When NTS established the Center for Pastoral Leadership (now Praxis) in 2014, our first director, Dr. Jesse Middendorf, General Superintendent Emeritus, sought to honor the early Church of the Nazarene’s vision: to be a church for all people. He wanted students and pastors to experience diverse cultural expressions and ensure that clergy from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds felt supported.
To achieve this, Dr. Middendorf invited multicultural clergy leaders to serve on the center’s advisory committee. Their insights shaped its direction and encouraged Asian, African American, and Hispanic students to consider NTS. In 2016, he launched the Center for Black Leadership. Though it was short-lived, it played a key role in raising awareness about the need to serve the African American community. That work continued in 2022 with the launch of our graduate and doctoral programs in Black Leadership and Ministry. Under the leadership of Dr. Charles Thurman, a key figure in this effort, our programs continue to grow and welcome new students.
Rev. Irene Lewis-Wimbley, a Black ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and a Praxis advisory committee member from Pekin, Illinois, is pursuing a doctorate at NTS (though taking this semester off). Reflecting on her experience, she shared: “I want to thank NTS for offering the Doctor of Ministry in Black Leadership and Ministry. My courses introduced me to Black scholars from the Wesleyan-holiness tradition who have enriched my life and ministry. I now have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Black contribution to Christian faith, which is vital to my ministry context.”
The growing diversity of our student body has profoundly shaped our seminary. Today, 27 percent of our students come from multicultural backgrounds, with African American students making up 21 percent of that group.
This diversity is impacting our seminary community in meaningful ways. Students often say that learning alongside peers from different ethnic, cultural, generational, and ministerial contexts enriches their education. It prepares them for a wide range of ministry settings and deepens their understanding of God’s mission to reach all people. As a result, the future of the church is stronger than ever.
Dr. Charles Thurman, Director of Black Church Studies, discusses Black preaching with a group of students. Dr. Thurman helped establish NTS’s graduate and doctoral programs in Black Leadership and Ministry, which continues to grow and welcome new students.
