Evangelical Methodist Church International

What Evangelical Methodist Church International does

The Evangelical Methodist Church International (EMC) is a private, non-profit religious denomination founded in 1946 in Memphis, Tennessee by Dr. J.H. Hamblen as a conservative alternative to mainstream Methodism. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with approximately 12 staff, the EMC operates as a connectional fellowship of 85+ local churches spread across 21 U.S. states plus five Global Conferences in Mexico, Myanmar, the Asia Pacific region, and South Africa, with additional ministry presence in approximately 20 other countries. The denomination is governed by the International General Superintendent (currently Rev. Max Edwards) and a cabinet of regional superintendents, with annual General Conferences serving as the principal governance and gathering mechanism.

The EMC's core product offerings center on ministerial education, church administration, missions, and congregational support. The Haggard School of Ministry (HSOM), launched in August 2014, delivers distance-learning theological education for the EMC's three credentialing pathways (Deacon, Local Preacher, Ordained Elder); the Heritage Learning Center, launched in 2024, extends this with technology-enabled online seminars from the EMC headquarters. Supporting programs include the General Board of Christian Education (with resource libraries, LIFT workshops, and the EMC Catechism), the General Board of Youth & Children's Ministries (EMYCM), Women's Ministries (EMW), and Evangelical Methodist Men For Missions (EMMFM). Communication channels include the Kerusso monthly newsletter, the A Moment With Max video series, The Thread video brand by missionaries Bill and Lisa Walker, and social media on Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo. Technology infrastructure is modest: emchurch.org as the central hub, Planning Center Giving for online donations, Planning Center for credential/church reporting, and Site123 and Issuu for educational resources and newsletter hosting.

Revenue is generated through tithes and offerings collected at local churches, designated online donations (including a $6-per-Bible Myanmar project, Hamblen Endowment Fund, and Walker Ministry Support), memorial and honor gifts at four giving tiers ($10,000 / $2,500 / $500 / any amount), registration fees for General Conference, and a long-standing partnership with One Mission Society (OMS)/Men for Missions dating to 1952. The EMC does not publicly disclose revenue or financial figures.

Name

Evangelical Methodist Church International

Legal name

Evangelical Methodist Church International

Website

https://emchurch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Evangelical Methodist Church International is a 501(c)-equivalent private denomination founded in 1946, operating 85+ local churches across 21 U.S. states and five Global Conferences worldwide. It serves congregants, affiliate churches, and aspiring ministers through connectional governance, the Haggard School of Ministry, and online giving and education platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Denomination Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM), Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE), Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Religious denomination services
• Ministerial education
• Global missions
• Church governance
• Congregational affiliation

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Local churches collect tithes and offerings from congregants, with portions supporting denominational ministries and missions. The connectional system requires churches to participate in and support missional priorities set by General Conferences.
2. Online Giving Donations: The EMC accepts donations through Planning Center Giving for various designated purposes including general donations, Myanmar Bibles, Hamblen Endowment, Walker Ministry Support, Haggard School of Ministry, and Heritage Learning Center.
3. Designated Gifts and Endowments: Donors can make targeted contributions to specific funds including Bibles for Myanmar ($6 per Bible), Hamblen Endowment Fund (supports denomination ministries and ministerial student education), and general donations. The Haggard School of Ministry and Heritage Learning Center accept multi-level contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Evangelical Methodist Church International is a religious denomination that serves as an umbrella organization credentialing and supporting 85+ affiliated local churches across the USA, Mexico, Myanmar, Asia Pacific, and South Africa. Its offerings include ministerial education through the Haggard School of Ministry (a distance-learning program), Christian Education resources (L.I.F.T. Workshops, EMC Catechism), global mission coordination, women's, men's, and youth ministries, credentialing pathways for clergy (Deacons, Local Preachers, Ordained Elders), and an online giving platform for designated and general donations.

Product overview

The Evangelical Methodist Church International is a denomination of local churches offering a portfolio of ministry products and services centered on its connectional church structure. The core offerings include the Haggard School of Ministry (HSOM) for ministerial education, the Heritage Learning Center for online training, the General Board of Christian Education with resources like L.I.F.T. Workshops and the EMC Catechism, and various denominational ministry boards (EMYCM, EMW, EMMFM). Additional products include the Kerusso newsletter, Online Giving Platform, Find a Church Directory, Credential/Church Reports System, Mission Exposure trips, The Thread communications, and Board of World Missions coordination. Global conferences operate in USA, Mexico, Myanmar, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Kerusso: Official monthly newsletter of the Evangelical Methodist Church
• Haggard School of Ministry (HSOM)
• Heritage Learning Center
• General Board of Christian Education (GBCE)
• Youth & Children's Ministries (EMYCM)
• Women's Ministries (EMW)
• Men's Ministry (EMMFM)

Products and services

• Haggard School of Ministry (HSOM) A flexible, affordable distance-learning based alternative for ministerial education, training men and women as Deacons, Local Preachers, and Ordained Elders within the EMC credentialing pathway. Undergraduate-level HSOM courses may transfer for academic credit at Ohio Christian University.
• Heritage Learning Center A flexible technology-enabled space at the EMC Headquarters complex designed to host online seminars and educational opportunities for pastoral training in the USA and internationally.
• EMC Missions Program The global missions program operating across five Global Conferences (USA, Mexico, Myanmar, Asia Pacific, South Africa) with full-time missionaries supporting self-governing, self-funding, and self-propagating conference networks and special projects like Bibles for Myanmar.
• Board of World Missions The denominational mission board co-chaired by missionaries Bill and Lisa Walker that oversees global conference coordination and sponsors special projects across the EMC's global network.
• Mission Exposure EMC's mission trip program organizing exposure trips to locations including Mexico and Asia Pacific for volunteer participation from local congregations.
• General Board of Christian Education (GBCE) A denominational board under the direction of the General Conference that promotes, develops, and encourages Christian Education through recommended materials, workshops, and resources including a Resource Library, L.I.F.T. Workshops, EMC Catechism, and EMC Pastors platform, hosted via the Site123 platform.
• Online Giving Platform Digital platform for online tithes and offerings powered by Planning Center Giving, enabling members to give securely via bank accounts or credit cards toward general donations, Myanmar Bibles, Hamblen Endowment, Walker Ministry Support, Haggard School of Ministry, and Heritage Learning Center.
• Find a Church Directory An online searchable directory of 85+ EMC congregations across the USA with contact information including addresses, phone numbers, and links to individual church websites.
• Credential/Church Reports System Online annual reporting system for credential holders and local churches to file ministry reports, church statistical reports, and reaffirm the Ministerial Code of Ethics through Planning Center.
• Bibles for Myanmar A designated missions project providing Burmese Bibles to first-generation Christians in Myanmar at $6 per Bible, with a goal of distributing 3,000 Bibles.
• Hamblen Endowment Fund An endowment supporting EMC ministerial ministries and an Education Endowment assisting qualified ministerial students preparing for ordained ministry through service grants.
• General Board of Youth & Children's Ministry (EMYCM) A denominational board equipping youth and youth leaders to impact the world for Christ through core values of Unity, Equipping/Mentoring, Evangelism, and Missions.
• Youth Leadership Initiative A program to identify and assist in the development of EMC youth who exhibit leadership potential or express a call to ministry, including the Next Gen Pastors Initiative.
• Women's Ministries (EMW) Women's ministry focused on the Four-Fold Plan: developing Christian living, promoting missions, assisting youth education, and strengthening local churches and communities, while cooperating with Hope61 (OMS) to fight human trafficking.
• Evangelical Methodist Men For Missions (EMMFM) A laymen's ministry movement providing channels for missionary involvement through overseas witness, work teams, medical relief, evangelism, and prayer teams in partnership with Men for Missions (a ministry of One Mission Society).
• Natural Church Development (NCD) A church development methodology and resources provided by the Board of Evangelism to help EMC churches grow and develop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,500 salvations in Myanmar since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• One Mission Society (OMS) / Men for MissionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMMFM (Evangelical Methodist Men For Missions) has a partnership agreement with Men for Missions, a ministry of One Mission Society. The EMC and OMS have been in an affiliation relationship since 1952. Through this partnership, EMMFM members participate in overseas witness and work teams, missionary home construction, schools, churches, clinics development, and evangelistic outreach. Millions of dollars have been given to support missionaries, national workers, and evangelistic outreach through this partnership.
• Hope61 (OMS Ministry)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe EMC and Evangelical Methodist Women (EMW) cooperate with Hope61, a ministry of OMS, to fight human trafficking. Hope61 provides information and resources about human trafficking for EMW's local church groups and women's ministry committees.
• Ohio Christian UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll HSOM courses taught at undergraduate (college) level may count for academic credit at Ohio Christian University, providing a pathway for students to transfer credits to a brick-and-mortar institution.
• Planning CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationThe EMC uses Planning Center Giving as its online giving platform. Churches and members can access Planning Center Giving through EMC links to set up accounts, manage saved banking/credit card information, and process donations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Free Methodist Church: A Wesleyan-Holiness evangelical Methodist denomination founded in 1860 that shares the EMC's emphasis on biblical authority, free will, and worldwide evangelization. Operates a similar connectional church government model and represents a closely comparable theological and structural peer.
• Church of the Nazarene: A Wesleyan-Holiness denomination with a comparable global footprint and connectional polity. Notably, the EMC's 2026 General Conference is being hosted at an Indianapolis Church of the Nazarene facility, indicating close operational proximity and likely constituency overlap.
• Wesleyan Church: An evangelical holiness denomination in the Methodist tradition that competes for the same conservative Wesleyan constituency. Operates its own ministerial education pathway (Wesleyan Seminary) and parallel global mission structure, mirroring EMC's product portfolio.
• Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA): An evangelical denomination with a strong emphasis on global missions and ministerial credentials, closely paralleling the EMC's mission-driven identity. Both organizations prioritize church planting in unreached regions and operate parallel missions/credentialing boards.
• Evangelical Free Church of America: An evangelical denomination with congregational governance and a credentialing process for pastors, comparable to the EMC's local-autonomy-with-denominational-accountability model. Both emphasize biblical authority and free-church tradition.
• Missionary Church: An evangelical Anabaptist/Wesleyan denomination with strong missionary emphasis and a North American footprint similar to the EMC's. Both organizations emphasize cross-cultural ministry and credentialed pastoral pathways.
• Global Methodist Church: A breakaway denomination formed in 2022 by conservatives leaving the United Methodist Church. Directly competes with EMC for the same conservative-Methodist constituency, credentialed pastors, and church planters seeking affiliation outside the UMC.

Regional players

• Church of God (Anderson, Indiana): A Hoosier-state evangelical denomination headquartered in Anderson, Indiana, sharing regional proximity and a similar evangelical Wesleyan identity with the EMC. Operates Anderson University and the Warner Press, providing adjacent educational and publishing infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• United Methodist Church: The largest Methodist denomination in the U.S. and the body from which the EMC separated in 1946 over theological differences. The EMC maintains an explicit 'EMC/UMC What's the Difference' page on its website, making UMC the most direct institutional reference point for EMC's positioning.

Emerging players

• Primitive Methodist Church: A small Wesleyan Methodist denomination in the U.S. that shares the EMC's theological roots and conservative biblical identity. Represents a similarly sized and positioned peer for benchmarking denomination-scale operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EMCHeadquarters
• Facebookfacebook.com/EvangelicalMethodistChurchInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evangelical-methodist-church-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Evangelical Methodist Church International