Enter a library anywhere in the world—from the ancient libraries of Alexandria and Nineveh to the modern Library of Congress—and what will you find? Resources. These vital resources are gathered with specific purpose: to educate, inform, ignite passion, and tell the stories of great people and societies. Speaking about the Church of the Nazarene, General Superintendent Emeritus Dr. John A. Knight often stated, “Holiness, mission, and education are the hallmarks of who we are.”

We live in an amazing age of data collection. My computer stores information about every word I type, every topic I research, and every purchase I make online. My cell phone records every call along with every text from every location in the world. All of this data forms my digital footprint.

The real Jesus must always be the central focus of our faith. While we all may affirm this with a resounding, “yes,” our actions and reactions may not reflect this in reality. The mission statement of the Church of the Nazarene is “To Make Christlike Disciples in the Nations.” It is Christ who defines who we are and how we respond in this world. We are called to become like the holy Son of God, and to participate in His mission. 

During my 22 years of pastoring a great church in a community with diverse needs, I have seen much. I have experienced great and exciting celebrations, and I have also experienced some difficult and challenging times.

Ministering to those who are battling a tough season of life is not easy.

One of the most important principles I have learned is to be sensitive and be a good listener to the parties involved.

Churches of the Nazarene tend to be larger when there are additional Churches of the Nazarene nearby. In all community sizes, churches with at least one other church within five miles targeting the same cultural group tend to be larger than churches without such near neighbors.

Recently, Holiness Today sat down with Gary Hartke, the newly elected General Secretary for the Church of the Nazarene. Hartke has served as the director of Nazarene Youth International (NYI) since 2000 and previously served as an associate pastor in churches in Ohio, Maine, and Illinois. Hartke will replace David Wilson as General Secretary in March of 2019.

HT: You have a long career in youth ministry, both in local churches and globally as director of NYI. How do you think this background will help inform your upcoming role as General Secretary?

During my first year of seminary, I was introduced to the love feast. Initially, I thought the combination of the words love and feast was my professor’s clever way of referring to the Lord’s Supper. Little did I know the love feast and holy communion, while both being communal feasts of the church, are two very distinct Christian meals. Although, not a sacrament, the love feast can be an effectual means of communicating God’s grace within the Christian community.

Over ten million tourists visited the city of Florence, Italy, in 2017, solidifying its status as one of the most popular travel destinations. Visitors covet tickets to the Galleria degli Uffizi to view works by Botticelli and Leonardo, the Galleria dell’Accademia to wonder at Michelangelo’s colossal David, and the various churches housing the works of Fra Angelico, Donatello and Masaccio. These tourists become students of Renaissance art and visit all times of the year making the Uffizi the most frequented museum in all of Italy.

I was in high school the first time I noticed an ashen cross on someone’s forehead. One evening, I had arranged to meet a friend, and I arrived at his house just as his family was returning from an Ash Wednesday service. After greeting one another, I noticed the dark smudge on his face. I wondered if I should say anything, but the mark seemed intentional. Curious, I gestured toward his forehead and asked, “What is that for?” He said something along the lines of, “Um . . . I dunno.”

Epiphany . . . January 6 . . . twelfth night . . . the wise men. Epiphany has special meaning when we think of this day in the church calendar as a time of special manifestation of the Christ, not only to the wise men, but also to us. A special symbol of that manifestation is the star: “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matt. 2:10).