Will Faithful Nazarenes Survive The Fight Against the Pro-Homosexuals Led By Thomas Oord?

How did this come to be, that many pastors in the church are now openly proclaiming that homosexuality is good and biblical?

If there was any doubt whether Thomas Oord had any serious intentions to undermine the Church of the Nazarene and normalize homosexuality in the denomination, there should be no doubt now. A new book titled “Why The Church of the Nazarene Should Be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming” makes it pretty obvious what has been his agenda for over 20 years, along with his loyal cohorts amongst other Nazarene clergy who have been hiding the same intentions, but are now “coming out.”

Consider this new turn of events in the Thomas Oord saga, and the implications for the future of the Church of the Nazarene. Oord is the heretical former Northwest Nazarene University professor who somehow still retains his ordination credentials, despite overwhelming evidence that he has blatantly violated Nazarene standards, and more importantly, biblical standards over and over again.

Because of bad decisions (or lack of decision-making) by Nazarene leadership up to the highest level, a reckoning is coming to the denomination much quicker than many had thought. It is the question of homosexuality and whether the church will bless such a state, and also whether there will be a split in the denomination, similar to the United Methodists. To think these questions would even be up for discussion is an astounding indictment on the denomination whose theme has been “Holiness Unto the Lord.”

Here, Thomas Oord is proudly wearing a picture of the cover of the new book that he and his daughter have edited. The book is a compilation of 73 essays written by mostly Nazarenes or former Nazarenes. It is a who’s who of heretics in the church. How did this come to be, that many pastors and elders in the church are now openly proclaiming that homosexuality is good and biblical? And why have others not lost their credentials? Why has Oord not lost his credentials? And yet, some pastors who were exposing false teachings a decade ago were summarily fired or forced to resign.

About 10 years ago, Thomas Oord was promoting his open theism and other false teachings during his tenure at Northwest Nazarene University. He welcomed universalists to speak to students freely and unchallenged, leading many astray. And yet, nothing he did or say was of ever any serious consequence to the church leaders, so he was allowed to spread his heresies year after year. Perhaps they hoped he would quietly go away, and that he would not step over a certain line.

Leaders are realizing now that this narcissistic man has no line that he won’t cross. Why should he fear anything now? Last year, he was brought up on charges by several brave pastors who recognized that his anti-biblical teachings were harming the church and wanted to hold him accountable. In spite of all the evidence which came directly from his own words, the district leaders failed to revoke this man’s ordination credentials.

Pro-LGBT Theology Faculty at Nothwest Nazarene University

It is noteworthy to point out that there are several professors in the theology department at Oord’s former university, Northwest Nazarene, who seem to be in favor of homosexuality being normalized in the denomination.  I posted about this recently, with a great deal of evidence researched by Sean Killackey, a recent graduate of NNU.

Are there Pro-LGBT Faculty Teaching Ministry Students at Northwest Nazarene University?

Holland Nazarene District Blesses Same Sex Unions, With District Leaders’ Approval

We also have the problem of the Holland Nazarene District, which has been in open rebellion against the denomination and the Bible.  The District has been blessing same sex unions for some time now, and the General Superintendents know about it, and have done nothing about it. How many Nazarenes are still unaware of this terrible situation in Holland? See this article from 2017 for an update:

Sodom And Gomorrah, And The Church of the Nazarene in Holland: Is There Any Difference?

So now, the “chickens have come home to roost.”  Thomas Oord is now the symbolic leader of a movement to destroy and re-invent the Nazarene denomination as it is. He has emboldened a large number of Nazarene pastors as well as laypeople who are in favor of normalizing homosexuality as an approved act of God. It has been amazing to see the number of Nazarenes who are now, in public, proclaiming their support of the LGBTQ movement, promoting same-sex marriage, and insisting that homosexuality is blessed of God.

To accentuate his heretical crusade, Oord is hosting a two-evening conference on May 26 and May 27, also titled the same as his book:

Speakers scheduled at this conference: Jonathan J. Foster, Erin Moorman,  Laurie Braaten, Matt Rundio, Sana Robert Hicks, Keegan Osinski, Patti L. Dikes, K. Steve McCormick, Bruce Balcom, James Travis Young, Sam Powell, Libby Tender Hugus, Michael Joseph Brennan, Craig Keen, Eric Severson, Kristi J. Attwood Seaton

I am familiar with some of these names. Laurie Braaten is a former professor at Eastern Nazarene College. Keegan Osinski is a radical promoter of LGBTQ agenda and same sex marriage. Some of these people are or were ordained elders in the Church of the Nazarene. All of these scheduled speakers are contributors to the new Oord book.

Impact on General Assembly

The influence of Oord and his minions most likely has inspired some districts to submit proposals that will further weaken the church statement on Human Sexuality. By emboldening these people so much with his public pronouncements, there could be an all-out war at the assembly, waged by various proposals that will insert LGBTQ/homosexual-favorable language into the official Nazarene doctrine.

The pro-homosexual side will either win, or the biblical side will win. There cannot be two winners in this debate. It will be interesting to see what will happen when either side loses the battle. (Any compromise similar to what eventually ripped apart the United Methodist Church is a losing move by the Nazarene church).

In the meantime, ask your own pastor, “where do you stand on the issue of homosexuality? Is it a sin, or not? Are you in favor of same sex marriage?” The answer may tell you a lot about your pastor that you did not know, or it will confirm that he is a solid Bible-believing pastor. I think a lot of members will be surprised at the answer they get. And please persist in asking for a clear answer if you need to.

An article titled “Letter of Accusation Against a False Teacher” was written on May 1, 2023 By Pastor Jared Henry, an ordained elder in the Nazarene denomination. The full letter with all the details of the accusations, and the evidence of Oord’s false teaching, can be found at Pastor Jared’s blog. Below is an excerpt of that post. Pastor Jared should be commended for calling Oord out publicly, and more pastors are needed who will not stay silent. Sadly, there are Nazarene pastors who are now vilifying him for speaking the truth.

Letter of Accusation Against a False Teacher

By Pastor Jared Henry

In October of 2021, ten ordained elders in the Church of the Nazarene followed the steps outlined in our denominational Manual of polity to file a formal letter of accusation against Tom Oord. In this article, you will be able to read the letter of accusation we sent to his District (the Intermountain District of the Church of the Nazarene) as well as Oord’s response to these accusations. The intended outcome of such a letter is discipline and, in this case, the removal of Oord’s credentials.

After a few months, I was contacted in March of 2022 and told that, through the process, it was found that “neither the accusations, nor evidence met the criteria for probable grounds for charges moving forward” so the District Advisory Board of the Intermountain district had no plans at that time to move forward on the issue. Oord’s credentials were not removed. No action was taken at that time; even after listening to Oord’s own words in his response shared below.

Oord’s response provided ample evidence of his views on various subjects that put him outside of the Church of the Nazarene’s faith and practice. In fact, he does not deny he wants to change the Church’s stance on human sexuality from our historic and biblical stance. Since the events of late 2021 and early 2022, Oord has put out two recent books. The first one is a claim that God is not all powerful (against omnipotence) and the second is a book he edited to promote his agenda of pushing for the Church of the Nazarene to be more LGBTQIA+ affirming. More evidence is readily available for Oord to lose his credentials in the Church of the Nazarene. But how much evidence do we really need to do the right thing in this situation?

The Board of General Superintendents recently put out a ruling that clarified that, among other things, the statement on human sexuality was an essential statement. Their ruling verbatim was: “The Articles of Faith, the Covenant of Christian Character, and the Covenant of Christian Conduct, are essential statements of the doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene, as well as those portions of the Manual pertaining to what we believe and how we live in light of those beliefs.”

It is important to be aware that the real problem at hand does not specifically have anything to do with Tom Oord. Most everyone within the Church of the Nazarene perceives his theology and agenda problematic, if not anti-Nazarene. But there will always be people like Oord who seek to undermine orthodoxy and orthopraxy within the church universal. The history of the church, including the New Testament, makes us keenly aware that he is only one among a long line of false teachers. The troubling thing about all of this, and the real issue at hand, is the lack of ability from some leadership to deal with this problem: Oord maintains his status as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene. 

The questions keep coming to mind: Why does Oord still have his credentials? 

Turmoil, confusion, and division are the fruits of allowing one to remain who is not willing to hold to their elders’ vows. 

Why can’t this be handled? Fear of angry voices on social media? Nepotism? Legal lawsuits? Bureaucratic red tape?

Continued at Pastor Jared Henry’s blog:    Formal Accusation, and Thomas Oord’s Response

Also by Pastor Jared:

Some Cautions For the Church of the Nazarene: Part 1

Some Cautions For the Church of the Nazarene: Part 2

This is a book that is now available on Amazon, and is a biblical counteraction to Thomas Oord’s unbiblical book.

Pastor Jared and other Nazarene elders have contributed to this book.

by Matt Friedeman (Author), Dr. Janet Dean (Author), Rev. Kevin Compton (Author), Dr. Brian Powell (Author), Rev. Alexander Largo (Author), Rev. Corey Jones (Author), Rev. Dale Hoffpauir (Author), Dr. Matt Ayars (Author), Rev. Jared Henry (Author), Elijah Friedeman (Editor)

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Testimony Of A False Teacher In The Nazarene Denomination

Here is Thomas Oord’s “Testimony” from when he was a PhD Candidate.

Dr. Oord is a former professor of religion at NNU who is pushing for same-sex marriage in the Church of the Nazarene.
He was “investigated” sometime around january 2022 by District leaders, but nothing came of it, in spite of his many heresies and particularly his blatant support for homsoexuality and same-sex marriage. It is apparently very difficult to remove credentials from an ordained Nazarene elder in the Church of the Nazarene.

An Adventure in Christian Faith
Tom Oord Ph.D. Candidate in the Philosophy of Religion and Theology program at Claremont Graduate University. …

My journey to process thought has come by way of process theology. It is a journey energized by my faith adventure—an adventure that has mirrored some of the dominant theological movements of the 20th century.

When I attempt to ascertain what process thought means to me, I inevitably refer to my faith adventure. I grew up in a small, rural church that was a part of the American Holiness movement. It was in this setting that my first religious intuitions were fashioned. Like many who also grew up in this tradition, my initial theological conceptions revolved around moral codes and ethical standards. I remember as a second grader not participating in my class dance because it was “against my religion.”

Although Holiness theology need not evolve into Fundamentalism, I would characterize my teenage years as a period when I was a Fundamentalist. Some of these tendencies undoubtedly arose out of the lessons I was taught in Sunday school and some emerged in my bid to establish a solid basis upon which to argue against Mormon friends. I was passionate about my faith and an inerrant Bible was my double-edged sword for battle. Perhaps due to frustrations about failing to convert the Mormons, I went to college and chose to study psychology and social work.

My intent was to serve God by doing practical, compassionate ministry. It was in this field that I first read texts from liberation theologians such as Gustavo Gutierrez. From this exposure, I resolved to actively seek to address the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised. My desire to argue effectively for my faith did not die during those early college years. In fact, it increased. I felt compelled to trudge door to door sharing my faith in nearby neighborhoods. On weekends, I persuaded others to join me. We witnessed often in the streets and drinking establishments of a neighboring city.

Using “The Four Spiritual Laws” and beginning conversations with “If you were to die tonight…” I acted upon my feeling of obligation to preach the gospel “in season and out of season.” I found others who shared this obligation at a Campus Crusade for Christ group. I liked the group’s evangelistic passion and ecumenical posture.

Eventually, not having experienced the results I expected when sharing my faith and not agreeing with the tendency toward Calvinism I found in Campus Crusade, I turned to the Charismatic movement to find the power I seemed to lack. I appreciated how easily Charismatics identified the activity of God in their community and enjoyed the feeling of freedom I found in their worship. I actively sought to cultivate my spiritual gifts and found I was able to speak in tongues. Although I did not always agree that it was God alone who aroused these ecstatic demonstrations, it was refreshing to be in a community of Christians who were animated by their religious experiences.

The conversations I had with the variety of people I encountered while in the church, street, bar, or classroom led me to realize that issues of faith were more complex than I’d previously imagined. Through Bible study and in the years I spent studying New Testament Greek, I came to realize that Scripture could legitimately be interpreted to express different ideas.

My dogmatic tendencies, grounded in my belief that the Bible was inerrant, began to dissipate. I found myself moving toward espousing a more tolerant theology. After discovering how powerfully one’s experience shapes world-views, I found myself attracted to liberal theology in the form of Harry Emerson Fosdick. I liked the way Fosdick appealed to both the experience and rationality of his listeners. I also liked the way he could approach the Bible seriously—without slipping into inerrancy.

The biggest shock to my religious sensibilities, however, came in a philosophy of religion class my final year of college. Until then, I’d never really heard thoughtful argumentation by atheists, agnostics, and nonChristians. Finding myself pushed to decide which of my beliefs were essential and which were not, I turned to natural theology for help. Natural theology seemed a logical fit; after all, I had already spent much of my life trying to articulate my faith convincingly and had only recently been exposed to liberal theology.

By graduation, I’d become keenly aware that my faith adventure had taken me away from the Evangelical mainstream to which I belonged. The issues with which I struggled seemed of little or no consequence to my friends in the pews next to me. Feeling uneasy about this and also wanting a chance to get my hands dirty tackling everyday problems outside academia, I chose to postpone further formal education and became an associate pastor.

For four years I served a mid-size, conservative, Evangelical congregation. My experience there was similar to Karl Barth’s, since I too found a different set of issues in the parish than in the classroom. The optimism I’d discovered in Fosdick and liberalism did not fit here. Furthermore, the congregation was not wrestling with the problem of evil or hammering out arguments for the existence of God.

In my attempt to find intellectually sound solutions to the problems I found in the parish, I turned to the contemporary Catholic theologian Hans Küng. He offered helpful language with which to articulate responsible answers to these concrete questions. It was in this setting that I determined to set a course for my life by which I could receive training to help others asking similar faith questions. So, off to an Evangelical seminary I went.

My pastoral background proved helpful while in seminary by keeping me attuned to both practical and theoretical issues. Though my inclination was still toward classes in philosophy of religion, I continued to minister as an associate pastor in a young church. It was at the Masters level that I became thoroughly exposed to the ideas of those labeled “Neo-orthodox.” I read nearly all the influential texts, but Paul Tillich particularly impressed me. His attempts to correlate the gospel with the concerns of the culture, his creative use of symbols, the categories he used to explain human existence, and his systematic use of relevant philosophical categories were all inspiring. I especially appreciated his insistence that doubt can be an element of faith. However, it was the philosophy of being upon which his approach to theology was based that eventually led me to turn toward process thought.

I can still remember the excitement I felt when I first read John Cobb and David Griffin’s Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition. Although the technical language was difficult at the time, so many of the ideas I encountered seemed to fit. Many of the positions I had come to take with regard to theology I found in this book—and yet they offered more than I’d imagined.

Not long after, I read Daniel Day Williams’ The Spirit and the Forms of Love and my interest in process theology deepened. Here was a philosophical theology of love from which I could find so much help. Marjorie Suchocki’s God-ChristChurch was helpful as well. I found myself gobbling up all the process oriented books I could find and scouring their indices to discover other process resources.

In my final year of seminary I was introduced to Deconstruction through the writings of Jacques Derrida and Mark C. Taylor. I found Deconstruction wanting and my reading of Derrida only solidified my interest in process thought. The work of David Griffin was influential here as I probed deeper into the insights I had previously overlooked in Whitehead’s philosophy. Perhaps the most helpful aspect of my voyage into Deconstructive Postmodernism was to discover the speculative side of process thought.

Since my religious experiences have been so diverse, I have a great appreciation for Whitehead’s attempt to take all experience into account when developing a metaphysic. The process model allows me to acknowledge specific elements in each theological tradition as helpful and then appropriate them. For instance, I can hold fast to the erotic/passion I felt as a Fundamentalist without buying into an exclusivistic, narrow worldview. I can value the emphasis upon the Holy Spirit evident in the Charismatic movement without identifying all ecstatic manifestations as determined by God. I can treasure the Bible as the result of divine inspiration without asserting its inerrancy.

I can genuinely hope for the possibility of a better world in the future without succumbing to liberal, romantic optimism. Traditional notions of the omnipotence, omniscience, benevolence and omnipresence of God now make sense—though these attributes have been defined in new ways. And, of course, the black clouds that hung over my head with the words “problem of evil” etched on them have evaporated.

In sum, process thought has given me a framework out of which I can selectively appropriate my past without embracing those elements I find objectionable. In light of my adventure in faith, I am grateful for this.

Heretical Nazarene Elder Who Advocates For Same-Sex Marriage Allowed To Keep Credentials

From The Heart Of A Godly Pastor, R.B. Acheson

From October 10, 2010 until sometime just before he passed away on July 10, 2012, I got to know a man named R.B. Acheson. He had previously requested a dvd and other information from me regarding the problems in the Church of the Nazarene. He had also been a District Superintendent and had pastored the Westside Church of the Nazarene for 18 years. I truly believe that if the General Board of Superintendents was composed of men like R.B., there would be a lot of cleaning up done, and there would be hope for the Church of the Nazarene.

R.B. and his wife Dolly

I did not know him for very long, but I knew that R.B. Acheson was a man of God.  His character was such that he was not afraid of speaking complete truth about the Nazarene church and its problems.  He sent his thoughts to General Superintendents and other church leaders without concern of being slighted. He first sent a letter to me via postal service, and then we continued corresponding back and forth via email until he passed away.  During that time, I was honored to know him. I don’t use the words “man of God” lightly. 

I recall when I found out he was in a rehab clinic recuperating from some treatment, and I was able to call him and speak to him personally. It was a joy to talk to him, and to tell him how much I appreciated his encouragement, which meant so much to me. R.B. Acheson was already past 90 when I met him, but age never let the fire for God’s truth die out in him.

The only paper letter he wrote me is shown below, and it included a $100 offering to my ministry.  I am sure that was a lot of money for a retired Nazarene pastor to send to anyone. I was more grateful for his thoughtfulness and kindness, than the amount he sent. What gives me hope, besides the Lord Jesus Christ, are people like R.B. who put Christ first above everything and everybody. I like to think he has already had the opportunity in heaven to converse with two other godly men, my father Rev. Ilidio Silva, and my father-in-law Rev. Eudo Tavares de Almeida.

So below is what R.B. shared with me regarding some concerns he was addressing to then General Superintendent J.K. Warrick, sometime after receiving some of my documented information.  R.B. Acheson was a man of God who did not mince words. I am grateful for servants such as he. I have added a few other emails he sent to me.

Manny, I sent this note to Dr. [J.K.] Warrick today:

You are right, J.K., your note of December 22^nd did not give me peace nor calm my concerns about the heresy surfacing in my beloved church. Your statement “the church never required everyone to get in line and stay in line,” certainly doesn’t mean that we should be careless about trying to correct unscriptural practices.
If I read Manny Silva right, he is concerned about college professors and other Nazarene leaders who stray from the truths intrinsic to our Nazarene heritage, and the lack of our Generals taking a strong stand in public rebuke and rebuttal.

In a recent issue of Holiness Today, David Felter’s article on “One Holy Faith” addressed the subject in kid-glove fashion. He wrote: “Since Christendom is increasingly under attack by the forces of atheism and unbelief, it is important for the Church of the Nazarene to periodically review her story.” While there is certainly truth in his statement “that God is always at work fashioning and shaping a people for Himself,” it shouldn’t excuse those who would like to introduce strange practices into the church, calling them “truths that our church has lost along the way.”  Dr Felter states: “We resist trends and fads, knowing that passing fancies do little to enhance awareness of our connection to the story of God calling, fashioning and preserving His people… Some focus on making religion the equivalent of Play-Doh that can stretch, shape and make its content into a religion that fits…and can sever its connection as a branch from the true vine of the Body of Christ.” (However, I don’t consider the heresies that trouble me as mere fads and fancies).

Felter is right in his conclusion: “Any congregation or clergy that no longer affirms in faith and practice these confessions, stands rightly condemned and is presenting to the world a spurious expression of a religious community that has become disconnected from the Body of Christ. No amount of technology, altruistic service to humanity, or polished rhetoric can absolve such clergy or churches from the guilt of compromise.”

It would be difficult to squeeze some post-modern practices into the Nazarene Manual: watering down our belief in the inerrancy of Scripture, making the vagaries of science and evolution trump the inspiration of the Word of God, open theism, making excuses for those in our midst who “find spiritual help” in studying pre-Reformation Catholicism – and much more. I am glad, J.K., that you are talking privately to those who lead our youth astray, but the church needs to hear what you admonish in private. Gullible seekers after truth need their trusted leaders to show them the path of tried and true orthodoxy, and to know that our leaders are doing their best to stamp out error. Attacking the problem obliquely as Dr. Felter did is not enough. Someone in authority needs to take off the kid gloves and speak clearly and forthrightly.

This is also true when the life of the church is being throttled by a pastor who thinks more of himself than he does the church. (What Peter called “little tin gods.”) I was once a D.S. and am aware that his power is limited, but sometimes the District Pastor needs to talk to an aberrant pastor as the proverbial “Dutch uncle” would talk to his unwise and inexperienced nephew.

I wouldn’t class Manny Silva or Orville Jenkins as “reformed fundamentalists.” Having been liberated myself from Calvinism through the study of the Word of God, I know what reformed fundamentalism is, and to believe strongly in the fundamentals of our faith would not brand one as a Calvinist Fundamentalist.  I think I understand how Jude felt when he found “it was needful to write (and exhort) that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Pastor R.B. (P.S. I don’t have your email!)

An encouraging email R.B. sent to me in November of 2011:

Dear Manny,

     I am so grateful for what you are doing in this Laodicean age. Your ability to ferret out the lies and hypocrisies of the growing number of wolves in sheeps’ clothing, especially those that operate within the church structure, is so needed today. You are a modern day John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!.” You have done more to heighten my awareness of these things than any other person. I have loved being a member of the Church of the Nazarene for 75 years and the heretical ideas that are being propogated in some areas of the church break my heart. You are doing a much needed work – be encouraged – and we pray that God will give you strength to keep going for a long time to come. We pray that your efforts will help to cause the church to to turn back to God – a Holy Ghost revival is really what we need. But perhaps we are too close to the reign of Antichrist to expect this to happen – we may get the call to “come up higher” at any moment now.

       Your friend,   R. B. Acheson

An email from January of 2012:

Thanks, Manny, for your answers to Warrick’s note. He appears to be making excuses that don’t cover the facts. I don’t know what’s going on with the Generals, I think they are divided on these issues and don’t want the church to know it. I have known J. K. Warrick to be rather conservative and a straight shooter – I hope he isn’t being won over or muted by the liberals.

Do you get the new periodical Grace and Peace? There is an interview with Mark Quanstrom beginning on page 29 that you need to read. He wrote a book on holiness several years ago that I didn’t care for, and he admits to a Catholic bias in this interview. He has studied extensively under patristic scholars and states: “my immersion in Catholic theology formed me into a more confident proclaimer” of holiness.

I also noted on page 35, Elaine Heath recommended a book on The Gift of Contemplative Prayer by Richard Rohr.  Are you acquainted with that book?

I never had expected that the day would come when I would find it necessary to read our periodicals with such a critical eye! I am sure you are getting a lot of flack from many quarters, but you are certainly not alone. God has anointed you for such a time as this – I wish I could be at least 30 years younger.

     R.B.Acheson

An email from August, 2011:

Thank you, Manny, for the article on Horatius Bonar. He, and others like him, helped me develop my preaching ministry in the early years of pastoring. The letter from Meldora Rapp brought back memories of the old Pittsburgh District when I was the D.S. there. Jerome and Johnstown were churches on my district when we preached and lived and enjoyed old-time religion.

The May’June issue of Holines Today, page 24, the report of the Nazarene Publishing House: “Barefoot ministries continue in the focused direction of helping youth workers guide students into spiritual formation for the mssion of God. Barefoot is experiencing growth, reflected in increased sales….etc.”  Could you update me on Barefoot ministries. I checked your website but didn’t find anything.

I remember you writimg about them – are they doing better?

   Sure appreciate what you are doing,

            R.B.Acheson

More about R.B. Acheson:

Pastor R. B. Acheson: In praise of mentors!

Herald of Holiness editions with R.B.’s articles:
https://nnu.whdl.org/en/browse/resources?f[0]=author:2464

Wesleyan-Holiness Digital Library:

https://whdl.org/en/browse/authors/r-b-acheson-2464

General Superintendent’s Answer About Homosexuality Leaves More Questions – Once Again

When will the day come when a General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene will answer a question about homosexuality forthrightly, clearly, and unambiguously?

At the Southwest Indiana District Assembly this Summer, General Superintendent David Busic was asked the following question by Pastor Jared Henry, an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene:

“If an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene is advocating publicly for gay marriage or the practice of homosexuality, and the district fails to deal with that- in other words, they don’t take their credentials, what takes place after that…in other words, what recourse may be at that point?”

Dr. Busic begins answering at the :54 mark, in this video.

He finishes his answer some nine minutes later, and no one can reasonably conclude that he gave a straightforward, clear answer.  And yet, it appears to me that that the response he gave to a very specific question has resulted in continued confusion and uncertainty within the denomination, and perhaps will discourage or demoralize pastors who are working hard to uphold biblical standards regarding homosexuality. This should be very troubling to all Nazarenes who have been seeking answers about the direction the church is going regarding human sexuality, and its stance on homosexuality.

Dr. David Busic at SW Indiana District Assembly

A simple and clear answer to the question would have been something like “The Church of the Nazarene will not back one inch from its biblical stance on homosexuality. There is no excuse for any district to fail to uphold our biblical principles, and any pastor who continues advocating for anything that violates biblical principles ought to be required to surrender his credentials and is not fit to serve in the church in any leadership position.”

Instead, like a politician trying to walk a fine line and avoid offending anyone, Dr. Busic spent about nine minutes answering a very appropriate question from an ordained elder in the denomination who clearly is concerned about upholding biblical standards. It was a great opportunity to give clarity for members who are looking for the church leadership to step up in a time where clarity is needed so badly. The LGBT movement which is trying to normalize homosexuality within the denomination is a real danger, and General Superintendents need to be unambiguous when it comes to homosexuality.

Yet, it is not a surprise to me when I see this kind of response to serious questions.  In the past when I had communicated back and forth with several General Superintendents (the emails can be found on my blog), their responses had little substance, and they only spoke in general terms. They seem to not like giving direct answers to specific questions. One of them has promised several times since 12 years ago he would get back to me. I’m still waiting.

At around 1:20 in the video, Dr. Busic says that 2017 was one of the “most extraordinary moments in the Church of the Nazarene”… and that “97% voted on a clear position on human sexuality.”  He described the new Human Sexuality statement as “one of the most poetically and beautifully written statements.” He also stated that “this board [the current Board of General Superintendents] is 100% behind what that [2017] General Assembly did.”

And yet, that specific Human Sexuality document omitted the word “perversion” from the manual, in reference to homosexuality; and it was applauded by LGBT advocates such as Andy McGee and Love Wins LGBT, as well as the Holland Nazarene District, and the New England District also advocated for watering down the statement.

If you did not know, the Holland Nazarene District is basically in rebellion against the denomination, and is already blessing same sex unions. So for them to applaud the Human Sexuality statement is not an indicator of anything good.  And what makes it worse, the Board of General Superintendents knows of their rebellion, and even received additional evidence from me, with an email from a pastor admitting blessing same sex unions, and admitting that the Generals are aware. Read the article here.
What have the General Superintendents done about that? Absolutely nothing.  You may want to ask them the next time you run into them or speak with them. Why is the Holland District being allowed to pervert the word of God openly?

There were other concerns that came out of his response as well. When another question was asked about the Confucius Center at Northwest Nazarene University and why was it allowed to be there, Dr. Busic said:

 “I had not heard about it… but let me say this about all our universities in the USA. I believe 100%, every single one of our Presidents, including NBC and NTS, every one of them, are completely committed to our Nazarene identity.”

My question to Dr. Busic, who is a former President of the Nazarene Theological Seminary, would be: “Dr. Frank Thomas has been scheduled to speak at the seminary in September. Dr. Thomas is a pastor who advocates for Critical Race Theory ideas; it is documented that he is a racist; he is an open advocate of abortion, which goes against Nazarene doctrine; and he supports the LGBT movement. Dr. Busic, is it appropriate that NTS is allowing this man who is against so many biblical principles to speak, and would you do the same if you were still president?

Also, what does Dr. Busic think about a theologian (Dr. Willie James Jennings) who spoke at NTS this year? Would he have invited Jennings? Dr. Jennings is an open advocate for same sex marriage.  (https://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2022/02/25/nazarene-theological-seminary-welcomes-gay-marriage-promoter/

So either Dr. Busic is unaware of the many problems at the Nazarene universities and seminaries, or he feels that there is absolutely nothing wrong with allowing such advocates of unbiblical principles to speak at Nazarene colleges.  In any case, he is incorrect by stating “every single one of our presidents… are all committed to our Nazarene identity.” There is too much evidence to contradict that statement. And I’m afraid every single General Superintendent would have answered in a similar way.

There are other statements he made that will cause some concern regarding the issue of clarity in how things are addressed. If there was ever a time for full clarity in such areas, now is the time for clarity from those who are charged by the Nazarene manual to be the guardians of biblical truth in the denomination.

My heart goes out to all Nazarenes who are still active in the denomination. My heart goes out to pastors who are sincerely seeking answers and support from the leaders. I was a lifelong Nazarene; my father and father-in-law were true holiness preachers. There are far fewer now, and many of the pastors coming out of Dr. Busic’s former seminary are the very ones who are destroying the church, and yet the people are waiting for someone to step up.

I feel for those who are fighting for biblical truth to be upheld, but to me it seems like a losing battle. But when you have leadership at the highest levels speaking as politicians, rather than giving clear and strong answers that would provide clarity, all you get is a mess that leads into further apostasy.

(This article will be sent to the General Superintendents)

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Related articles:

A New General Superintendent: Cause For Celebration, Or Concern?

Nazarene Theological Seminary Welcomes Gay-Marriage Promoter

https://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2017/05/30/sodom-and-gomorrah-and-the-church-of-the-nazarene-in-holland-is-there-any-difference/

Nazarene Theological Seminary Welcomes Gay-Marriage Promoter