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Nazarenes Respond to Hurricane Katrina

"Of course, at this point, we have no idea what kind of damage has been done. No one is allowed to return just yet. We have quite a number of people in several churches in the path of the storm whom we are sure sustained some damage. I look fwd to hearing from you to see what we can do to help our people. Thank you." These were the Monday morning words of Gena Kay Milligan, office manager of the Louisiana District. read more
(Photo by Associated Press)

Texas Becomes a Majority-Minority State: A Call for New Wineskins

Oliver R. Phillips

What demographers have predicted for so long is becoming reality. This past week Texas became the fourth state to become a majority-minority state. According to the population estimates on the 2000 Census, about 50.2 percent of Texans are now minorities. Texas now joins California, New Mexico and Hawaii with majority-minority populations - with Hispanics the largest group in every state except Hawaii, where it is Asian-Americans. read more

MOVE OF GOD AMONG HAITIANS

By Pascal Permis

The month of July was an exciting and challenging time among the Haitian Nazarene community as new mission director, Rev. Pascal Permis, met with the ethnic leaders in Brooklyn, New York.

• A week of revival was held with Permis as the special guest speaker. It is reported that many souls encountered Christ for the first time and the congregation has been energized spiritually. The executive committee met and discussions centered on the election of new members of the Haitian Strategic Readiness Team.
• At the North Miami COTN on the Southern Florida district was held the Haitian Convention of Southern Florida. Rev. Pierre Antoine Jacques, pastor of the St. Marc church in Haiti was the special speaker.
• On Saturday 30, 2005, workshops geared to educate Haitian church leaders were conducted on the followings topics: leadership, missions of the Church of the Nazarene, youths, finance, and family.
• The emphasis at all of these meetings was the need to reconnect with the youth, particularly the second generation. New strategies are being developed to reach out to this important segment of the immigrant population.
• Rev. Luc Pierre has been elected by his peers to be the new chairman of the Haitian Strategic Readiness Team.

Some two years ago, a husband and wife began attending our congregation. She is Gentile, he is Jewish, and they were looking for one place to worship that would represent an expression of both faiths.

It wasn't too long after, when the husband, who was not yet a believer in Yeshua (Jesus), began asking me questions about how one could be Jewish by believing in Jesus in the first place.

Thus began a series of weekly dinners; we'd get together at a restaurant, and each week he'd real a little more of the Scriptures.

On Father's Day 2004, his family and mine, drove to Puerto Penasco, Mexico; Arizona's closest beach. As we were swimming in the gulf of Baja, the husband commented to me saying, "This would be a great place to be immersed!"

I informed him that such would be a great idea; however it would only be proper that he first ask Yeshua into his life, as his Messiah and Savior.

And he did!

Funny thing, I immersed him, and both of us came out of the water with a whole head full of seaweed!

You could say it was this man's....crown of glory.....for acknowledging the Kingship of His new found Messiah!

FITKIN MEMORIAL CELEBRATES WITH CHARLES JOHNSON

More than 500 people gathered in Meridian, Mississippi to celebrate the 44th anniversary of Dr. Charles Johnson as pastor of the Meridian Fitkin Memorial Church of the Nazarene. It was also the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the church. read more

National Black Nazarene Conference 2006

Adams Mark Hotel
Dallas, Texas
August 3-6, 2006

The featured speaker on Sunday morning is Bishop Vashti McKenzie of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Contact: Dr. Elmer Gillett, Black Mission Director USA/Canada
718-857-2364 or Susan Grube, 800-738-7167

Places of Interest:
Black Dallas Remembered - Dallas Zoo - Farmer's Market - Medieval Times - Reunion Tower - Six Flags Over Texas - SouthFork Ranch - The Women's Museum - Dallas Arboretum Fair Park - Hurricane Harbor - Old City Park - Science Place - Sixth Floor Museum - State Fair of Texas - World Aquarium

The schedule of the Conference could be seen through this link.
The poster could be downloaded through this link.

NAZARENE SECULAR CAMPUS MISSION

By David Kyncl

General Assembly marked another significant milestone as we continue to cast a vision to reach students, faculty and staff on secular campuses throughout the United States and Canada. read more

COLLABORATION AND UNITY AMONG HISPANIC MINISTRIES

By Roberto Hodgson

On July 16, the Hispanic ministries of Joplin District and North Arkansas met together for a combined service at the Nazarene Hispanic church in Rogers in Arkansas. The pastor of the church is Rev. Manuel Rodriguez. The North Arkansas and Joplin Districts work together in several ways including ministerial education. Recently they also celebrated their first family camp together. read more

THEY CAME TO WORSHIP GOD AND CELEBRATE CULTURE

"But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Forty-two years ago from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, these prophetic words were uttered by the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For four days - July 21 - 24 more than 300 Black Nazarenes gathered for the Southeast Black Regional Conference - '05 at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. From the looks of it, one would have thought that these faithful were summoned to celebrate the coming to fruition of that prophecy. read more

SUDANESE LEADERS GATHER IN OHIO

By Cheryl Wooten

Leaders from the Sudanese church in Maine, Ohio, and Chicago, as well as well-wishers from Nebraska and Tennessee gathered August 12 - 13 at the Shepherd Church of the Nazarene in Gahanna, Ohio for the First Sudanese Ministry Summit. More than 25 leaders met to discuss the opportunities that are being presented by the influx of Sudanese to the US and Canada. read more

Plans for THE NAZARENE CENTENNIAL URBAN RENAISSANCE

A Mission Strategy US/Canada Partnership With the ENC Regional District Superintendent Advisory Committee

• 300 Pints of Life - Nazarenes donate 300 pints of blood to benefit Children's hospitals in Philadelphia.
• One Heart, Many Hands Project - Nazarenes demonstrate commitment to urban physical transformation through hands-on work & witness project.
• Urban Mission Resource Center - Nazarenes help complete this facility which would be dedicated to urban outreach and community transformation.

SPEAKERS FOR THE CONFERENCE

Dr. Tom Nees - director, UCME department. International Headquarters Church of the Nazarene.
Nees was the founder of the Community of Hope Inc, an inner-city ministry that provides both immediate relief and long-term transformational programs to the poverty stricken corridors of northwest DC. The COH was recently awarded a $634,000 annual grant to enhance delivery services to people in need.

Dr. Cheryl Sanders - Professor of Ethics at Howard University School of Divinity and serves as senior pastor at the Third Street Church of God in Washington, D.C. She is the author of five books: Ministry at the Margins: The Prophetic Mission of Women, Youth and the Poor; Saints in Exile; Living The Intersection: Womanism and Afrocentrism in Theology; Empowerment and Ethics for a Liberated People; and Slavery and Conversion.

Dr. Gustavo Crocker - Regional Director, Eurasia Region.
Prior to this assignment, Crocker served as the senior vice-president for programs at World Relief Corporation, operating in more than 25 countries, director of field management for Compassion International, several years as the international director of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, and two years as regional director of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries out of Quito, Ecuador.

STORY OF DELIVERANCE ST TOLD BY NAZARENE PASTOR IN KANSAS CITY

By Dorzell King Jr. - Pastor of Risen Lamb Church of the Nazarene

This past Sunday afternoon, myself and our 3 part-time associates met in my office with a young woman who had been suffering with demonic possession for nearly 10 years. Her episodes of hallucination and physical torment came to a climax this past weekend while staying overnight at one of our associates homes. read more

NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTIAN CENTERS, INC. GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

A Nazarene Compassionate Ministry Center

On Saturday, August 27th, the Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc. held the official grand opening of the New North Center Facility. The building was bursting with people from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Over 650 people came to show their support of the Center. read more

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