Resolution to Support Denominational Leadership

A number of districts and/or district advisory boards in the Church of the Nazarene across the United States have proposed resolutions, similar to the one below, concerning the funding of Nazarene Theological Seminary from the World Evangelism Fund. Some have been passed directly from the district's assembly or from the district's advisory board or a combination of both. Here is one such resolution that I proposed and was overwhelming passed by the Southwest Indiana Churches of the Nazarene along with the appendix of evidence.

This resolution serves to support leadership in addressing the missional drift suffered when any of our institutions, in this case Nazarene Theological Seminary, deems itself on a crusade to radically alter the spiritual and theological DNA of the denomination and depart from Scriptural Holiness. 

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Resolution to Support Denominational Leadership in Withholding WEF Funding from Institutions with Professors Who Affirm Same-sex Sexual Intimacy

WHEREAS, The Church of the Nazarene is committed to the authority of Scripture and the holiness tradition, upholding biblical teaching on human sexuality, which affirms that marriage is between one man and one woman and that sexual intimacy is reserved for that covenant relationship;

WHEREAS, The Church of the Nazarene's Manual clearly states that same-sex sexual intimacy is contrary to God’s design and affirms the call to holiness, which includes sexual purity;

WHEREAS, The Church of the Nazarene’s General Assembly, Board of General Superintendents, and Districts across the United States have consistently affirmed the biblical view of human sexuality within the Church of the Nazarene;

WHEREAS, Theological and biblical professors at Nazarene institutions are entrusted with the responsibility of forming and discipling students according to the church’s doctrinal convictions and biblical fidelity;

WHEREAS, The presence of professors who affirm same-sex sexual intimacy creates theological confusion and threatens the integrity of our institutions as centers of Wesleyan holiness training;

WHEREAS, Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) has consistently employed professors who are affirming of same-sex sexual intimacy;

WHEREAS, NTS received more than $1 million in 2024 from the World Evangelism Fund, meaning that tithe and offerings given sacrificially by Nazarene churches are supporting an institution that allows faculty to teach who affirm same-sex sexual intimacy;

WHEREAS, The World Evangelism Fund is a sacred resource intended to support the mission of making Christlike disciples in the nations and should not be used, directly or indirectly, to sustain professors or institutions that undermine the church’s core convictions;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Southwest Indiana District Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene supports and encourages the General Board and Board of General Superintendents in taking decisive action to ensure that no World Evangelism Fund resources are allocated to any Nazarene educational institution that knowingly retains theological or biblical professors who affirm same-sex sexual intimacy

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, That every church on the SW Indiana District is encouraged to continually support the Great Commission being fulfilled through the World Evangelism Fund

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the Board of General Superintendents and the General Board.

Appendix: Affirming professors who have recently taught at NTS.

• Michael Christensen – Dr. Michael Christensen, a visiting professor in the NTS Doctor of Ministry program, is teaching a course in the spring 2025 semester. Dr. Christensen has been public about his affirming stance since at least 2016. According to Dr. Christensen, he has "advocated for full inclusion of gay and lesbian sisters and brothers in the life of church since I was in college over 40 years ago." 

• Emmanuel Cleaver III – Cleaver was listed as a DMin faculty member on the NTS website as recently as December 2024. Cleaver serves on the Advisory Board of Mainstream UMC, a group that wanted to keep the UMC together and advocated for removing book of discipline restrictions on LGBTQ practice. He remains the pastor of a UMC church.

• Frank Thomas – Thomas was listed on the NTS website as a guest lecturer in the DMin program as recently as June 2024. Thomas has written posts in support of abortion and denounced the senators who opposed enshrining same-sex marriage in federal law. He shared a post from Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) that celebrated “open and affirming” churches “where everyone belongs just as they are.” The post included a graphic that said, “CTS LOVES TRANS KIDS” and was accompanied by the hashtags #pride, #translove, and #transvisibility.

• Eric Severson – Severson was an affiliate faculty member at NTS as recently as 2023 when he wrote a chapter in Thomas Oord’s book Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming. 

• K. Steve McCormick – McCormick retired from NTS in 2022 after teaching for 18 years. He was the chair of theology at the seminary. Less than a year after retiring, McCormick wrote a chapter in Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming. McCormick participated in a pro-LGBTQ conference where he confirmed his long-standing views in support of LGBTQ identity and practice. Despite his unbiblical views, McCormick remains the emeritus Greathouse Chair for Wesleyan-Holiness Theology at NTS. 

**Note: Dr K. Steve McCormick recently lost his credentials in the Church of the Nazarene but continues to be listed on Nazarene Theological Seminary's website as an emeritus professor.

Check out these articles as well:

Why I Love the Church of the Nazarene

Why I Can No Longer Support Nazarene Theological Seminary

Why I am Part of a Denomination

Reclaiming Christian Higher Education