What did the internationalization of the Church of the Nazarene mean for its world evangelism structure?
Some limited editing for this online edition by Howard Culbertson,
The chapter of this long-out-of-print 1985 volume is produced here under the educational use provisions of US copyright laws
One outcome of the reorganization of the Nazarene General Board and its Headquarters operation in the 1970s and 1980s was a change in terminology used to designate the leaders and their areas of responsibility. Initial steps in 1976 introduced the title of executive director in place of executive secretary. That was later amended to simply director. This was followed by the change from Department to Division with reference to the Global Ministry Center operation of the church.
Since the change of title took place during the tenure of Jerald Johnson, the accounts of his administration and that of his successor, L. Guy Nees, have been placed together under this separate chapter heading.
Though the somewhat revolutionary new Nazarene mission field structure outlined in the previous chapter had been worked out by E. S. Phillips, the implementation was left largely to his successor, Jerald D. Johnson. The coming to office of this new leader marked a watershed in world mission activity in the church. Ahead lay a period of innovative change and a marked expansion of the missionary program that caught the wave of internationalization launched by E. S. Phillips. New concepts, new structures, and new methods were introduced, and new fields were opened with increasing speed. It was a time of dramatic and exciting activity.
Johnson, a native Nebraskan and graduate of Northwest Nazarene College, had highly successful early pastorates in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, and Eugene, Oregon. In 1958 he was called to pioneer the work of the Church of the Nazarene in West Germany. He became the first superintendent of the European District (later Middle European). In that role, he was a leader in the establishment in 1965 of the European Nazarene College near Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
After national leadership had been well established in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States in 1969 and after a brief pastorate in San Jose, Calif., was called to the College Church in Nampa, Idaho. He was soon elected to fill a vacancy on the General Board from the Northwest Zone and thus became a member of the Department of World Missions. It was a providential turn of events that helped in a measure to prepare him for the office to which he was later elevated.
Although officially elected in September 1973, Johnson did not take office until October 15, three days after the death of his predecessor. In the four-week interim, he commuted to Kansas City between Sundays to talk with E. S, Phillips concerning the various aspects of the task he was about to assume. Though Phillips was physically weak he did all he could to orient Jerald Johnson to the complex details of the office he was about to assume.
In line with the department's change of name from Foreign Missions to World Missions, consummated in 1964, an early move by Jerlad Johnson was to have the name of the missionary magazine, Other Sheep, changed to World Mission. This took place with the September 1974 issue.
Another early action was to appoint assistants in two vital areas:
Two former missionaries, William Vaughters and James Hudson, respectively, were selected for these new posts.
To an even greater degree than his predecessors, Johnson felt that personal visits to the fields were essential to an adequate understanding of his responsibility. He mounted a large world map on his office wall and began inserting pins at the places he visited. By the end of 1974, there were 26 pins on the map. Before his seven-year term was over, he had visited every world mission field at least once.
The Student Mission Corps received Johnson's full support, and 72 young people were sent out in the summer of 1974.
As was expected, a dramatic upturn was taking place in the status of world mission districts. In one year, 14 districts moved up from national-mission to full mission status, and there were now 38 national superintendents.
A new publication, Inter Mission, was introduced, which was geared specifically to missionary families. Some significant additions were made to mission policy, particularly with respect to short-term missionaries who were offering themselves in increasing numbers for limited service.
Another significant development in 1975 was the establishment of specific formulas for the disbursement of General Budget funds. Although a strict proportionate division of money received for the General Budget had not heretofore been established, a rule of thumb that had developed over the years was that 80 percent of the General Budget should go to world evangelism (basically World Missions and Home Missions). The remaining 20 percent was to cover all other general interests including administration and Headquarters operations.
Now an additional formula was emerging whereby the 80 percent going to world evangelism, plus Alabaster giving, would be divided roughly 80/20 between World Missions and Home Missions.
In 1976, still another dimension was added to mission financing when field budgets were divided into two parts: (1) national, and (2) missionary. This was an important step in the process of indigenization and self-support.
In 1975, a famine crisis in Haiti was met by the creation of a Hunger Fund, which financed a planeload of food and vitamins for that stricken nation. When on February 4, 1976, a devastating earthquake struck Guatemala, two airplanes were dispatched carrying not only 1,000 pounds of medical supplies but also medical personnel (three doctors and a nurse) to put them to use. Tents and 2,500 blankets were also flown in. This occasioned a broadening of the name to Hunger and Disaster Fund. Response to other needs as they were made known was immediate and generous churchwide.
Supporting further the compassion phase of missions, in 1975 the Nazarene Medical Action Fellowship was formed (later called the Nazarene Medical-Dental Fellowship and now the Nazarene Health Care Fellowship). This was a formalization of a movement already active whereby doctors gave blocks of time to serve, at their own expense, in mission hospitals. This organization of medical people (potentially 500 in number) set about to expand its effectiveness by not only having medical people donate their time and expertise but also by supplying equipment and medicines needed in mission hospitals and clinics.
Not unrelated was the emergence of another lay-involvement program which came to be called Work & Witness (now Nazarene Missions Teams). It was an outgrowth of the Men in Missions assignment of Dr. Paul Gamertsfelder, the first man to be elected to what is now the NMI Global Council (1972). In spontaneous response to emergency situations such as the Guatemala earthquake in 1976, and the growing awareness of the need for places of worship in the rapidly expanding mission fields, more and more teams were going out at their own expense to build churches, schools, and parsonages. In 1980 it was reported that 765 teams had gone out the previous year, investing close to $1 million in travel expenses and construction materials. (See Chapter 6 for a more extensive report on both Work & Witness and Compassionate Ministries.)
To facilitate jurisdiction and development of the spreading missionary work, Jerald Johnson proposed at the General Board session in January 1976 the creation of three Intercontinental Zones:
These divisions were not unlike those set up for similar reasons back in 1924, though at that time India and the Near East were included with Africa. There were, of course, comparatively few fields then. This earlier plan was abandoned in 1926, chiefly because of a financial shortage, but the logic of the supervision arrangement was still valid.
The concept of Intercontinental Zones was approved, and Rev. Darrell Teare, then superintendent of the work in New Zealand, was placed in charge of Zone I plus the South Pacific, and Rev. James Hudson, longtime missionary to Guatemala, was assigned to Zone III plus Asia.
Each zone was to have two representatives on the General Board. This was the first time that there was official representation on this august body from what had been considered mission areas.
At the same time, representation at the General Assembly was worked out for all mission and regular districts. Since there were already 31 mission districts and 2 regular ones on world mission fields, this portended a significant alteration in the balance of delegates from home and world mission 'districts. As a result, of the total of 701 elected delegates at the 1976 General Assembly, 128 (18% of the total) were from world mission areas. Such representation was not out of line with the membership on world mission fields, which in 1976 stood at 130,892. This was 21.6 percent of the total world membership at that time of 605,185.
"Internationalization" was becoming a catchword as the concept of a worldwide church evolved. The general superintendents, in their report to the General Board in February 1976, wrote: "We are definitely committed to the idea of greater and faster movement toward internationalization in the Church of the Nazarene, and it is our plan to bring a proposal that there be a Commission to study total internationalization of the Church."1
Such a Commission on Internationalization was indeed ordered by the General Assembly in June 1976. This representative group of ministers and laymen was instructed to explore all areas of the subject, including government, theology, finance, and ethical standards, and to report back to the 1980 General Assembly. The challenge before them was to create a worldwide fellowship that would encompass the whole spectrum of cultural settings while retaining the key Nazarene distinctive of holiness doctrine and practice.
There were parallel moves in other areas that reflected the spirit of the day. In 1975 the Latin Publications Division, which had been working largely in the Spanish and Portuguese languages, was renamed the International Publications Board with a mandate to coordinate translation and printing programs throughout the world.
As noted earlier, the General Assembly in 1976 changed the name of the Department of World Missions to Department of World Mission to more precisely define the unified task of the church. At the same time, there was a reassignment of some of the fields between Home Mission and World Mission responsibility. The Latin American districts in the United States and the North American Indian work, once under the Department of World Mission, were transferred to Home Missions jurisdiction. At the same time, the South African European District, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, and the entire European work were placed under World Mission. This, in effect, anticipated the restructuring presaged by the creation of the Intercontinental Zones and the more extensive restructuring the Internationalization Commission was working on.
One more step in the integration process was the first International District Superintendents Conference held in Kansas City, January 3-7, 1978. Fifty-eight superintendents from World Mission districts attended this historic meeting.
In his report to the General Board in February 1977, Jerald Johnson enunciated an evolving concept concerning the deployment of missionary personnel. Flexibility was the keyword:
The established pattern of entering a country and settling in for a timeless period of missionary-guided development is no longer assured to us. Missionaries must go, not knowing whether they will stay for a lifetime or two or three years.
We are developing a fluid missionary program, geared to planting the church, developing national leadership, and transferring responsibility for reproduction and growth to them as rapidly as possible.2
The basic premise of this policy, that a call to missionary service was a call to serve anywhere, referred not only to the place of initial assignment but to the possibility of reassignment as needs arose. Usually, this meant movement within a language group so that missionaries did not have to constantly master new tongues. A clear example was the moving of the Earl Mostellers from Cape Verde to Brazil, to Portugal, and then to the Azores, all Portuguese-speaking. But this was not always the case, as with the Jack Rileys, who served among four different language groups in Africa.
Another 1976 development, which was a significant year in world mission strategy, was the establishment of an Advisory Council on Education (ACE). Its purpose was to coordinate all mission school programs, establishing uniform standards and curricula. This group was constituted as a permanent council of the department with John E. Riley as its professional consultant. Under the council's jurisdiction were 35 ministerial training schools, 4 high schools, and 136 elementary schools.
Four levels of ministerial training schools were established: (1) G-level (graduate); (2) U-level (college or university -- beyond high school); (3) A-level (advanced or high school); (4) M-level (middle or elementary). Although achievement levels in various cultural settings were difficult to standardize, an attempt was made to establish minimal requirements. A Basic Accreditation Manual was prepared to give guidance in this area. To further assist the schools, a second manual, A Guide to Self-Evaluation, was provided as a preparation for some sort of accreditation policy.
The missionary policy book needed extensive revision to keep up with the many innovations and adjustments being instituted. A major move was to place all items subject to frequent change, such as salary matters and medical coverages, in separate booklets. Sections were added concerning such new activities as the International Publications Board and what is now the Nazarene Missions Teams program.
In 1978, 17 Mission to the World conferences were held on 11 United States districts in which Alabaster giving received special emphasis. Such building funds were needed particularly in areas not reachable by Work and Witness teams. In fact, a secondary result of the conferences was the redoubling of interest in the Work and Witness program. The following year, 76 teams were involved with 1,500 people participating.
In December 1979, the Department of World Mission took a radically new step in outreach to new areas. An international training team called REAP (Resource for Evangelism And Projects) met in Kansas City December 6-12 "to develop a strategy for evangelizing new areas when resident missionaries are not possible."3 The purpose was to train and indoctrinate new groups who expressed a desire to unite with the Church of the Nazarene.
Members of the team were Wilfredo Manaois of the Philippines; Farrell Chapman of Trinidad/Tobago; Neville Bartle, New Zealand missionary to New Guinea; and Donald Owens and Paul Orjala, both at that time on the faculty of Nazarene Theological Seminary. John Riley, retired president of Northwest Nazarene College, served as convener. Since the first assignment had to do with preparing training programs for Nigeria and South India, Samson Udokpan of Nigeria and Rev. and Mrs.Bronell Greer, veteran missionaries to India, were called in as resource persons.
Where resident visas could not be obtained for missionaries, the plan was to send in a REAP team on visitors' visas to provide pastors and key lay people up to three weeks of intensive training programs in Nazarene doctrine, church organization, and administration. This would be repeated two or three times a year. The first such training program was conducted in South India in February 1980, with 120 attending. This was followed by a similar training session in Nigeria where a group of about 10 churches under the leadership of Rev. Udokpan's brother, Rev. Udoh, had already assumed the Nazarene name for their group.
Similar sessions with churches in other world areas were projected, and pilot investigations were conducted. But for all its promise and idealism, the REAP program failed to gain momentum and did not survive as a viable missionary strategy.
By the time of the 1980 General Assembly when Jerald Johnson was elected to the Board of General Superintendents, membership in world mission areas had grown to 173,491, a 24.5 percent gain during the quadrennium. Eight districts had met the qualifications for regular or Phase 4 status. Thirty-six had reached Phase 3, 31 Phase 2, while 22 were at Phase 1 level. In addition, there were 13 pioneer areas. There were now 70 national superintendents.
In what proved to be his farewell report as World Mission executive director, Johnson quoted excerpts from an analysis prepared by the director of the U.S. Center for World Mission in Pasadena, Calif. It stated that though a quarter of the world's 4 billion population were Christians (in name at least), over half (2.4 billion) lived outside of direct contact with Christians. More disturbing was the fact that 91 percent of the missionary force was involved in maintaining and strengthening the established churches with only 9 percent engaged in pioneering cross-cultural evangelism. It was both a warning and a challenge lest Nazarene missionary endeavor become equally ingrown.4
The almost seven years in which Johnson served saw a number of significant changes take place under his innovative leadership. But above all, he will be remembered as the architect of internationalization. He had earlier introduced the concept of Intercontinental Zones, which led to the formation of the Commission on Internationalization in 1976 in which he was a leading voice. The basic structure of regional administration that this commission devised was ready for submission and ratification by the time of the 1980 General Assembly. The implementation of its provisions was the task of his successor.
In August 1980 L. Guy Nees, then president of Mount Vernon Nazarene College, was elected director of the Division of World Mission. He was a man of broad experience in the church both in pastoral and administrative posts. He had served some of its most prestigious churches including the "mother church," Los Angeles First. He had served as president of two of its colleges -- Canadian Nazarene College and Mount Vernon Nazarene College -- and was chairman of the board of Pasadena College at the time of its historic move to San Diego. For 11 years Nees had been superintendent of the Los Angeles District.
He had served several terms on the General Board but, uniquely, had not been a member of its Department of World Mission. In all his assignments he had shown himself to be a person of "steady strength and caring spirit."5
The immediate and pressing task that Nees faced was to put into place the administrative structure ordered by the Commission on Internationalization. But there were three other goals that he set for himself to accomplish during his term of service:
The starting point for the restructuring of the World Mission program was the monumental report of the Commission on Internationalization to the 20th General Assembly with its recommendations and cautions. It addressed not only the administrative aspects but also the theological and cultural implications. Excerpts of its major provisions were as follows:
The Commission affirms the biblically sound and historically expressed theological position of the Church of the Nazarene in the "Agreed Statement of Belief" (Manual 25-25.8), and in the Articles of Faith (Manual 1-21), with specific emphasis on the church's distinctive doctrine of entire sanctification in Article X (Manual 13-14). The Commission expresses concern that this stated position be clearly articulated as non-negotiable in all doctrinal statements pertaining to the process of internationalization... .
The Church of the Nazarene as an international expression of the body of Christ, acknowledges its responsibility to seek ways to particularize the Christian life so as to lead to a holiness ethic. The historical ethical standards of the church . . . should be followed carefully and conscientiously as guides and helps to holy living.. . .
Culturally conditioned adaptations shall be referred to and approved by the Board of General Superintendents" (Manual 32.2).... The Commission recommends the continuing study of the emerging needs for cultural adaptations... .
We urge every district to strive toward full financial support at the earliest possible time... .
The organizational structure through which internationalization of the Church of the Nazarene is to be realized is ... by means of division into world regions which will have final amenability to the General Assembly.
The Commission therefore recommends: The creation of the following six church regions out of the existing three intercontinental zones:
- Africa
- Asia
- Europe and the Middle East
- Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
- South America
- South Pacific
That the General Assembly delegates from each church region nominate by majority vote in caucus the exact number of representatives for election to the General Board by the General Assembly which would then vote an electing ballot on the slate presented by the regions. Nominees shall be from mission and regular districts... .
Our final goal shall be to involve all in the total program of the church with rights, privileges, and responsibilities without limitation or stigma because of culture, color, or area of origin.6
The implementation of this statement of policy and the working out of the administrative details was no simple procedure. Not only was there the selection of directors and the establishment of regional offices, but the task of communicating to the missionary staff and national leaders the implications of the new format and securing their cooperation.
Some of the elements of the restructure were already in place. James Hudson had been serving as a coordinator for Jerald Johnson, principally in Latin America. In July 1981 he was officially assigned the directorship of the combined regions of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (which came to be known as the MAC Region and is now the Mesoamerica region) and the South America Region. Richard Zanner, who in July 1980 had been named coordinator for Africa and, in addition, had recently become superintendent of the South Africa European District, was named director of the Africa Region.
The Asian and South Pacific regions were combined under Donald Owens in June 1981. He was a former missionary to Korea and, at the time, a missions professor at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. He moved to Manila in the summer of 1981. To his assignment was added the responsibility of launching the proposed Asia-Pacific graduate seminary. Property for this institution had already been purchased in Manila.
Initially, Nees himself assumed responsibility for the Europe and Middle East Region.
In 1981, the six regions presented the following membership profile:
| Africa | 35,840 |
| Asian | 42,550 |
| Europe/Middle East | 6,219 |
| Mexico/Central America/Caribbean | 80,554 |
| South America | 16,780 |
| South Pacific | 3,536 |
| Total | 185,479 |
By 1982 the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Seminary had become such a demanding task that Owens asked to be relieved of some of his other duties. Thus, in January 1983 the South Pacific Region was assigned to Darrell Teare, who combined this with his role as superintendent of the Hawaii Pacific District, a position to which he had been elected in 1979.
Also in 1982 Thomas Schofield, district superintendent of the British Isles South District, took on the added duty of assistant to Nees for the Europe/Middle East Region. In May of the following year, he became the full-time director.
In July 1983, the original format that called for making South America a separate region was carried out. Louie Bustle, who a few years before had been transferred from the Dominican Republic to Lima, Peru, was appointed director. Then, in November 1985, after Owens became president of Mid-America Nazarene College in Olathe, Kans., George Rench, mission director in Indonesia and former missionary to Taiwan, became the Asian regional director.
Nees felt strongly that the regional leaders should live in the areas to which they were assigned and establish regional offices there. Accordingly, the Africa office was set up in Florida, Transvaal; the Asian office in Manila; the Europe/Middle East office in Bolton, England; the MAC office in Guatemala City; the South America office in Quito, Ecuador; and the South Pacific office in Honolulu.
The stated intent of the original commission was that periodically the geographical structure of the regions should be reexamined and alterations be made if it seemed appropriate. In line with this, a realignment of the regions was worked out and officially ratified by the General Board in February 1986. It was as follows:
| Region | Director | Territory |
| Africa | Richard Zanner | Countries of the African continent except those bordering the Mediterranean, plus the Republic of Cape Verde |
| Asia-Pacific | George Rench | Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, islands of the Pacific, continental Asia as far west as and including Myanmar |
| Eurasia | Thomas Schofield | British Isles, continental Europe, countries of Africa bordering the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the subcontinent of Asia east to and including India |
| Caribbean | James Hudson | Countries of the Caribbean plus Belize, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Bermuda |
| Mexico/Central America | Jerry Porter | Mexico and all of Central America except Belize |
| South America | Louie Bustle | All of South America except Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana |
In connection with the adoption of the report of the Commission on Internationalization, the 1980 General Assembly adopted the following resolution:
That, as early as is practicable following the General Assembly, the general superintendent in jurisdiction shall call for a meeting of the General Board members, district superintendents, and college presidents (or equivalent) of the following six church regions to give suggestions for study of the involvement and service of the departments of the General Board in world areas, and that the results of these studies be forwarded to the General Board. The role of the General Board members on their regions shall be included on the agenda.7
This somewhat vague recommendation became the seed idea for what developed into six regional conferences conducted during 1983-84. To the originally suggested delegate group were added the mission directors and leaders of the auxiliaries (missions, youth, and Sunday school). The general directors of these three organizations (Phyllis Brown, Larry Leonard, and Phil Riley) were invited to participate, as were Bennett Dudney of the International Publications Board and Ray Hendrix of International Radio.
The format was to consist of two days of study and discussion on topics of mutual concern, addressing the need for cooperation and understanding. Each night, including the opening session, was to be an inspirational rally open to the public. In his introductory letter to the regional leaders, Nees pleaded for openness and freedom of expression. He suggested an unstructured program with a minimum of formal presentations. "Let's just talk to one another," he said.
At the opening session of each conference, Nees read a statement of purpose. Among other things, he said: "It is not our intent to develop the Church of the Nazarene into a federation of national churches [as some other denominations have done].... The purpose of these regional conferences and any others that follow is intended to knit us closer together rather than separate us."
Coming as they did in the 75th anniversary year of the denomination, the events were billed as Diamond Jubilee Regional Conferences. A feature of several rallies was the ordination of a large group of elders. For example, in Africa, there were 34 candidates ordained, and in South America, a number of Aguaruna Indian pastors. The conference locations and dates were as follows:
| Region | Location | Date |
| Asian | Seoul, Korea | Apr. 12-14, 1983 |
| Europe/Middle East | Hanau, W Germany | Oct. 31 -- Nov. 2, 1983 |
| Africa | Manzini, Swaziland | Dec. 13-15, 1983 |
| South Pacific | Brisbane, Australia | Jan. 11-13, 1984 |
| MAC | Monterrey, Mexico | Jan. 17-19, 1984 |
| South America | Lima, Peru | Jan. 31 -- Feb. 2, 1984 |
The conferences proved to be of immense value for both the Global Ministries Center personnel and the district leaders. Bridges of understanding were built, and a sense of unity of purpose was developed.
In 1976 under Jerald Johnson's leadership, an Advisory Council on Education (ACE) had been established, and, under the guidance of educational consultant John Riley, the groundwork was laid in terms of policy and standardization.
Building on this foundation, on February 15, 1983, a new Committee on Theological Education was called together to explore more deeply the ministerial training programs in World Mission areas. The members of the committee were L. Guy Nees, chairman; Phyllis H. Brown, secretary; Mark R. Moore, Donald S. Metz, Charles R. Gailey, and Charles W. Gates. At the May 14, 1984, quarterly meeting, the name of the committee was expanded to World Mission Committee on Theological Education, which was in turn reduced to the acronym WOMEC.
There were 35 theological institutions under WOMEC's purview (see list in Appendix A of printed book). These schools represented a wide range of academic levels, size, and facilities, but all were strategic in the ongoing of the work. The steady increase in the number of churches required a supply of trained pastors to serve them. In fact, it was roughly estimated that already 500 churches were without pastors. An accelerated education program was needed.
It was also important that this training be received in the national setting and under national auspices so that the language and cultural barriers would be minimized. Administratively, the goal set by WOMEC was to have a minimum of 50 percent of the governing boards be non-missionary. Only 16 of the presidents/directors of the 35 institutions were nationals, but the intent was to increase this number as quickly as possible.
Three manuals or handbooks were developed by the committee: (1) Handbook for Accreditation: Curriculum and Degree Granting Processes for Nazarene World Area Theological Education Institutions; (2) A Basic Accreditation Manual; and (3) A Guide to Self Evaluation. Notebooks 2 and 3 were extensions of earlier manuals prepared by ACE. WOMEC was, in effect, the accrediting agency for Nazarene international theological institutions. But it also provided motivation and resources for the schools in addition to monitoring their progress. Its function was basically advisory as it sought to achieve the broad goal stated by Nees: "To upgrade and standardize the educational program in world mission areas."
The establishment of the Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in Manila, the first graduate-level seminary for the denomination outside of the United States, along with the promotion of various extension programs, the development of the Africa Nazarene Theological College by combining three campuses under one administration, and the establishment of Seminario Nazareno Mexicano, A.C., in Mexico City were major achievements in the area of theological education during the quinquennium.
A unique project of WOMEC, sponsored by Mark Moore, was the "Books for Enrichment" campaign in which North American colleges were encouraged to "adopt" a G- or U-level institution abroad and augment its library holdings by sending duplicate volumes from their own libraries.
Using the "GUAM" formula, the 35 theological training schools under WOMEC in 1985 were classified as follows:
| G-level (graduate) | 1 |
| U-level (university/college) | 15 |
| A-level (advanced/high school) | 16 |
| M-level (middle/grade school) | 3 |
Not included was the U-level Africa Nazarene Theological College, which was actually a combination of the three colleges (all U-level) in southern Africa: at Florida, R.S.A.; Siteki, Swaziland; and Port Elizabeth, R.S.A. Nor was the South India Biblical Seminary on the list. The Church of the Nazarene had an excellent affiliate relationship with the World Gospel Mission in the administration of this school. (See the South India story in Part Two of the printed volume.)
Resident students in these 35 schools totaled 1,408. In addition, a number of the schools conducted extension programs that enrolled 2,233 students. The Seminario Nazareno de las Americas in Costa Rica was a leader in its extension program (CENETA) that blanketed Latin America. These concentrated short courses conducted by faculty members in strategic centers allowed pastors to continue serving their churches with minimal disruption as they continued their education.
For the granting of degrees, the Caribbean Nazarene Theological College in Trinidad affiliated with Canadian Nazarene College, while European Nazarene Bible College and Africa Nazarene Theological College (after March 11, 1983) affiliated with Mid-America Nazarene College.
The third goal Nees set for himself was to restructure the missionary policy book into a more useful and understandable format. The policy statements themselves were not so much at issue as was their presentation. Over the years, as new matters were written into the policy, they tended to become appendages rather than being incorporated into the whole.
Various methods had been used to try to to solve the problem, including the most recent supplementary booklet approach. Nees felt that everything should be under one cover, but because of frequent changes and additions there would need to be a loose-leaf format. This would make possible the insertion of new material at the appropriate places and facilitate the removal of old material where such was being replaced. Color coding of the pages in each section and the dating of each page were two other ways of keeping tabs on the material.
The mission policy book, as eventually put together, consisted of a 76-page section covering the World Mission Division, the Mission Field, and the Missionary; a 19-page section on National Church Policy; and a 23-page Health Care Plan Document. A 2-page supplement on current salaries and benefits was also included. Each of these was in a different color. The heart of the document was the 45-page section having to do with the person of the missionary.
Nees's fourth area of concern was the retirement plan for missionaries. Heretofore, the major source of income for emergency medical assistance and pensions for retired missionaries had been through what is now Nazarene Missions International plus some designated gifts. It was obvious that as the needs of a larger missionary force increased and the number of retirees correspondingly grew, the available funds were falling farther and farther behind, and increasing subsidies were going to be needed from general funds. Permanent funding was essential.
The first step was to separate the medical and the retirement accounts, leaving the medical phase to what became (h>NMI) and making the pension part into a departmental responsibility. Toward this end, several actions were taken:
By 1984 the turnaround point had been reached, and the actuarial fund was beginning to grow, reaching $3.5 million by 1985. Projections at that time indicated that it would take $8 million to fully fund the retirement program, but excellent progress had been made.
The scale of retirement benefits for missionaries was set at essentially the same levels as that for U.S. ministers, except that additional amounts were provided to missionaries with more than 20 years of service.
While all these basic administrative developments were taking place, the ongoing missionary program was experiencing a great wave of homeland interest and support. Giving to the World Mission cause was escalating, as demonstrated especially in the Easter and Thanksgiving offerings, now reaching a combined total annually of more than $17 million. Mission specials brought in another $6 million each year.
However, there was also significantly increased involvement in lay-participation projects such as Work and Witness (now Nazarene Missions Teams) and Compassionate Ministries programs. The former had emerged in the late 1970s and then, during the Nees era, came into full flower.
Carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, painters, contractors, and just plain laborers were becoming involved directly in missions. In the beginning days of Work & Witness, these construction crews went to countries nearby, such as those in Central America and the Caribbean. Then, they began reaching out farther and farther to Europe, Africa, the Orient, the South Pacific, and even India.
No mission program ever caught on so quickly or was so universally adopted as Work & Witness (now called Nazarene Mission Teams). But it became a victim of its own success. Its cherished spontaneous character eventually had to yield to the imposition of rules and regulations. With over 100 teams going out each year, some guidelines had to be laid down. Ultimately, it meant the appointment of a central coordinator. Thus, in November 1984, David Hayse joined the staff in Kansas City to direct this program. He had been serving as project coordinator for Mexico and Latin America.
During the 1980-85 quinquennium, approximately 400 Work & Witness teams, made up of about 8,000 people, were involved in this program. The total investment in labor, travel, and materials was estimated at $12 million.8 (See chapter 6 for an extensive study of what is now the Nazarene Missions Teams program.)
Compassionate Ministries also came to the fore during the Nees administration. There was a new awareness across the church of the need to address the physical needs of a suffering world in the name of Christ. As crises of hunger, natural catastrophe, revolution, and refugee displacement mounted, the demands on the Hunger and Disaster Fund ballooned. But just as readily, the church responded. In 1982, $160,000 was contributed to the fund, and in 1983 giving jumped to $285,000. In 1984 a major famine in Africa called for a special added appropriation of $100,000 from general funds. During the 1980-85 period, $1.25 million was contributed to the Hunger and Disaster Fund, and 23 countries were recipients of this aid.
Not all this money went out in the form of direct relief, however, for there was growing interest in long-range preventive measures as well. The improvement of agricultural methods to increase food supplies, and the development of self-help projects to lift people out of poverty were examples. Haiti and South India were in the vanguard of this effort.
In his report to the General Board in February 1984, Nees recommended that a full-time person be hired to coordinate the total Compassionate Ministries program. He turned to Steve Weber, a 10-year veteran missionary to Haiti who had done significant work in relief and development programs. Weber, along with Al Truesdale of Nazarene Theological Seminary, organized the phenomenally successful Compassionate Ministries Conference held in Kansas City on November 8-10, 1985, at which 500 were registered. "What started as an idea with modest expectations," wrote Franklin Cook, editor of World Mission, "developed into a conference of monumental significance and proportions."9 (See chapter 6 for an elaboration of this and other phases of Compassionate Ministries.)
Not unrelated to this was the creation of an organization now called Mission Corps. Heretofore, non-career missionary work had been largely confined to medical personnel and some builders. The plan was to involve persons of other skills and professions in short-term service on mission fields. Teachers, nurses, clerical workers, computer programmers, architects, and the like were inspired to offer themselves for periods of two months to a year wherever the need arose -- all at their own expense.
In July 1985, a group of 25 of these dedicated people gathered in Pasadena, Calif., for a 14-day orientation with 15 well-qualified instructors. After the conference, several went immediately to assignments in various parts of the world, while others remained on a stand-by basis awaiting a call for their specific skills.
Nees was as convinced as his predecessors that nothing could take the place of personal contact with the mission field to adequately understand his assignment. His 1981 journeys took him to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Europe, and Africa. Eight days of this last trip were spent in Nigeria, where a promising opening for the church was being explored.
In 1982, Nees visited 21 fields, including a trip to mainland China in October. (The story of this attempt to reach the former Nazarene field in North China is told in Part Two of the printed volume under "China.") In 1983, 20 fields were visited, and in 1984, 12 more. His last trip was to Cyprus for the dedication of the new training center there.
As the 75th anniversary of the denomination in 1983 approached, the idea was conceived of increasing the number of world mission fields to 75 by the anniversary year 1983-84. This would necessitate opening five new fields. The plan had dramatic appeal and interest was high as the five targeted areas were announced: the Azores (in the mid-Atlantic), Botswana (in the heart of southern Africa), Kenya (in east central Africa), Suriname (on the northeast coast of South America), and Burma (in southern Asia).
Preliminary contacts to some degree had been made with each of these countries, which gave some assurance of success, but more intensive exploratory work remained to be done. It was well into 1984 before work had begun in all five, and some were not officially organized until even later. (See Part Two of the printed volume for the detailed stories of how each of these fields was developed.)
Prospective fields continued to open. Significantly, there were two in the Middle East -- and Cyprus. Two different groups in Egypt had expressed interest in aligning themselves with the Church of the Nazarene, and both consisted of several churches. By the end of 1985, negotiations were still pending but showed great promise.
When the California group Investments Eternal was given options by Nees concerning another missionary project, they chose Cyprus. The church needed some neutral place to establish a ministerial training center for the Middle East, and this nearby island offered an excellent base. The building purchased provided a missionary home with adequate basement space for an education center. This was not planned to be an organized church, though that was a possibility. Rev and Mrs. Jamil Qandah, graduates of European Nazarene Bible College, were placed in charge.
An interesting comparison of the missionary statistics since 1908 (the official founding year of the denomination) appeared in the minutes of the General Board for February 1983, the 75th anniversary year. The figures for each 25-year span were given as follows:
| Year | Countries | Missionaries |
| 1908 | 6 | 19 |
| 1933 | 16 | 85 |
| 1958 | 34 | 329 |
| 1983 | 69 | 553 |
By 1985, these figures had climbed to 74 and 620 respectively, still one short of the anniversary goal of 75 countries although not all the new fields had been officially organized. (world areas where the denomination is present in ministry)
As Nees's term of service drew to a close (officially at the General Board meeting in February 1986), there was no slackening of vision or perspective. Goals for decadal growth were proposed as follows:
With such projections, the membership in world mission areas, which already constituted 30 percent of the denomination's total, could well be in the majority by the turn of the 21st century. At present rates of growth, this is not an unrealistic expectation. Later note: Two decades into the 21st century, two-thirds of Nazarene members live outside the U.S.A./Canada region.
The 1980-85 quinquennium had indeed been an active one on the World Mission scene. Work had been established in 13 new areas. There were now 3,106 organized churches with a total membership of 247,244. This represented a 45.5 percent increase for the five years.
Elected to fill the office of director of the World Mission Division upon Nees' retirement was Robert H. Scott, most recently superintendent of the Southern California District, where he had served since 1975. Earlier, he had pastored churches in Santa Ana, Sacramento, and Fresno, all in California. For over seven years, he had been a member of the Department of World Mission of the General Board and, for three years, had been its chairperson. He assumed office on March 1, 1986.
1Proceedings of the General Board, 1976, 17.
2Proceedings of the General Board, 1977, 133.
3World Mission, July 1980, 3.
4Journal of the 20th General Assembly, Church of the Nazarene, 1980, 515.
5World Mission, R. Franklin Cook, ed., March 1986, 1.
6Journal of the 20th General Assembly, 11-12.
7Ibid., 237-38.
8Interview with David Hayse.
9World Mission, January 1986, 10.
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