer over all churches.

As the FMCSC Thrive Mentor Team Leader, Doug brings unique perspective on intergenerational ministry, sharing wisdom from four decades of loving and serving young people. His story begins in a Free Methodist parsonage in Pennsylvania and continues through his unwavering commitment to teenagers – even at 2 AM during youth camps!

🙏 Highlights Include:

• The legacy of his grandfather’s youth ministry in his 60s
• How youth ministry evolved from the 1970s to today
• What inspires him about today’s young people
• A powerful commissioning prayer for all churches to love the next generation

Doug’s insights follow Dr. Chuck Hunt’s keynote perfectly, reinforcing the conference theme “Generation to Generation: God’s Power, Christ’s Glory, Our Future.”

“The elders are sitting at the gates with wisdom that can be passed on and the younger are listening to that.” – Doug Ranck

Hosted by Pastors Janelle Coleman and Cameron Shepherd-Beyenberg from Commission Church.

📍 CenterPoint Church, Murrieta, CA

🗓️ May 17, 2025

#YouthMinistry #FMCSC #GenerationToGeneration #40YearsOfMinistry
Connect with FMCSC: https://fmcsc.org

Kevin uses powerful river imagery to show how Free Methodists fit into God’s bigger story. Drawing from his family’s Amazon River experience, he explains how different Christian denominations are like tributaries flowing into one life-giving river system.
This episode helps you understand that Free Methodists aren’t better than other denominations – we’re different, with unique characteristics shaped by our circumstances. Just like rivers flowing over rocks create rapids while others meander peacefully through meadows, each stream brings life wherever it goes.
Bishop Mannoia walks through major denominational “streams” – Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, New Reformation, and Wesleyan Holiness – showing how each contributes to God’s mission. He explains why Free Methodists identify with the Wesleyan Holiness stream and what makes our “water” distinctive.
Note: This content is part of Bishop Mannoia’s forthcoming book “Living Our Name: Free Methodist Identity.”
Whether you’re trying to understand denominational differences or explain why Free Methodists approach ministry differently, this episode provides a gracious framework for seeing unity in diversity across Christ’s body.
Resources:
FMCSC Website: https://fmcsc.org/
Ministry Training: https://fmcsc.org/training/
Identity Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL28rnyZQWTXk_tn2mlevUIdkU_OZUA0Ir

In this opening episode of the Free Methodist Identity Series, Bishop Kevin Mannoia explores why identity is crucial for both individuals and churches. Using his powerful iceberg metaphor, Kevin explains how our identity forms the foundation that shapes everything we do.
Kevin draws from his extensive leadership experience and writings, including “The Integrity Factor,” to demonstrate how identity provides the stabilizing anchor that keeps us secure in changing circumstances. He challenges viewers to understand that Free Methodist identity isn’t just a set of practices or phrases, but a deep DNA formed by generations of faithful people.
This foundational teaching prepares viewers for the complete Identity Series journey, exploring what makes Free Methodists uniquely equipped to serve God’s kingdom. Whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or church member, this series will deepen your understanding of our denominational heritage and mission.
Note: This content is part of Bishop Mannoia’s forthcoming book “Living Our Name: Free Methodist Identity.”
Resources:
FMCSC Website: https://fmcsc.org/
Ministry Training: https://fmcsc.org/training/
Identity Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL28rnyZQWTXk_tn2mlevUIdkU_OZUA0Ir

This episode tells the complete story of how Free Methodism was born from Methodist revival, shaped by the holiness movement, and influenced by major cultural upheavals including slavery, women’s rights, and Pentecostalism.
Bishop Mannoia traces the path from Wesley’s circuit riders in America to the Methodist Episcopal Church’s institutional decline. He introduces key figures like Phoebe Palmer (the “mother of the holiness movement”), Ellen Stowe, and Benjamin Roberts, showing how their passion for holiness and social justice led to conflict with the established church.
The “burned-over district” of western New York becomes the backdrop for understanding why Free Methodists care about issues like abolition, women in ministry, free pews, and opposition to secret societies. Kevin explains how the word “free” started as an adjective describing desired reforms before becoming part of the denomination’s name in 1860.
Note: This content is part of Bishop Mannoia’s forthcoming book “Living Our Name: Free Methodist Identity.”
He also covers the complex relationship between holiness and Pentecostal movements, including the Azusa Street Revival led by William Seymour and how Free Methodists navigated between spiritual vitality and organizational control. This episode helps you understand why Free Methodists have always connected personal holiness with social transformation.
Resources:
FMCSC Website: https://fmcsc.org/
Ministry Training: https://fmcsc.org/training/
Identity Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL28rnyZQWTXk_tn2mlevUIdkU_OZUA0Ir