Dominican Republic
General Conference
- Population: 10,225,482 (65% urban)
- Major City: Santa Domingo (2.8 million)
- Evangelical Christians: 9.1%
- FM Work Opened: 1889
- Organized FM Churches: 160
- FMC Membership: 24,584
- Ordained Ministers: 114
- Ministerial Candidates: 20
- Bishop: Cecilio I. Osoria Ureña
- Ecclesiastical Accountability: Free Methodist World Conference
Origins
A Free Methodist layman, Samuel E. Mills, began the work in the Dominican Republic in 1889. He was the first missionary of any denomination to minister to the Spanish speaking population of the island. Seven years later he saw his first convert. The “evangelicals” were treated with contempt and some hostility for many years. Very early the need to educate converts was seen. Schools were established to assist in the training of pastors and to influence the community for Christ.
Present Ministries
The Dominican Republic Free Methodist Church became a general conference in January 2001. The conference has three annual conferences and sponsors more than 20 elementary and/or secondary schools, a lay leadership training institute, a university level seminary, and publishes its own adult Sunday school material. Cecilio Inocencio Osoria Ureña was elected in 2009 as the third bishop to lead the general conference. The church also oversees work in a creative access country.
