District Superintendent’s Report
“What Matters Most”
Distinguished guests – Dr. Stan Toler (#39), Dr. Loren Gresham (President, Southern Nazarene
University), Dr. Harold Graves, Jr. (President, Nazarene Bible College), delegates and friends gathered
for the 61st Annual Assembly, it is with a deep sense of gratitude that I present my fourth report of God’s
work in and through North Arkansas Nazarenes. True to His promises, He has been our constant
companion, gracious guide, and source of strength. To God be the glory; great things He has done!
I am very thankful for the district leaders who share my hopeful vision of our desired future that is
characterized by healthy, holiness congregations where Christlike disciples are being shaped. These
include Jim Sanders (Assistant to the DS), Ken Stallings (District Secretary), Susan Baker (District
Treasurer), Tim Kellerman (SDMI Chairman), Jim Lynch (NMI President), Peter Kline (NYI President),
and the District Advisory Board – Elders: Tim Bullington, Mark Snodgrass, Steve Thrasher, Larry
Woodward; Laymen: Curtis Clements, Bill Milburn, Dale Webster, Scott Woodward. Throughout the
year, these men and women have gone beyond the call of duty and served with distinction in their
respective roles.
Despite complications from knee replacement surgery that have literally taken the pep out of Debbie’s
step, she manages the district office with efficiency, provides TLC for her aging father, and handles
countless details for me. If multi-tasking were an Olympic sport, Debbie would be a gold medalist. She’s
as beautiful and important to me as she was when we tied the knot 40 years ago. We’ve lived most of our
lives at the corner of Happy and Healthy (to borrow from the Walgreen’s advertisement). This year,
however, we spent a lot of time stumbling through savannas of suffering. Our pain has been both physical
and emotional. Thanks so much for the prayers offered on our behalf during this transition to a new
normal.
(Have pastors and spouses stand) One of the essential tasks of a leader is to identify, to develop, and to
motivate transformational leadership in others. For that reason, I pour my life into these pastors and they
do the same for their church members. That’s what Paul had in mind when he described the pastor-teacher
role in terms of “equipping his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until
we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the
whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). That’s a tall order! And yet, in response
to a summons from God, our dedicated pastors have embraced a vocation that clear thinking individuals
would not take up on their own. Despite long hours and modest financial rewards, they joyfully serve the
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local church and bite their tongue when an uninformed layman says, “You’ve got a great job, working only
one day a week!” Seriously, they work long and hard. Even on vacation, they find it difficult, as Walt
Whitman put it, “to invite the soul to loaf.” These heroes deserve our enthusiastic applause and full
support in fulfilling the church’s mission. “Full support” goes beyond faithful church attendance; it
includes a significant investment of time and energy, the employment of your spiritual gifts, generous
giving toward the mission, and intercessory prayer. Every Moses needs an Aaron and a Hur – prayer
partners who will hold up their hands so that they can prevail against the enemy. I intend to pray more
earnestly and more specifically for our ministry team this year by focusing on their particular requests.
Throughout the day, each pastor will be asked to articulate their most pressing needs. Please write their
concerns in the “Notes” section of each church’s page in the delegate handbook and join me in lifting them
up before our Father throughout the year.
One more word about pastoral support. I recently read that the minimum financial obligation for having
a full-time pastoral position filled by an elder in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist
Church is over $70,000, including salary and benefits, to say nothing of housing (Bishop, William
Willimon). Almost all of our pastors are paid considerably less. Lay leaders, please do your best to
adequately compensate your pastor so that he or she can focus on ministry without worrying about keeping
the proverbial wolf away from the door.
Every pastor has submitted an annual report, but not all of them will report verbally in this Assembly.
With that in mind, I would encourage everyone to read each church’s statistical summary. Numbers don’t
tell the whole story about the church, but they are fairly reliable indicators of spiritual vitality. You only
count what’s important and whatever you count becomes important.
You’ll recall that I have likened God’s work among us to an ongoing narrative, a movie with no ending.
And yet, we need to study a still picture to evaluate the health of our district from time to time. Here’s the
2012-2013 “family snapshot”:
Average Weekly Sunday School/Discipleship Attendance
Sunday School/Discipleship Enrollment (Responsibility List)
Average Weekly Corporate Worship Attendance
Church Membership
New Nazarenes
Conversions
Baptisms
Total Raised for All Purposes
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3,411 (-73)
8,008 (+24)
4,039 (-47)
6,099 (-158)
254 (-2)
318 (-24)
175 (+7)
$7,314,378 (-$82,766)
Considered alone, these statistics are not cause for alarm. However, they are representative of a gradual
decline that began over a decade ago. More on this later.
Once again, I found it difficult to select a “Church of the Year” Eagle Award winner. The list of
contenders included the usual “suspects” (Bentonville, Greenbrier, Liberty, and Rogers First) and two
others (Fort Smith First, Pickens Chapel). Each of these churches had noteworthy accomplishments in the
major categories by which we measure growth, but the winner is...Rogers First Church (Alan Johnson,
pastor). They reported 28 conversions, 16 baptisms, 24 new Nazarenes, double-digit increases in worship
attendance (+10) and Sunday School/Discipleship attendance (+14), plus a healthy increase in total church
income (+65,158). It is worth noting that Rogers First has taken in 91 new Nazarenes during the last three
years. I am pleased to present the Eagle Award for outstanding leadership to Pastor Alan Johnson.
During it’s Centennial Year, our Pickens Chapel Church earned the General Superintendents Growth
Award – an honor reserved for those that excel in adding new Nazarenes, meet all giving goals, and make
a significant investment in new church sponsorship. Pickens Chapel is 100 years old and still going
strong! Congratulations to Pastor Paul Hazelton and his congregation.
In an era characterized by an increasing number of non-denominational and independent congregations,
North Arkansas Nazarenes demonstrated the “better together” spirit with strong support for our
connectional interests via our Funding the Mission investments. Here are the latest figures:
World Evangelism Fund
Pensions and Benefits Fund
SNU Educational Fund
District Unified Fund
Amount Given
Percentage Given
$390,659
$146,518
$138,131
$362,781
5.87%
2.20%
2.04%
5.37%
Funding the Mission contributions are based upon the church’s income in the current year. Since the
amount raised by a local church is a moving target, it becomes more difficult to determine who has reached
the proposed giving goals: WEF – 5.5%; P&B – 2.25%; SNU – 2.25%; District – 5.75%. According to
our latest report, the following 32 churches have met or exceeded these goals: Batesville, Beech Grove,
Bentonville, Bridgeway Community, Cabot Russell Chapel, Clinton, Conway First, Conway Harvest,
Farmington, Fayetteville First, Fort Smith First, Greenbrier, Heber Springs, Hickory Plains, Jonesboro
Forest Home, Liberty, Maple Shade, McCrory, Mountain Home Twin Lakes, Newport, Paragould First,
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Paragould Woodland Hills, Pickens Chapel, Pleasant Hill, Rogers First, Rogers Primera, Russellville,
Sherwood, Siloam Springs, Springdale First, Springdale Primera, Vilonia. Some who thought they had
made this list came up short because of miscalculations. Church treasurers, I strongly urge you to use the
Funding the Mission calculator to monitor your investments and avoid mistakes. On behalf of all our
credentialed ministers, I want to thank Dr. Gresham and his colleagues for accepting a .25% reduction in
the educational budget formula so that more funds could be directed toward our pension plan.
Speaking of Southern Nazarene University...would you join me as an ambassador for our school?
Currently, there are only 16 SNU students from the North Arkansas District. We should send at least twice
that many. SNU’s mission is “to transform lives through higher education in Christ-centered community”,
and that’s exactly what they do. We can safely entrust our young people to Southern Nazarene University
with the assurance that they will receive excellent academic training in a soul-nurturing environment. Now
that SNU belongs to the Great American Conference, their athletic teams are competing with five Arkansas
universities – a development that could enhance student recruitment across the district. Pastors and youth
leaders, these games are great opportunities to introduce your students to our university. Visit snu.edu for
more information about academic offerings, scholarships, campus tours, athletics, etc.
As the newest member of Nazarene Bible College’s Board of Trustees, I have been extremely impressed
by its on-campus and on-line programs designed to educate students for Christian service in a diverse
world. It’s a special treat to have Dr. Harold and Cheryl Graves in this Assembly; they are the best of
friends. Adults who are sensing God’s call into vocational ministry should chat with them today about
NBC’s academic offerings and their student-friendly delivery systems. This year, 20 of our churches gave
$3,215 in the Annual Offering; let’s strive for 100% participation.
During last year’s Assembly, we launched the 24/7 campaign to raise funds for NARK newstarts. The idea
is simple: pray without ceasing for new “centers of holy fire” and give $7 per month for 24 months.
Several of you signed on and $14,911 was contributed to this worthy cause throughout the year. It’s not
too late to join the 24/7 team. In fact, now may be the very best time to participate. Why? Because a
member of the district family will match every dollar given up to $25,000. Each of you should have
received a 24/7 commitment card as you entered the sanctuary this morning. Please pray about a financial
gift, register it on the card, and return it to the platform any time today. I am hopeful that we can reach
the $25,000 mark before the day’s end.
Three years ago, for reasons unknown to me, God gave me a burden for cowboys and a vision to plant a
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church among those who identify with the western culture. It was as real to me as Paul’s summons from
the man in Macedonia: “Come over and help us!” That vision is fast becoming a reality – thanks to an
Advisory Board that moved forward with faith and Pastor Ron Riddle who enthusiastically embraced this
huge task while continuing to serve the Jacksonville Church. (Video and interview with Pastor Ron Riddle,
pastor of CrossRoads Cowboy Church).
I have a confession to make. Last October, I became a sexagenarian. That’s right...believe it or not, I
celebrated my 60th birthday – a major milestone that prompted me to start thinking soberly about what to
do with the rest of my life. My bucket list includes planting 20 new churches, writing a family history
book, taking an Alaskan cruise, and shooting my age in golf. It would be inaccurate to call this a mid-life
crisis, since most Berkner men only live into their mid 70s. Besides, I have not purchased a red
convertible nor become obsessed with regaining the buff body of my youth! However, I have been
pondering some vital questions: What will be the focus of the last 10 years of my vocational life? How
can I make a difference in the world beyond my current role? How will I invest my time, energy, and
financial resources? What matters most?
Just as the Great Revolution was getting underway in Russia, a rabbi on his way to the synagogue was
stopped at gunpoint by a soldier. With his rifle pointed directly at the rabbi, the soldier said in a gruff
voice, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” The rabbi replied with a question of his own: “How
much do they pay you for doing this job?” The soldier replied, “Twenty kopecks.” Then the rabbi said,
“I will pay you twenty-five kopecks if every day you stop me right here and ask me those two questions.”
The rabbi understood the value of regularly reflecting on our identity and purpose. If we fail to engage
with the deeper questions that emerge from our depths, we will just keep on mindlessly passing the time,
working day after day, paying our bills, buying more stuff, numbing life’s pain with distractions and trivial
pursuits. People long for something more, something deeper, and more fulfilling. It’s what Jesus called
the abundant life – life lived to its fullest by being rightly related to God, others, the earth, and one’s self.
We all know people who have died long before their last breath. Not me. I want to live until I die. Thus,
my reflections on what matters most.
All of us would be wise to think on these things because we only have one chance at life and one day we
will all stand before God to be judged according to our deeds in this life. My guess is that we are not
going to reach the end of our journey only to discover that it really was all about the hokey pokey!
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In his book entitled What Matters Most, Hyrum Smith prescribes a path toward living your values that
includes knowing who you are, understanding the “life overload” pressures that prevent us from examining
what matters most, identifying the things we most value (via the “Someday I’m going to...” statements),
writing a personal mission statement, and charting a course of action. It’s a “must read” for those who are
serious about living a more considered life. He refers to Groundhog Day, the 1993 film starring Bill
Murray as a self-centered TV weatherman named Phil Conners who is given the demeaning assignment
of going to Punxsutawney, PA to produce a news story on Groundhog Day. In the movie, Conners arrives
a day early, stays at the local hotel, covers the story the next morning, does various things throughout the
day before going to bed. You know the story. When he wakes up the second morning, he finds himself
reliving the previous day. It takes him a little while to realize that he is having exactly the same
experiences he had the day before. Caught in some kind of time warp, he keeps going to bed each night,
wakes up to the same Sonny and Cher song (“I Got You Babe”) on the clock radio, hears the same weather
forecast, talks with the same people in the hotel lobby, and interacts with the camera crew and others at
the groundhog ceremony. He ultimately ends up reliving this day many times with full knowledge of what
he had done the day before.
At first he finds this experience fascinating and tries to see what he can get away with – stealing and doing
outrageous acts and stunts. But after a few days he comes to the realization that he might have to relive
this same day over again forever, and the soberness of that possibility sets in. He steals things and
damages property, hoping to get arrested and put in jail to break the pattern. He even tries to commit
suicide. Nothing works. He simply wakes once again to the same song, the same weather forecast, the
same routine.
After a while he concludes that since he seems to be doomed to live this day over and over forever, he
should at least try to make it a worthwhile day. As the story unfolds, Phil Conners goes from being an
arrogant, ugly personality to someone who cares about other people and discovers the power of service
in his life. He becomes a totally different human being by the end of the movie.
This classic movie is so instructive. As fun as it is to fantasize about do-overs, we don’t get them in real
life. But every morning when the alarm goes off, we have a totally new opportunity to do what we want
with the hours granted to us. The issue then becomes: What am I going to do with the rest of my life? Will
I focus on what matters most or will I simply follow along with the masses in doing the same-old, sameold?
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The aforementioned book sheds some light on the path into this new decade of my life; however, like so
many other self-help authors, Smith focuses on what matters most to me (a route that often leads to
narcissism) and fails to address a far more important question: What matters most to God? While Christ
followers may determine our deepest passions by examining our “someday statements,” our purpose
derives from God’s Word. Remember the rabbi’s two questions: Who are you and what are you doing
here? The Bible answers both questions for the believer. Our Master and the New Testament writers
describe us as chosen people, gifted members of Christ’s body, fruit-bearing branches, witnesses, living
sacrifices, Christ’s ambassadors, aliens and strangers in the world, the reflection of God’s glory, the aroma
of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing, royal priests, ministers of
reconciliation, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and fishers of men – all images with implications
about God’s purpose for our lives. And lest we somehow missed the message, Jesus, in some of His
parting words, declared, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Last words are never trivial. Apparently, what matters most to God are lost and broken people. Therefore,
His last command must be our first concern.
Ever the great delegator, Jesus chooses not to save the world by himself. He enlists our cooperation in the
evangelism and disciple-making enterprise. That’s plan A, and there is no plan B. God is determined to
have a people in motion helping Him retake what is His. We are told to go and make disciples, but we
often just sit and make excuses. Never once did Jesus say, “Settle down with me. You’ve had a rough
time so just settle among these good country folks with whom you are most comfortable. Buy land, build
a sanctuary, hunker down, organize yourselves, enjoy being a spiritual club.” No, the risen Christ
commands, “Get out of here...go...make disciples, baptize, teach everything I’ve commanded. And by the
way, don’t limit yourselves to Jerusalem and Judea. Go to everybody regardless of their skin color, their
citizenship, their tattoos, their preferred mode of transportation – SUV, car, bike, or horse. Go to those
with dark hair, blonde hair, dreadlocks and mohawks, mo’ hair and no hair.
A few years ago, Nazarenes adopted three core values and declared that we are a Christian people, we are
a holiness people, and we are a missional people. They received broad acceptance. So, how are we doing
at living out those values?
I visited the General Secretary’s website for the statistical report of the global church and discovered some
good news – particularly for those outside the United States. It may surprise you to learn that our
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worldwide membership totaled 2,150,883 at the end of 2012 – a decadal increase of more than 46%! The
Africa Region alone accounted for almost half of that growth. During that same period (2002-2012), we
added 32,616 new Nazarenes – almost 20,000 of them by profession of faith. The total number of
churches increased by 12,407 (78%). Average weekly worship attendance grew by 42% to 1,439,261.
Average weekly Sunday School/Discipleship attendance increased 44% to 1,094,975. Our longstanding
commitment to sowing seeds around the world has resulted in a bountiful harvest of souls. That’s the good
news.
It is disconcerting, however, that the North American church has plateaued and even started to decline in
some areas. Since numbers can be numbing, I will spare you some of the details concerning the entire
USA/Canada Region and focus on the North Arkansas District.
The Decade in Review
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
SS
3685
3502
3477
3076
3075
3076
3699
4022
3512
3411
AM
4522
4696
4521
4168
4220
4160
4045
4054
4086
4039
Memb.
6125
6306
6317
6371
6318
6335
6260
6306
6189
6099
New Naz.
286
252
306
236
215
222
174
140
190
254
My purpose here is to define reality and to make a point – not to place blame, induce guilt, or dampen your
spirit. Here’s the point: if we had focused on what matters most and consistently lived out our values, the
statistics would be far more encouraging. Admittedly, there are some contributing factors that are well
beyond our control – societal attitudes about organized religion (evidenced by the rising number of the
so-called “Nones” – those who declare no religious affiliation), demographic shifts, business and base
closings, etc. However, I am convinced that the primary reason for the statistical slump is that, in many
places, we have forgotten what matters most and neglected our primary mission – making Christlike
disciples.
Are we a Christian people? Sure. Are we a holiness people? Absolutely. Are we a missional people?
Yes and no. While we have given mental assent to the Great Commission, it seldom drives our agenda.
Too often, we have been guilty of majoring on minor issues and obsessing over what church members
want instead of focusing on what lost and broken people need. Just listen in to our conversations:
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“Of course, we want to reach lost people...
...but don’t ask us to sing contemporary choruses.”
...but don’t expect us to give up those front parking spaces or back seats to the visitors.”
...but don’t ask us to remove that dark paneling or change that shag carpet.”
...but don’t waste money on a church web site.”
...but don’t insist that we befriend the unchurched.”
...but don’t press us to share a building with another ethnic group or actually worship with them.”
...but don’t look for me to show up for that Saturday service project in our community.”
When challenged about His own missional mind set toward those outside of faith, Jesus responded: “Who
needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what the Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not
religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders’” (Matthew 9:12-13, The Message). Insiders,
it’s not all about us; it’s about them. What matters most is doing all we can to partner with Jesus in
reaching outsiders.
Friends, decline is not our fate. I have faith to believe that we can and will start to grow again if we are
willing to take an honest look at ourselves and, by God’s grace, adapt ourselves to the mission of Christ
in fresh, new ways. Pastors, be spiritual leaders who refuse to settle for status quo. Don’t allow your
church to become a place where it’s the bland leading the bland. Break out of the old, familiar patterns.
Be willing to let go of what has worked well to find a way that works even better. Seek God’s direction.
Love outsiders. Adopt or adapt the “The Master’s Plan.” Love outsiders. Take bold steps of faith. Love
outsiders. Establish multiple venues and worship times. Love outsiders. Target various unchurched
people groups. Love outsiders. Employ the latest in technology. And did I mention love outsiders?
Progress requires passionate leaders (clergy and laity) who are willing to risk disapproval and even
rejection in the interest of moving forward in the mission of Christ.
Just as individuals need to periodically ponder what matters most, so does the local church. So here’s my
plea for pastors and church boards: Devote an entire board meeting to exploring your church’s mission,
core values, priorities, and plans to act on them. Ask the following questions: Who are we? Why are we
here? What is our mission? Does our mission statement reflect what matters to God, as revealed in
Scripture? What are our core values? Do our core values match those of the denomination (Christian,
holiness, missional)? Are we living our priorities? If not, why not? Are there current programs /activities
that distract us from what matters most? Are we doing things right or are we doing the right things? What
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are the felt needs of those in our community? Have we heard their concerns? How can we partner with
God in meeting those needs? Keep in mind that it’s not the content of a church’s mission statement but
the degree to which it consistently lives it that distinguishes a growing congregation from others.
Warning: this process could be painful at first. However, individuals and churches that start living their
priorities soon discover the sheer joy of the abundant life. Most importantly, the lost will be saved and
broken people will be made whole. There’s something extremely satisfying in the knowledge that you are
indeed doing something that affects the eternal destiny of souls. My godly mother was fond of quoting
the familiar adage: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Just recently,
I discovered the entire poem written by C.T. Studd – an English missionary. With his words, I conclude
my report:
Two little lines I heard one day, traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, and from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, and stand before His judgment seat;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice, gently pleads for a better choice;
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, and to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years, each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep, in joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true whate’er the strife, pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn, and from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ‘twas worth it all”;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Respectfully submitted,
D. Randy Berkner
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