We, the membership of FCM, invite you to spend a few minutes browsing through the site to get your questions answered and to learn more about us. We are a collaborating network of seekers in the spiritual life. We have a 55 year history of growth and evolution from our founding time to today. We are growing and changing as the culture changes, as our membership changes, and as our personal spiritual development continues.
Our FCM experience began in the late 1960s. We were founded by men who had left the active Roman Catholic priesthood, often to marry. They had found institutional rules to be too constricting. Because they wanted to continue to engage in ministry, they founded FCM. Today we call our ordination procedure “Commissioning.” We conduct a rigorous process with a Commissioning Candidate so that we know our ordained ministers are ready to lead worship, officiate at weddings and funerals…to be a ministerial leader.
Some of our members feel a call to Specialized Ministries. These include the roles of chaplains in organizations like hospitals or hospices. For those who have this call, FCM offers a religious endorsement, by which our endorsed members can confidently go into their ministry, knowing they have the backing of FCM’s faith filled community.
When FCM began, the membership was mostly men. That quickly changed. Today our membership is a mix of people with their own gender identities. It is an interesting way to describe us, as God has set up a similar mix across all humanity. We are proud of supporting the ministerial aspirations all our members equally. And we support our members no matter whom they love in their close personal relationships.
FCM began by empowering individuals to minister. And today we also harken to the early days of Christianity when communities of believers gathered together. It is in community that spirituality and the service of God’s people can be most clearly seen. We provide online meetings for our members to nurture their spirituality and to connect with other members in geographic proximity. We provide online meetings for our members with similar ministries, such as our chaplains. We also have communities of faith who gather in person together across our broad country.
FCM is structured into eight geographic regions across the USA. Each region is led by (an) experienced member(s) of FCM, the Regional Vice President(s). If you are new to FCM, the VP will be the first to whom you should speak. See our Circle of Directors page to find yours.
You will find that our ministerial and group members are not about doctrine. Yes, they have professional training and degrees, but what they are about is doing the work of Christ. They preach and live out the Good News. They offer consolation to those in need. They minister to the sick. They celebrate the joys of weddings and baptisms. They walk the walk and work hard on the difficult task of spiritual growth. They live out their spirituality from the heart.
So please continue to browse our website, consider joining us, then consider increasing your FCM involvement, certainly consider increasing the time and focus you give your own spiritual life, and join us on the journey.
