Including "Creative Access" countries, FMWM-USA has work and/or partnerships in at least 18 countries in Asia.
Here you'll find a limited directory with short descriptions and some links where you can see photos and find out more.
Cambodia
Rev. Sok Em and his wife, Savy, became Christians while they were living in a refugee camp in Thailand. Sok received Bible training while there. In the late 1980s, the Ems and their three children immigrated to Canada. In 1992 Rev. Em, an ordained member of the Canadian General Conference and supported by the Canadian Free Methodist Church, returned to his village of Prek Thei to begin the work in Cambodia. The Cambodian Free Methodist Church officially began in 1994 as a project of the Asia Pacific Free Methodist Missions Association (APFMMA), with the Hong Kong Free Methodist Church responsible for supervision. Read more here: Cambodia FMC GIVE
Creative Access
The Free Methodist Church is working in 'Creative Access' countries. If you'd like to know more, please email:
Hong Kong
Some missionaries to China, displaced by the communist take-over, felt the call of God to follow the hundreds of thousands of refugees pouring into Hong Kong. Free Methodist missionary I.S.W. Ryding opened a chapel in 1951. Alton Gould, missionary to China under the Canadian Holiness Movement Church, arrived in Hong Kong in 1954 and planted the Cheung Wah Church. In 1959 the two denominations merged. Read more here: Hong Kong FMC
India
In 1881, several years before the mission board was organized, Ernest and Phebe Ward went to India backed by the prayers and occasional financial support of the home church. Ten years later, a board-appointed missionary, Miss Ceila Ferries, arrived. From the late 1970s, indigenous movements to Christ among Indian tribal groups have grown rapidly. Two of these, Agape Fellowship and Immanuel Fellowship, joined the Free Methodist family, adding nearly 100,000 members and 1,000 churches. Read more about the FMC in India here: India FMC GIVE
Japan
Paul Kakihara, a young man from Japan who attended Greenville College in Illinois, pioneered Free Methodist missions in Japan in 1895. He first evangelized on the island of Awaji, in Osaka Bay. There he joined forces with Teikichi Kawabe who was also preaching on the island. Mr. Kawabe became the leader in laying the foundation for the Japanese Free Methodist Church. The first North American missionaries arrived in 1903. Read about the Japanese FMC here: Japan FMC
Malaysia
The Free Methodist Church in Malaysia was dedicated in February 2002. In 2008 the Malaysia Free Methodist Church was recognized as a mission district. The main church in Ipoh has English-, Chinese- and Bahasa- speaking congregations. The work there is led by Rev. Henry Ng and his wife, Jessica, who are Malaysian. Read more here: Malaysia FMC GIVE
Myanmar
Free Methodist ministries include work among the Chinese and the Chin tribal people. The Chinese church plant in Yangon offers ministry to youth who come to the city for education. Most of the Chin churches are located in the mountains, with one church plant in Yangon. Ministries in Yangon include a child care center, boarding school for high school students and Bible college, which are managed by the Yangon Chin church plant. The child care center partners with International Child Care Ministries. Read more here: Myanmar FMC
Philippines
In November 2003, the Philippines FMC became a full general conference, which now has five annual conferences, an urban missions district movement called Oceans of Life Ministries, and a church-in-formation among a tribal group. Established churches support and nurture new congregations. Leaders are trained at Light and Life Bible College (Butuan City), John Wesley Bible Institute (Manila) or Light and Life Graduate School of Theology (Bancasi). Schools and feeding programs provide outreach opportunities to children, about one thousand of whom are sponsored by International Child Care Ministries. Philippine Social Ministries was sanctioned in March 2007 to coordinate and supervise social service ministries. In addition, the Philippines FMC has become a key missions-sending church. Read how the church got its start in this island country here: Philippines FMC GIVE
Taiwan
Free Methodist work began in the late 1940s when missionaries joined the massive migration from China as Communist forces overtook the mainland. Read about the strength and reach of the Taiwanese Free Methodist Church here: Taiwan FMC
Thailand
In July 2000, Art and Pat Chutong began Free Methodist missions work in Thailand; the work has grown to include Zion Land, a church camp in Suphan Buri, organized churches in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, and several church planting projects in Chiang Rai and Chaiyapum — reaching two distinct areas of Thailand and four people groups. The two Bangkok churches, located only a kilometer apart, are planning a joint church planting effort in a large subsidized housing complex about a mile from both. Read more about Thailand here: Thailand FMC GIVE