Muzee had attended Main de l'Éternel (Hand of the Lord) Church of the Nazarene off and on for about a year because the pastor, Mike Kalenga, had ministered to his wife.

John was about 12 years old when his parents, Simon and Serah, asked missionary David Potter to dedicate him to the Lord along with several other children. The Church of the Nazarene had been meeting under a tarp in their yard for a year. During that time the children gathered for Sunday school and were taught by Serah and others.

"We always said we were stopping with three kids," Judy Engel explains. "Then, we added 57 more from 23 different countries."

Judy and Phil, both long time members of South Lake Church of the Nazarene in Merrillville, Indiana, started hosting international students in their home in 1997. At the beginning, they worked through a six-week exchange program with the Lions' Club. Their first hosted student was a young lady from France, and they loved the cultural enrichment that came from having her in their home.

Discipleship is necessary to maintain a biblically, theologically, educated laity in the Church of the Nazarene. The term “laity” implies something overlooked in our language: all Christians comprise the laos or the people of God.

Nobody has to teach us to preference ourselves and our desires. We come into this world with self clearly in first place. Children on the playground illustrate this phenomenon well. Original sin speaks to the sinful human condition. William Greathouse, former general superintendent, scholar, and theologian in the Church of the Nazarene, explained this condition by comparing it to a disease.¹

Daily we are a barraged with advertisements from institutions of higher education encouraging one to get an MBA, become a nurse practitioner, or work on an online doctorate. In this contemporary milieu of convenient and low-priced practical biblical education, we must consider whether there is a need for formal graduate school theological education in a seminary.

What do you do for a living? I am project manager for a power and energy company. We provide electrical power for South Africa.

How long have you served on the General Board? This is my first term. I was elected in 2013 for a four-year term.

What does Agnes do for a living? Agnes is self-employed as a tailor.

How are you involved at Seshego Church of the Nazarene? I am the local Nazarene Missions International (NMI) president.

Q: Are Christians, especially Nazarenes, as likely to divorce as non-Christians?

A: Married Christians are not immune to divorce. They face many of the same cultural influences, stresses, and temptations that everyone else faces. The grace of God, the fellowship and support of other believers, and the ministry of the church help them maintain and strengthen their marriage relationships. However, lack of commitment from either marriage partner may result in a variety of problems including adultery and divorce.

The biblical story of Noah and the ark fascinates our imaginations. It basically revolves around a God-fearing family who lived in the middle of an evil society and eventually became a beacon of salvation in their troubled times. It is for this reason that I claim to be friends with a modern-day Noah and his wife.

I don’t want much at my demise: a pine box, family and friends gathered at a church, some hymns, some scripture, and a service of Holy Communion. Tell a story or two about me, if you must. But mostly talk about the One who saved, filled, and called me. And when the service is over, follow me to the cemetery, committing my spirit to God as you commit my body to the grave.

Oh, and just one more thing: bury me with my feet pointing east.