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Your
first question is foundational to the integrity of the Church of the
Nazarene. The core of our essence is declared in the Articles of Faith
of the Manual. Our Manual states, “This
is the golden strand that is woven into the fabric of all we are and
do as Nazarenes”
(Government section, Preamble). Nazarene churches that do not use
curriculum prepared by those faithful to our beliefs, polity, definitions,
and procedures are assuming great risk concerning our doctrines and
values. While we may urge every Church of the Nazarene to use Nazarene
curriculum, the Church of the Nazarene is not episcopal in its form
of government and cannot mandate local churches beyond the Manual.
In fact our constitution states, “Each
church shall . . . manage its own finances, and have charge of all
other matters pertaining to its local life and work”
(paragraph 28.2). Only the general assembly can legislate changes
in the local, district, and general governance of the church.
The Manual also addresses your second question, stating that
each local church shall include the words “Church
of the Nazarene”
in its corporate name (paragraph 102.4). In an effort to identify
with an area, community, and/or people group, some churches have created
special emphases in their advertised name. The Manual clearly
states that “Nazarene” should be part of the name of each
local church.—js |
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Christian publishing is a competitive
business, inundating us with telephone and mail solicitation. Local
Christian bookstores and Internet access are convenient options. As
a result, some Nazarenes may be less inclined to “buy
Nazarene”
without also considering other available curricula. In this competitive
environment, and as people from other traditions come into our churches
with their own curriculum preferences, our local churches face the
challenge of assuring theological integrity and Wesleyan spiritual
formation in the curriculum we use.
The challenge to Nazarene Publishing House (NPH) is to
“compete”
in
this difficult marketplace. To help our churches consider their curriculum,
NPH offers a free quarter program. Details are available through the
NPH/WordAction church relations manager at 1-800-877-0700, ext. 414.
These are certainly complicated questions for which there are no easy
explanations. However, we do know a few things about your two questions
that may help:
1. Although NPH curriculum sales have declined, a recent survey indicates
that the majority of our Nazarene churches use NPH curriculum “exclusively”
or “primarily.”
2. Every Nazarene church name is approved by the local church, the
district superintendent, the district advisory board, and the district
assembly (Manual, paragraphs 101-101.1).
3. Every Nazarene church, regardless of the name on its sign and letterhead,
has “Church
of the Nazarene”
in its official corporate name as declared in its Articles of Incorporation
(Manual, paragraph 102.4).
4. We cannot assume that Nazarene churches that choose not to include
“Nazarene”
in their names “are
no longer wanting to be identified with the Church of the Nazarene.”
When you look beyond the name of many of these churches to their web
sites, printed materials, preaching, worship services, membership
classes, and so on, you find a clear identification with the Church
of the Nazarene.
5. We have churches that use only Nazarene curriculum and have “Nazarene”
prominently displayed in their names but are clearly not Nazarene
in theology, worship, witness, or compassion.
6. We have churches that do not use Nazarene curriculum and do not
have “Nazarene”
in their names but are profoundly Nazarene.—dc |
