Centennial Corner: Jan/Feb 05

The importance of a centenary year is to view it as a benchmark for the future. It reminds new Nazarenes who have no background or interest in Pilot Point, 1908, or the various mergers, that this tradition has deep roots which serve as a foundation for the future. In a time when so much of the culture is shallow, people are looking for religious traditions that have stood the test of time and evolved through generations. So, in a sense, we are handed the baton in a tradition with which we are entrusted and we pass that on to others. The importance of the centennial is not so much in looking at the past 100 years but in preparing for the next 100 years, looking at 2008 and beyond. Where are we headed, what is likely to occur in the future, and how does our message resonate? One distinctive thing about the Church of the Nazarene, unlike many other religious traditions, is that it is message-driven. Our past, present, and future will be determined by the way we communicate this. Now is a time to revisit our core values, and particularly the message of the Church of the Nazarene. This message was the reason for the unions that occurred in the 20th century and for the vitality that has guided the denomination since. Making an attempt to clarify and contemporize it is our key challenge for the centenary year. Tom G. Nees is director of USA/Canada/Mission Evangelism Holiness Today. January/February 2005

 

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