A Glorious Mess of a Church
Reflecting Upon the 29th General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene just concluded its General Assembly, a gathering of Nazarenes from around the world that happens every 4 years. I was honored to be there as a representative to the Discipleship Convention from the North Arkansas District.
Some have called this the world’s largest family reunion, but this gathering of 40,000+ people from around the world is more than that. In addition to strategic planning for global mission and discipleship, this legislative body of elected representatives from around the world makes decisions on official church policy and a variety of theological, social, and ethical issues, all of which shape what is included in our Manual.
As I consider the actions of this 29th General Assembly, I am encouraged by many things, but here are my top 3 highlights: 1) The election of a diverse board of General Superintendents. We elected 2 superintendents to replace retirees, Dr. Jerry Porter and Dr. J.K. Warrick. The first to be elected was Dr. Filimao Chambo, a native of Mozambique, followed by Dr. Carla Sunberg, the second female GS in our 108 year history. The Board of General Superintendents is now comprised of 2 Africans, 1 Guatemalan, 1 female, and 2 American males. Between the 6 of them, they are fluent in 6 different languages (that I know of), and Dr. Chambo speaks several different African dialects. This board reflects the diversity of a church now engaged in ministry in 162 different countries.
2) The update of our Manual statement on human sexuality. It’s worth the time to read the full statement. Within the brackets (Lines 10–37) is what is being deleted and all that is underlined is the new statement. This amendment does not change our stance on same sex relationships in any way, but it does present a biblical and beautiful vision for sexuality and how humanity because of sin falls short in many ways. This statement affirms what the Bible teaches and gives our pastors the framework to create environments of grace, truth, hospitality, and love. I appreciate the statement moving us away from an “us VS them” position, a movement affirmed by a 97% vote! At the end of the day, we’re all sinners being transformed by the grace of God.
3) The resolution promoting racial reconciliation. As if the election of another African General Superintendent wasn’t enough, the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution to promote racial reconciliation. Prejudice continues to be a global issue, and the U.S. church has much work to do in this area. As we look at the racial divides fueled by neo-racist movements like the Alt-right, it’s important that we actively seek ministries of racial reconciliation and justice. The final call of the resolution is inspiring: “We call upon Nazarenes everywhere to identify and seek to remove acts and structures of prejudice, to facilitate occasions for seeking forgiveness and reconciliation, and to take action toward empowering those who have been marginalized.” Who else, but the Church, is equipped and empowered to fulfill this call? I’m honored to lead a local church that is seeking to be that kind of church in Northwest Arkansas.
I’ll be the first to tell you that the Church of the Nazarene is far from perfect. In fact, some days she’s a mess! However, she’s our mess. She’s also God’s mess. Scripture describes the Church as the “bride of Christ”, which basically means we are a glorious mess being transformed by the grace of God.
If your life feels like a mess, I know of a church you’re going to love!
