Phineas F. Bresee, General Superintendent, Church of the Nazarene As a seminarian, I was comforted by this dictum, which was framed and hung on the hallway wall at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. First on Dr. Delegates from three diverse groupings of holiness churches in the U. The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene was born. Even divorce and remarriage, a very contentious issue with seemingly very clear biblical directives from Jesus himself Mark , Matthew , we tackled because it touches many of our Nazarene families, people we dearly love.
Our leaders tasked our best Bible scholars to research and publish their findings, then calmly help us work through the matter. Now, divorce alone is no longer a disqualifier for church membership or ordination. Yes, it took time to get there in unity, but get there we did. Retrospect has confirmed the wisdom of that process and subsequent course correction. The church is stronger for conserving laity and clergy who made it through the pain of divorce and still minister faithfully and effectively among us.
Some of our local churches even host divorce care support groups. Surely God is pleased! The discussions at General Assembly in June uncovered several social and theological issues that threaten our unity. These are difficult subjects that โ like Nazarenes across the years- we long to sit down and discuss openly, without fear of being shushed or suffering professional consequences. With an open Bible and the love of Christ in our hearts, can we do what Dr.
Bresee taught Nazarenes to do? Can we create designated spaces to listen to brothers and sisters from a wide variety of viewpoints?
Can we once again task qualified individuals to present relevant research and help us reflect? In Acts 15, after prayer and deliberation, the elders in Jerusalem decided to allow Gentiles to stay Gentiles and be folded into the church as they were. Are we ready for a new season of study, reflection, and prayer? Gregory Crofford is a third generation Nazarene. He holds a B. He was ordained a Nazarene elder in August, by Dr.
