I was saved in a Nazarene church. Called to preach on a Nazarene campground. Sanctified while attending a Nazarene college. I graduated from a Nazarene college and the Nazarene seminary. The Church of the Nazarene is the church who ordained me. My first job with a real paycheck was at a Nazarene campground. Except for a brief time when I was working at a Presbyterian church while in seminary, every paycheck I have received from the age of 19 forward has been from a Nazarene institution (summer intern in college; worked at the library and in admissions while attending college; worked for the Nazarene Publishing House for two years in seminary; and of course pastoring in six different Nazarene churches). If not for the summer intern position, I would not have met my wife (she was transferred to the local airport for the summer, while I summer interned in the church). Both my sons and their wives are graduates of Nazarene universities. All of my siblings and their spouses are Nazarene institution grads. All their kids went to a Nazarene college too. I owe a lot to the Church of the Nazarene in other words. A. Very. Lot.
But that doesn’t mean that I have blind loyalty. Like everyone with even a passing interest, I see the divides within the church. There are various factions within the church—on the far left, the far right and nutty folks somewhere in the middle. I have friends who’ve left on their own accord and others who were pushed out. I know very capable individuals who have been overlooked for leadership positions, while much less qualified people were pushed to the front. Politics, bad theology, nepotism, greed and pettiness have all infected the church at various times. As a global denomination, I see the challenges in keeping unity across international borders. During last year’s General Assembly, I heard gossip from the floor of the assembly and in social media posts and I saw first-hand its malicious undergirding. I see her faults in other words. The Church of the Nazarene isn’t perfect.
Still I am a Nazarene. I love this church. I will work, pray and do all I can to help her. For me that means working in the local church. Doing all I can to enable this local outpost of the Church of the Nazarene to being a bright shining light in its community. In my opinion, it is.
If you are reading this, you probably know I write a lot. Some golf, I write. But you won’t read me bashing the church I love. You won’t see me hypercritical of decisions made (even decisions I completely disagree with). Why? I have a debt to her. I want to help her, not tear her down. There are ways to see positive change. Condemning or attacking on social media is not one of them. I love the church. I want her better. I want her to remain true to P.F. Bresee’s vision in the footsteps of William Greathouse and Mildred Wynkoop and so many others. I will work toward that end. I hope you stay and will join me.
I want to live holiness. Working locally. Praying globally. Staying focused. Being positive. Promoting unity. Encouraging others. Loving people. Making disciples. I will be with her to my ending days when a Nazarene preacher prays the benediction at my funeral service.
The Church of the Nazarene is stuck with me. I choose to stay.
My Two Cent Offering 
Thank you Pastor Rob for another wonderful article. I so appreciate your honesty, candor, and humble spirit. I too was raised in a Nazarene church. I am one of those who has been overlooked, and pushed aside but, God has been good to me and even now as I am only an Interim Pastor at a small country church I love the message of heart holiness that I was raised on at Pontiac Zion Church of the Nazarene so many years ago. I was so blessed the day I was became an ordained elder in the COTN by Dr. John Knight!
“I want her to remain true to P.F. Bresee’s vision in the footsteps of William Greathouse and Mildred Wynkoop and so many others.” Me too. Can’t we just return to this.Drop the “partnerships”, the “concerned” and any other labels, let us be the Image that these great leaders modeled.
Thank you Rob! You echo what I believe and how I feel about our church. Appreciate your wise words.
Great words Pastor Rob. I love the Church of the Nazarene!
Thank you. We are part of a team, the church needs everyone. I love The Church of the Nazarene. My great grandchildren in the church. May we all be faithful. Jesus is coming soon.
I very much enjoy and mostly agree with all of your blogs. I can’t say I completely disagree with anything you have written .
However I would like your opinion on a subject that does disturb me. What do you think of a growing trend of our churches that leave out the Nazarene name within their signs(outside their building) and their literature.
I see it as stepping away from the denomination but I am not certain that is the reason. Could you give me your thoughts?
That’s an interesting question Bob. While I don’t think that leaving off “Church of the Nazarene” from a sign name is necessarily moving away from the denomination; I also don’t think it achieves any real advantage. If a church is loving its neighbors and proclaiming the good news that Jesus changes everything— then I don’t think having “Nazarene” on the sign hinders folks from coming.
We are living in post Christian America. Many people have as much interest in coming to a church as you have in walking into a mosque— no matter what is on the sign. But if a church is doing great things for Jesus, people are excited and are inviting their friends then those invited friends will walk through the doors and hopefully hear the gospel.