About the Shelburne Grace Church of the Nazarene in Canada

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About Us

Introducing the Church of the Nazarene

The Church of the Nazarene celebrated its 100 anniversary
on October 5, 2008!!

he Shelburne Grace Church is one of forty-two congregations in Ontario that are part of the International Church of the Nazarene. We are currently a congregation in transition. Having worshipped for over 35 years at 116 Owen Sound Street in what was the original Post Office, the building was sold in July 1999. Our congregation has worhipped at Dufferin Oaks and the Grace Tipling Hall since that time. Beginning July 1, 2007 we will be have the opportunity to serve out of a permanent rented facility at The Ministry Centre, located at 736 Steeles Street, Unit # 3. Our Sunday morning service is at 10:00 a.m. We are looking to build our own ministry facility in the future on our property located at 651 Owen Sound Street.

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he International Church of the Nazarene was organized October 8, 1908, in Pilot Point, Texas. The church's International Center is located in Kansas City Missouri.

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he Nazarene International Centre provides support services to more than 1.4 million members worshipping in more than 12,700 churches in the United States, Canada, and 135 other world areas. Services include maintaining ministerial credentials and church records, coordinating the support and sending of missionaries, developing Sunday School and discipleship curriculum, providing retirement support programs for pastors, encouraging the starting of new churches, developing satellite, Internet, and radio programs for outreach and education to all parts of the globe, and much more.

A People of Hope

he theme of the denomination for the next four years is "Holiness ... The Message of Hope." This theme expresses the pressing desire of the denomination to share the good news that Jesus Christ is the source of hope for our lives.

Education

azarenes support 11 liberal arts institutions in the United States, Canada, and Africa, as well as 2 graduate seminaries and 41 undergraduate Bible/theological colleges worldwide. The church operates 2 hospitals, 63 medical clinics, 2 nurses training colleges, 1 junior college, and more than 430 primary and secondary schools, serving 69,000 children, outside the United States and Canada.

World Outreach

azarenes are passionate about making a difference in the world. This means taking the good news of Jesus Christ around the globe. We currently have 788 missionaries and volunteers serving in 151 areas around the world. As of April 10, 2007, the Church of the Nazarene through the JESUS film ministry made contact with more than 43.3 million people; 17.5 percent (7.6 million) viewers accepted Christ; and 31 percent of the new converts were involved in follow-up (discipleship). As a result of the JESUS film ministry, more than 11,300 mission churches have been started and more than 14,200 new pastors are in training. The missionary enterprise of the Church of the Nazarene is made possible by the contributions of the global Nazarene family through free will offerings. Nazarenes are also engaged in starting new churches and in making their communities better places in which to live. The Church of the Nazarene produced literature in 67 languages and dialects in 2006. World Mission Broadcast ministers via radio, television, and Internet with 83 programs in 77 countries in 30 languages and dialects. Coordinated through 6 regional communication centers, radio continues to be the most widely used medium of World Mission Broadcast to “Reach the Unreached” through a total of 1,397 broadcasts.

Theology

he Church of the Nazarene is the largest denomination in the Wesleyan-Armenian theological tradition. The doctrine that distinguishes the Church of the Nazarene and other Wesleyan denominations from most other Christian denominations is that of entire sanctification. Nazarenes believe that God calls Christians to a life of holy living that is marked by an act of God, cleansing the heart from original sin and filling the individual with love for God and humankind. This experience is marked by entire consecration of the believer to do God's will and is followed by a life of seeking to serve God through service to others. Like salvation, entire sanctification is an act of God's grace, not of works. Our pursuant service to God is an act of love whereby we show our appreciation for the grace that has been extended to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Government

he government of the Church of the Nazarene is a combination of episcopacy and congregationalism. Six elected representatives serve on the Board of General Superintendents. This board is charged with the responsibility of administering the worldwide work of the Church of the Nazarene. They also serve as the interpreters of the denomination's book of polity, the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene.

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he General Assembly of the church serves as the supreme doctrine-formulating, lawmaking, and elective authority of the Church of the Nazarene, subject to the provisions of the church constitution. Comprised of elected representatives from all of the denomination's regular districts, the General Assembly meets quadrennially.

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esides the responsibilities listed above, the General Assembly elects the members of the Board of General Superintendents. It also considers legislative proposals from the church's 425 districts. Topics under consideration may range from the method of calling a pastor to bioethics.

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he General Assembly also elects representatives to the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene. The General Board carries out the corporate business of the denomination.

A Tradition of Service

azarenes are a compassionate people. We believe in serving others! This is expressed locally through the services of members to their communities. Contributions from Nazarenes make possible the administration of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries in the U.S. and around the world. This ministry provides assistance to persons in communities hard hit by disaster or famine. In recent years, Nazarenes have been instrumental in assisting hurting people in every part of the globe. From war and famine relief in Rwanda and Zaire, to health care training in India, to serving orphaned children in Guatemala, to rebuilding homes and churches in the Ohio River Valley-Nazarenes are there through more than 170 full-time compassionate ministry centres and various other special projects.

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he worldwide network of Nazarene churches makes it possible for the denomination to serve as a conduit of assistance to hurting nations. Nazarenes provide money for food, medical supplies, clothing, and other items to persons in a number of countries where there are pressing needs. In addition, the denomination's missionary infrastructure is often used by World Relief and similar agencies when they need assistance in getting supplies to people of countries in remote or troubled areas.

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azarenes also offer their time and services on volunteer Work and Witness teams and Youth In Mission teams to build churches, schools, clinics, and to reach others for Christ.

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he denomination is now involved in reaching out to persons around the globe through the power of technology. Satellite, Internet, and radio broadcasts in 35 languages are produced regularly to educate people about the gospel of Jesus Christ and to inform constituents and interested parties about people, programs, news, and events of interest in the life of the church.

Quick Facts About the Church of the Nazarene

Current Membership Worldwide: 1,837,393
Number of organized churches: 16,209
Number of districts: 433
Ordained elders: 15, 149
NMI (Nazarene Missions International) membership: 961,278
NYI (Nazarene Youth International) membership: 415,041
Total giving for all purposes: $946,777,409

All figures based on 2008 statistics