Amazon arrived. Reading habits shifted. Publishing economics changed. Borders, Waldenbooks, Zondervan, and B. Dalton are gone. Honestly, given the publishing industry, it’s a miracle that there is still a publishing entity in the Church of the Nazarene. Nazarene Publishing House morphed into the Foundry.

With our changed world, the Foundry was forced to no longer send people like George Rice, Tom Roat, Matt Zimmer or another sales representative to district assemblies and camp meetings with their familiar routine. The bookseller would hold up that year’s featured holiness book—often written by a general superintendent, seminary professor, or influential pastor—and declare, “This year’s holiness book is the best I’ve ever read.” (They said the same thing the year before.)

Then came the sales pitch.

“Pastors, you need this book. Your church needs to hear this book preached. Raise your hand if you want a copy.” Hands went up quickly. The representative would continue, “Laypeople, if your pastor’s hand is not raised, buy the book for him/her. Your church needs the holiness message contained in this book.” More hands would go up across the sanctuary. Volunteers moved through the aisles distributing books by writers such as W. T. Purkiser, Al Truesdale, John Allen Knight, and others.

Something more important than selling books happened because of the NPH sales pitch. Pastors bought, read and built sermon series based on them. As a result, local churches received a regular, denominationally grounded dose of Wesleyan holiness teaching. Today, no longer resourced with a steady stream of holiness literature, Nazarene pastors stopped preaching an annual sermon series built around those holiness books. Instead, they regurgitate sermons from Craig Groeschel, Andy Stanley, John MacArthur, and a host of other evangelical voices. Those pastors may be gifted communicators, but they are not Wesleyan holiness preachers. 

Without up-to-date holiness books, it’s no wonder fewer sermons are being preached on historical Nazarene positions regarding sanctification, the Holy Spirit, and what it means to be a Nazarene. Over time, many Nazarene churches have sounded less Nazarene and more like the generic evangelical church down the street.

Moreover, Nazarenes singing has also changed. Forget Haldor Lilleneas. Now Hillsong, Maverick City and Elevation songs are sung every Sunday in many Nazarene churches. Those groups are writing good songs, but they aren’t holiness songs. Nazarenes no longer sing a steady stream of holiness songs. Holiness Unto the Lord is sung once a year—at the district’s ordination service. That’s it. The Haldor Lillenas’ hymn, Holiness Forevermore is not sung, not known and very possibly not a reality in many Nazarene churches. (Please note: This is not renewing the worship wars. I’m not calling for hymns over choruses. I’m begging for new holiness choruses that can be sung in Nazarene churches).

Like the book tables, the sales reps, and holiness hymns, one wonders if the sanctifying message of the Church of the Nazarene is being pushed out by our reading and singing habits? Has Amazon and the Christian music industry robbed the Church of the Nazarene of her distinctive doctrine?

P.F. Bresee’s dream that the Church of the Nazarene might “Christianize Christianity” is not possible with bland evangelical pulpits and popular choruses. To modify Bresee vision to our current reality, maybe it’s time to “Nazarene-ize Nazarenes.” It’s returning to our roots (that’s not a call for book tables and hymnbooks). But a deep desire to disseminate preach-able holiness materials that pastors can then use and beg songwriters to compose modern singable holiness songs. Nazarenes need to hear sermons preached and songs sung of heart cleansing once more. Holiness forevermore can’t simply be a song in a dusty hymnbook, but a reality that is lived out in Nazarene churches everywhere. Let’s Christianize Christianity. Dream of a better day.