General Superintendent James H. Diehl reports rising morale, an optimistic spirit, and great unity in the Nazarene work he recently visited in the Eurasia Region. Beginning his two-year jurisdiction for the Eurasia Region, Diehl was encouraged about the future of the church, especially in the obvious work of the Holy Spirit and the number of young people who are becoming leaders in these areas.
Serving as one of the keynote speakers at the Eurasia Regional Conference in Antalya, Turkey, Dr. Diehl expressed enthusiasm about the attendance of 510 representatives from 33 countries, including 80 from the CIS countries. At the close of one of the services, all those present between the ages of 20 and 40 were called to the front for Dr. Diehl to pray the blessings of God over this generation of Nazarenes. “What an amazing sight,” says Dr. Diehl, “when over 300 of the 510 came forward.” The church is young in Eurasia, and their faith, exuberance, and obedience was a highlight of this conference.
During this conference, new ministers were ordained. About one-half of the delegates present had never seen a Nazarene ordination service. Dr. Diehl called it an extreme privilege to ordain the first two Nazarene ministers from Nepal, the first ever Nazarene Iraqi minister from Baghdad, and two from Lebanon.
The Eurasia Region reports a 34 percent gain this year in membership, for the first time going over the 100,000 mark in membership. They organized 331 new churches this year for a total of 2,200 new congregations started in the last four years.
A tour through Slovenia, Kosovo, Spain, Italy, the Azores, and Portugal to visit Nazarene work, to preach in services, and to conduct district assemblies confirmed a rising generation of young adult leaders. In Kosovo, Diehl preached to a group of bright, receptive adults new to the faith who stayed afterwards to ask many questions. “I have seldom preached to a crowd more intent on hearing every single word. It’s the closest that I have felt in years and years to what I would imagine a New Testament church was like.”
In Spain, where the 25th anniversary of the Church of the Nazarene work there was celebrated, youth, again forming over half of the congregation, were called forward with the older ones surrounding the younger generation for a time of prayer. A repeat scene occurred in the Azores.
“With these enthusiastic, faith-filled young adults leading the way,” says Diehl, “the church is on the march throughout the Eurasia Region.”
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