Redefining districts: Fulfilling a new model for administrative boundaries in the Church of the Nazarene

Fishbowl

In this article, we explore the unlikely beginnings of many districts in the Church of the Nazarene and their odd placement in light of urban centers. Our analysis focuses on the USA/Canada Region and USA–Mexico border, with some suggestions for further study on a global scale. Dean Blevins, General Editor for Didache: Faithful Teaching, says our article “serves a needed contribution to the nature of polity within the denomination, and many of the implicit assumptions that may spill over to global decision making. While ecclesiology has long served as a topic of theological investigation in this journal, the actual organizational assumptions that influence a lot of leadership decisions often remains overlooked. Hopefully Lillie and Perabeau’s recommendations open the door for a fresh consideration of the organizational dynamics that often underlie more lofty views of the church.”