Poverty, war, hunger, and countless other issues are causing devastation around the world, and Christians often wonder how to respond. This February, Trevecca Nazarene University wants to equip individuals to bring transformation to a broken world.

Trevecca's J.V. Morsch Center for Social Justice will partner with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries USA/Canada to host the Compassion and Justice Conference February 16 to 18. Conference leaders say the event will equip church leaders, pastors, and students with the tools necessary to practice compassionate ministry and social justice while also educating attendees about the work of the Church of the Nazarene worldwide.  

The conference mirrors Trevecca’s commitment to justice, which the university believes to be crucial to engaging with the world.

“The justice we are talking about is all about relationships,” said Tim Green, university chaplain and keynote speaker at the conference.  “[Relationships] with God, with other humans, and with God’s creation; If this is at the heart of the mission of God … then the church has no option but for social justice.”

Conference planners say the event will help attendees to make theological concepts more practical, exploring the connection between the Great Commission and the church’s call to social justice. Speakers include Tom Nees, founder of Leading to Serve, Inc.; Cosmos Mutowa, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries coordinator for the Africa Region; and Bob Broadbooks, director of the denomination's USA/Canada Region.

Jamie Casler, director of the J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice, said the concept for the conference originated during conversations between Casler and Jay Height, coordinator for Nazarene Compassionate Ministries on the USA/Canada Region.

“We began having conversations and said, ‘What if we do a conference together that really blended the compassionate ministry side of the church with the social justice side?’” Casler said. “At the end of the day, we’re doing the same kind of work.”

The conference is unique in that it primarily focuses on the work of the Church of the Nazarene, which has a history rooted in compassion.

“We were founded by Phineas Bresee, the pastor who wanted to minister to the poor and the needy,” Casler said. “A conference like this really reclaims the story of our heritage of meeting the needs of the least of these in our world.”

Registration for the conference will open at 6 p.m. February 16 with the opening session slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. The next day registration will continue followed by a morning session, workshops, and an afternoon session.

“I deeply desire that all of us in attendance will gain an even deeper appreciation that social justice is integral to the Gospel of Jesus,” Green said. “So that the admonition of the prophet Amos could become embodied in our lives: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

To learn more about the conference and pre-register, click here. 

--Trevecca Nazarene University