Moline Community Church of the Nazarene in Illinois, USA, celebrated a significant growth milestone recently. The church, once considered to be on the decline, welcomed in 115 new members during a special service on 14 June 2026.
The influx of new members to the church comes from two Parent-Affiliated Congregations (PACs) made up of African refugees who re-settled in the Moline area.
Led by pastor Laura Mata-Bolandi, Moline Community Church of the Nazarene began opening its doors in 2017 to small groups or congregations for the immigrant communities in the Quad Cities area, which sits on the border of Iowa and Illinois. Mata-Bolandi was inspired by a trip to serve at Greater Iowa City Church of the Nazarene and its compassionate ministry arm, IC Compassion.
“The thing that got my attention was that they have this open-door policy to their church,” Mata-Bolandi said. “I thought we could do the same.”
She brought the idea back to her church, which at the time was declining in numbers and serving an increasingly elderly congregation. She told the church it was one of the best ways to reach new people.
The church responded in agreement and opened its doors to host local groups. A few congregations and small groups came and went, until Daudet Kasongo and Alexis Muhosa arrived. Kasongo needed space for his fast-growing group. This time, Mata-Bolandi wanted to try a different approach.
“I was going to invite them in, not only to our building but into our family, the Nazarene family,” Mata-Bolandi said. “My goal from the beginning was to love them and help them.”
It has been three years since Mata Bolandi and Moline Community extended that invitation.
Daudet Kasongo and his wife Tabisele Tabith lead the congregation of Rehoboth African Church of the Nazarene, primarily made up of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pastor Alexis Muhoza and his wife, Judith Mutirabura, leads Adonai Evangelical Church of the Nazarene, made up of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi. Both Kasongo and Muhoza are working towards ordination and have done everything they can to help their congregations become part of the Church of the Nazarene. That culminated in membership classes and the celebration for 115 new members at Moline Community.
Mata-Bolandi says that walking through any of the small challenges that arose — like live translation for combined services — have been worth it. Now, Moline Community Church of the Nazarene is thriving in a way it hasn’t before.
In 2019, the church reported 31 members and an average of 19 people for in-person worship. In 2026, those numbers grew to 130 members and an average of 120 people for in-person worship.
“The Lord is moving,” Mata-Bolandi said. “We’re a connected church, globally.”
She emphasized that more than 1 million of the members in the Church of the Nazarene are on the Africa Region and that large numbers of Africa refugees are living in communities across the United States.
Mata-Bolandi believes the Lord has placed those refugee communities on her heart and in the hearts of those at Moline Community Church of the Nazarene. And she hopes the Lord will continue to speak to churches around the USA/Canada Region to open their doors to the refugee communities around them.
“I witness their worship every Sunday,” Mata-Bolandi said. “I know how on fire the African church is for the Lord. And I say, ‘What is stopping America from including them and letting that fire burn here?’ Let them help bring revival to our churches.”