Month: October 2024

An After the Sermon conversation

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

Not everyone likes the preacher’s sermon. I get it. Sometimes the preacher is having a bad day. Not every sermon is a homerun. Sometimes it’s a strikeout. Sometimes the listener is having a bad day too. It happens.

My last sermon may or may not have been a strikeout (if you were present on Sunday or watched online you can be the judge or be the umpire– to keep my “strikeout” metaphor straight). One first time (probably last time) guest took serious umbrage with what I said.  Serious umbrage!

“You must apologize for not preaching the Gospel!” he said.

“I will not apologize for preaching about grace,” I retorted. If you weren’t in church last Sunday… shame on you. Just kidding there is plenty of grace (see the next two sentences). If you were absent, the recap is we started a new series called “SOLA.” It is a series that looks at the Five Pillars of Protestantism beginning with Sola Gracia or Grace Alone.

Suffice it to say the dude didn’t like the sermon on grace.

He stated that it is baptism that saves us. I again reiterated that it is Jesus who saves. Just Jesus. He didn’t like that answer either. He interjected a passage from James saying that our good works also saves us.

“It’s baptism and good works that save,” according to this man as he jumped from obscure scripture to obscure scripture to emphasize his beliefs.

I might have further upset him a little more when I told him we don’t “cherry pick” obscure verses to support our beliefs instead we believe in “plenary inspiration” meaning the “whole of scripture” is inspired. Furthermore, I reiterated again, the Bible is clear– it is Jesus who saves. Just Jesus. I said, “in fact, if you really want to know more, please join us in two weeks when the sermon will be on “Solus Christus” (Christ Alone).

I don’t think he will return.

Not everyone agrees with us theologically. We can’t change who we are (I don’t want to change who we are. I like us. Still there’s a piece of me that’s sad whenever someone exits for whatever reason. (FYI… just prior to that conversation, still after the 11AM service, I led a young man, also the first time in our church, to the Lord. Chalk it up to: You win some and you lose some.).

Pastoring is crazy these days. It’s extra crazy during election years. Ask anyone in a helping profession (police officers, nurses, teachers, social workers, and pastors), they will tell you there is an angered entitlement and victimized brashness that wasn’t present in past generations. It is much harder (thank you social media with its gossip and lies) to pastor than it was when I began 36 years ago. Life is different. Yet, people still need Jesus. That hasn’t changed.

Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ has been my life’s calling. That passion is just as strong today (in fact stronger) as it was when I first sensed God speaking to me as a seventh grader sitting by a teen “afterglow” campfire at Water’s Edge Camp.

It is also a privilege and a joy to be a pastor. But it’s not for the faint of heart. Jesus didn’t say pastoring or life, for that matter, would be easy. He said He would be with us.

He has been.

He will be.

He is! 

The Church of the Nazarene Looks a lot like Heaven. Here’s Why that’s Even Better Than You Think:

On By Rob Prince1 Comment

There are 195 countries in the world (according the United Nations) and the Church of the Nazarene is in over 160 of them. The Church of the Nazarene is in more countries than McDonalds (164 vs 120). For some ecclesiastical context, the United Methodist Church is in 138 countries. The Free Methodists and Southern Baptists are each in just over 100 countries. The Wesleyans are in 90. The Missionary Church is in 110 countries. The “Global” Methodists are in just eight. So the Church of the Nazarene is more “missionary” than the Missionary church and far more “global” than the Global Methodist Church. 

An argument can be made that other than the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of the Nazarene is the most globally minded and equally represented church in the world (the Roman Catholics have been doing things a tad bit longer than the 116 year old Nazarenes). There are more African Nazarenes (927,961) than North American Nazarenes (577,282). Next year, for the first time in Church of the Nazarene history, there may be over 1 million Nazarenes on one continent (Africa, not North America). 

According to the 2023 General Secretary’s report, there are 30,747 churches around the globe (McDonald’s has a beat with its 45,000+ restaurants in the world). There are 30,000+ elders, deacons and licensed ministers. Moreover, there are 482 missionaries from 60 world areas serving in 83 areas. Every Sunday the message of Jesus is proclaimed in Nazarene churches in 192 different languages (Honesty Alert #1: I didn’t even know there were 192 different languages, let alone that there are Nazarene services in these different dialects). Besides the languages you might expect (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Haitian), there are Nazarene worship services in Bengali (134,164), Tsonga (121,784), Chichewa (84,942); Tok Pisin (64,714) and Amharic (48,356). (Honesty Alert #2: Not only have I never heard of these languages, I never would have guessed that thousands of Nazarenes speaking in these various tongues are worshipping every single week). It makes one long for heaven where  there will be  “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). 

All to say, the Church of the Nazarene looks a lot like heaven and, on the earth, is in the best position to have a global impact. Better than many of our sister denominations. We have “boots on the ground” all over the world. If disaster strikes, the Church of the Nazarene is already there (thank you Nazarene Compassionate Ministries). If  travelling in another country, know there are like-minded brothers and sisters ready to help should problems arise. But most of all, in all those places and in all those languages Jesus is being preached! 

Jesus said to be my witnesses “to the ends of the earth,” and the Church of the Nazarene is attempting to fulfill that mission. Praise the Lord!

She Ain’t Dead Yet: Reports of the Death of the Church of the Nazarene are Greatly Exaggerated

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

Mark Twain may or may not have once said, “the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” The same can be said for the Church of the Nazarene.

The extremes in the Church of the Nazarene like to point to conflict or trouble and conclude with the pronouncement, “…and that’s why the Church of the Nazarene is dying.” When some elders lost their credentials because of disagreements with the Manual regarding human sexuality, the cries from our brothers and sisters on the left were, “…and that’s why the Church of the Nazarene is dying.”  When those on the far right, like to point out the splinters in some ministers’ eyes (while missing the planks in their own) they frequently conclude, “…and that’s why the Church of the Nazarene is dying.” When a few folks on the far right, besmirched some General Superintendent candidates they perceived as “liberal” with social media gossip, rumors and flat out lies at the last General Assembly, sensible yet discouraged people on all sides cried, “…and that’s why the Church of the Nazarene is dying.” 

Like Mark Twain, the rumors of the Church of the Nazarene’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. 

One could get the impression that there are a lot of problems in the Church of the Nazarene. (Honesty alert: I’ve been accused of being a “Negative Nelly”). The church has struggled especially in Europe and USA/Canada. At times, I’ve pointed out troubling statistics. Conversely, Africa is booming with the Gospel message. I’ve been told the World Evangelism Fund (WEF) giving is up my a million dollars. Wow! Last week, I wrote how USA/Canada may have (it’s a rumor at this point) the first year of growth in 19 years. A few of my apparent fellow Negative Nazarene Nellies following the aforementioned blog wondered if the growth was simply sheep stealing from the United Methodists. Of course, there is no way to know where the growth came from across North America, but I have a hunch that its more than sheep changing pastures. I’m optimistic. I think there is something better happening.

Case in point, last week I spent a day and a half with some of the best of the best in the USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene. Dr. David Graves is leading an effort to improve Nazarene preaching. The Preaching Collaborative is an effort (funded by a Lily grant) to promote evangelistic, Biblical preaching. I am a facilitator in this effort. Most of the groups across the country gathered last week in Estes Park, Colorado. There were meetings, seminars and, it was a Nazarene event after all, food and gatherings around tables. 

I looked around the room and saw old ministers like me, but also young dynamic ministers like Galen Ryman of Chicago First Church, Nate Smith of The Table in Joliet, Colton Townley of The Crossings in Colorado, and Philip Modlin of Amplify in North Carolina (just to name a few) and I thought, the Church of the Nazarene is in very good hands. Speakers included Derwin Grey, Elise Snowden (another young Nazarene preacher who knocked it out of the park) and Dawie De Koker (Kevin Myers and Dr. Stan Reeder also spoke, but I left early to make it back to Central Church’s final  Spiritual Renewal week service). There were 175ish of us gathered. I’m sure there were a few stinkers in the crowd (present author excluded, please), but I couldn’t point them out. I was encouraged and believe the best days for the Church of the Nazarene are still ahead as we proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Don’t get too focused on what is perceived to be wrong in the Church of the Nazarene. I’m not suggesting putting one’s head in the sand. Of course, there are areas on all sides in which the church can improve. The Church of the Nazarene isn’t perfect (author included). Still let the main focus be the task at hand. Listening, learning and loving people in one’s local setting in an effort to share the Good News of Jesus. Jesus still changes things. The Church of the Nazarene is still in a position (maybe better than ever) to proclaim this Good News. Win the Lost.  Make disciples. Fulfill the mission.

She ain’t dead yet! 

Nazarene Worship Attendance In USA/Canada Grew In 2024 for the First Time in Nearly 20 years

On By Rob Prince1 Comment

Was 2023 the rock bottom year for the attendance for the Church of the Nazarene in USA/Canada? The worship attendance numbers for 2024 have not been released but the rumor is that for the first time in nearly 20 years, the USA/Canada region experienced worship attendance growth. It true, praise the Lord!

Following the massive attendance cliff following Covid, the church is starting to rebound. No doubt, this is happening in part because of the “cycle of resurgence” initiative started under regional director, Dr. Stan Reeder. The plan was bathed in prayer (always a good place to start). This year churches were to bless their community. Leading people to Jesus is next year’s focus. Finally it’s discipling people in the ways of Christ who will, in turn, bless their communities and the resurgent cycle begins. Some churches have stepped up their efforts to get into their communities and have already been leading people to Jesus and discipling them. Progress is happening. The church where I am privileged to pastor saw modest growth in 2024. Again, Praise the Lord!

“Butts in seats” (sorry for my crassness) is not synonymous with spiritual renewal. Taylor Swift can fill a stadium at 200 bucks a pop (or more), yet no one confuses the gathering with revival. Still, increased worship attendance is a sign of something (usually) good. When the Holy Spirit is moving in a church, it encourages those on the inside to invite outsiders so they too might experience what God is doing. In other words, the slight attendance growth should not be seen as the end (See: the 80s Church Growth Movement) but the beginning of a call to do the hard work of disciple-making.

“Counting people because people count” is not a compelling reason for filling a church. This isn’t Church Growth Movement 2.0. Jesus’ “church growth method” was not very effective. He went from 5,000+ at a free fish and bread event to John and a few women at Golgotha. Even after rising from the dead, there were only 120 in the meeting place on Pentecost. Not exactly, a booming, write-all-about-it, sign-a-book-contract evangelism explosion.

Jesus didn’t call us to fill a church. He called his followers to make disciples. That’s it. That’s the plan. Make disciples. Some will follow. Some will not. In fact, most will not (See Jesus statement on the “narrow road and only a few find it”). Even Jesus couldn’t convince some folks to follow Him (see Luke 9). Honestly, He didn’t seemed to obsessed about those who walked away. He didn’t chase after them. He didn’t beg them to reconsider. He simply invited someone else to follow. There’s always someone else who needs to hear the Good News. There is always someone else that is lonely and tired. Continuing to offer invitations and discipling the willing ones is the Jesus strategy. It seems to be working now too. 

Was 2023 the rock bottom year for attendance?  I hope so. If USA/Canada continues to repeat the cycle: bless our communities; tell folks about Jesus and make disciples, then continued growth could happen. Fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is the ticket out of the attendance basement.