Is the Church of the Nazarene perfect? No.
Are there faults in the Church of the Nazarene? Yes.
Can I point to bad churches, bad pastors, bad leaders, bad DSs, bad, bad, bad?  Yes. Yes and Yes.

Still, I am thankful for the Church of the Nazarene. 

Here’s why:

I found Jesus in the Church of the Nazarene.
The church building is now a doctor’s office. The small, rag tag body of believers split apart when the church closed. The preacher, who preached the message that prompted me to invite Jesus into my life, lost his credentials. But I found Jesus at the Elmwood Church of the Nazarene in Westland, Michigan in 1974. Fifty years later, He is still with me.

The theology of the Church of the Nazarene is rock solid.
I’m a Nazarene because I believe in the theology and doctrine of the CotN. If I didn’t, I would leave. Would I change this or that in the Manual? Oh maybe, but it’s not enough to scream about on social media.

The Preaching Collaborative has been a breath of fresh air. 
Dr. David Graves led an initiative (thanks to a Lily Grant) to make more effective, evangelistic preachers. The effort will probably make better preachers (the curriculum is good), but it’s been most refreshing because of the relationships I’ve established with the very gifted ministers in my cohort (I’m looking at you Dave, Travis, Christen, Nate and Ajay!!!).

USA/Canada’s Emphasis on The Cycle of Resurgence instituted was needed.
The emphasis on Blessing our Community; Bringing People to Jesus; and Becoming Christlike Disciples is simple enough, but vital for a turnaround. (Full Disclosure: Maybe I like it because it aligns perfectly with the three core commitments of the church I pastor: Being the Best Neighbors; Jesus changes Everything and Growing Together.)

The diversity in the General Superintendents’ board room.
GSs born in Guatemala, Columbia, Mozambique, Germany, and two in the United States make for a global room (Don’t quote me on this, but I believe Scott Daniels was born in Detroit Michigan, which is…well…  let’s just say a lot of good people were born around Motown… ahem). Having the group include a woman is also great. 

The Church of the Nazarene cares for its missionaries.
I’m thankful the CotN believes in missions. I’m glad Nazarene global missionaries don’t have to beg churches for financial support, but have an agreed upon salary and health insurance. In my weak moments, I’ve complained about the apportionment system, but I am thankful for WEF funding of our missionaries. 

The Church of the Nazarene has a commitment to higher education.
Even with the sad closing of Eastern Nazarene College this year, there are still over 40 educational institutions in the world where Nazarenes gather to learn. Learning has always been an important hallmark of the CotN. (Again my bias shows, my siblings and I all went to Olivet. All of my parents grandkids went to Olivet too – except for the lone “black sheep,” my son, who went to MidAmerica Nazarene University).

The Church of the Nazarene is family. 
When out and about, I love knowing that I have Nazarene brothers and sisters that I could call in an emergency. In 164 world areas, I have family. That is incredibly comforting to know I have a 2.7 million member extended and blended family! (We added seven more to that number yesterday at Central Church).

My local church is awesome.
The church is about the people I rub shoulders with on a weekly basis. These folks in Flint Michigan love Jesus and it shows. They are missional. They are intergenerational. They are generous. The church board is great. So are the pastors. I’m super biased, but I’m convinced my local church is the best Nazarene church on the planet (with apologies to the other 30,746 other Nazarene churches that are vying for the second best church). 

Yes, I’m thankful for the Church of the Nazarene.