What Nazarenes Believed in 1908

The year 1908 was momentous in world history. Events occurred that year that left an indelible imprint on the world. Here are just a few of those events:

• The first known international beauty contest is held in Folkestone, England.
• Devastating earthquake hits Messina, Italy, killing an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people.
• "Young Turk" revolution took place in Ottoman Empire.
• Bulgaria declares independence from Ottoman Empire.
• Bosnia-Herzegovnia annexed by Austro-Hungarian Empire.
• Crete votes for union with Greece (union is not fully effected until 1913).
• The "Tunguska Event" occurs"an apparent meteor explosion in Siberia.
• "SOS" became the standard international radio distress symbol.
• What is widely recognized as the first Mother's Day celebration takes place in Grafton, West Virginia.

For us, another event took place that year that might have been overlooked by the calendar makers and historians: the Church of the Nazarene was born in a small railhead town, Pilot Point, Texas.

The impact of that event could not have been imagined by those gathered there that day. Indeed, to them, the highlight of the day may not have even been the rhetoric associated with the legislative action. It may have been that glorious march around the old canvas tent as a band of joyous believers celebrated the union of several holiness groups to form the Church of the Nazarene.

After the dust had settled from the scuffling of feet marching around the tent through dusty Texas soil, they were challenged by the necessity to coalesce around more than the emotions of the moment. Their faith would be tested and their resolve hammered by every imaginable force the future could throw at them.

General Superintendent James H. Diehl asked the question, "What did those earliest Nazarenes believe way back there in 1908 when the Church of the Nazarene was being born?" Diehl researched old sermons, articles, and direct quotes from reliable sources that revealed the answer to his question.

• In 1908, the Church of the Nazarene believed in the doctrine of holiness. The founder, Phineas Bresee, speaking of holiness, called it "the northern star of perfect love."
• The church of 1908 believed in evangelism, defined as converting the lost and securing such believers in holiness of heart and life.
• The 1908 group believed in missions. They were preeminently a missionary church, recognizing no boundaries.
• In 1908, Nazarenes believed in compassion. They believed their mandate was to provide ministry and service to the poor, marginalized, and disenfranchised in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Nazarenes in 1908 believed in education. Theirs was a belief in the necessity of the academy to prepare all students for Christian service to the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
• Finally, those first Nazarenes were a Great Commission Church. The visionary task of their leaders lay before them, yet to be completed. Whether it was to the neglected peoples within the hidden corners of impoverished cities, or to unknown people groups a world away, the Great Commission challenged them to their very core.

Speaking to church leaders, Diehl asked, "Do we still believe these things?" The question may be posed to every Nazarene, everywhere.

Do you still believe these truths that form the very foundations of our Core Values?

We celebrate the fact that Holiness Today has been with us on this journey since 1912, first as the Herald of Holiness, sharing your stories, teaching denominational tenets, and lifting up Christ, who is the Savior of the world.

David J. Felter, editor in chief.

Holiness Today, November/December 2008

Please note: This article was originally published in 2008. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.