Grace & Peace Magazine has been shaped by the results of a major clergy survey held at the end of 2009. We heard you say several things, chiefly among these are the following:

  1. Numerical growth alone does not tell the full story of a congregation’s life or influence.
    Benchmarks like church health and community impact, among other things, also have to be considered in measuring a congregation’s effectiveness.

  2. Cultural trends and social transitions are affecting the church and redefining our notion of church.
    One minister, reflecting on ministry in a postmodern context, responded, “I’ve been a pastor for 25 years and my first 20 have not prepared me for what I have encountered in my last five.”

  3. Holiness is to be lived and embodied as an expression of Christlikeness rather than a doctrine
    to be debated. Holiness was rated as the number one topic of interest, but pastors shared that their primary interest is in how holiness is lived out in people and in churches.

  4. Clergy seek to learn from each other and subject matter experts inside and outside our denomination.
    Whether congregations are traditional, non-traditional, liturgical, missional, ethnic, or otherwise, pastors desire information and strategies that reflect excellence and bring about transformation in the lives of people and communities.

  5. Pastors and church leaders desire content that is practical, theological, and biblical.

After reading over 1,000 comments from our survey, the breadth of replies reflected a wide spectrum. Nazarene clergy can differ markedly in how they think about their work, understand their theological tradition, and relate to modernity and postmodernity. We represent a large and diverse denomination—a big tent.

In many ways, Nazarene clergy now are not unlike what we were at the beginning of our movement. We came from diverse roots, from various parts of the country—when sectionalism really meant something. Some Nazarenes were highly educated, some didn’t complete grade school. We differed on forms of church government, modes of baptism, views of holiness, and millennial theories related to the Second Coming. Interestingly, we weren’t afraid to talk about these differences, as some of our early literature will attest. We respected difference.

Yet, grace and peace characterized our union in holiness. We formed a broad coalition of mutual interests and rallied around this shared commitment. What makes holiness rich, relevant, and deep is a harmony of voices. This is what makes us vital as a movement across lines and cultures. The world isn’t one size fits all. We are open source, not homogeneous. We are about unity, not uniformity. Our holiness message is more than large enough to hold a big tent!

The magazine’s title, “Grace and Peace,” is meant to communicate at several levels, just as each of these words has multiple layers of meaning. We want to affirm your role as an ambassador of grace and peace in your church and community. Whether you serve in an urban, suburban, small town, or rural congregation, or another type of assignment, your work is of value to the Kingdom.

Besides being a resource for ministry, Grace & Peace Magazine is intended to remind us of those things that bind us together. We want and need your ideas on how our church can come together around our mission, message, and core values. I look forward to talking with you and hearing from you in the days ahead!

Grace and Peace,


Bryon K. McLaughlin
Grace & Peace Editor
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Grace and Peace Survey Information:

Survey Results (PDF)

Preferred Writers (PDF)

Comments from responders (PDF)