This woman handmade the Church of the Nazarene logo in Russian  by intricately piecing together paper.

James H. Diehl, jurisdictional general superintendent for the Eurasia Region, recently made his last tour of the region for district assemblies and ordination rallies. During his 16 years on the Board of General Superintendents, it is his second time to have jurisdiction for this region. This tour was notable as the first visit by any general superintendent to two countries and for the unusual outpouring of the Holy Spirit on altar services.

The Netherlands District assembly began with Dr. Diehl’s message followed by his Spirit-led decision to give an invitation for people to come forward to pray about situations in their lives that needed God’s intervening hand to prevail. Over 100 people crowded the altars, kneeling before God. “It turned into quite a prayer meeting,” said Dr. Diehl, “an excellent way to begin a district assembly.”

A 40-voice Haitian choir  sang at the ordination rally in the Paris, France, First Church of the  Nazarene.

District Superintendent Snijders reported that for the first time in its history, the Netherlands District membership went over the 2,000 mark in its 13 churches. His wife, Annemarie, an ordained elder, has planted a church now averaging over 50 in attendance, a remarkable accomplishment in a very secular-minded country. Dr. Diehl ordained one new elder and the first deacon ever on the Netherlands District.

An ordination rally was held at the Paris, France, First Church, which includes several ethnic congregations meeting in multiple services. The sanctuary was filled for the rally with over 250 enthusiastic people. Following music by a 40-voice Haitian choir, Dr. Diehl ordained two as elders in the Church of the Nazarene. 

Dr. Diehl was the first general superintendent to visit Nazarene work in Poland.

Dr. Diehl’s visit to Gdansk, Poland, marked the first time a general superintendent had attended the new Nazarene work there, begun by church planters David and Symona Berdowski. The coffee shop/church plant in Gdansk, beautifully remodeled, was filled with 25 people who came to the evening concert by a missions volunteer, an Olivet Nazarene University graduate. Field Director Philip McAlister, Regional Director Gustavo Crocker, and Dr. Diehl all spoke and answered questions. A question to each of them was, “Why do you go nonstop all over this part of the world?” They took the opportunity to allow God to work through their testimonies of commitment to the mission of God and received a very positive response in return. Dr. Diehl called it a privilege to have a time of prayer with these people who are finding God and learning about the Church of the Nazarene:  “God is planting wonderful spiritual seed in Gdansk and two other cities in Poland. I deeply rejoice!”

In Denmark, Dr. Diehl enjoyed dinner and a district assembly rally with the only organized Church of the Nazarene in this country. After his preaching, many people came to the altar to pray. The pastor reported that it was the first time ever for some to come forward and pray at the altar in the church.

During the 56th annual assembly of the British Isles South District, the retiring district superintendent, Clive Burrows, gave his final report, and a new superintendent, David Montgomery, was elected. Their traditional Friday evening gospel rally was filled to the last chair, and Dr. Diehl ordained four as elders in the Church of the Nazarene and recognized the credentials of one additional elder.

The British Isles North District gospel rally at the St. Matthews Church in Paisley, Scotland, was filled with more than 600 people. God gave them a blessed altar service with several people in the congregation finding Christ for the very first time and others being revived by the Spirit. At the closing rally, Dr. Diehl called all of the teenagers and young adults to come forward for a prayer of blessing upon them. Anticipating only 25 to 30 young people in attendance, he was amazed when over 100 filled the front of the church. They lined up halfway down each outside aisle in the large sanctuary, and the remainder of the congregation surrounded them with prayer. “It turned into a revival meeting,” said Dr. Diehl. “God wanted to give us a visible illustration that there are dozens of first-class young people on this district and that the future is bright in British Isles North!”

The praise team leading worship in the Nazarene Church in Gumri, Armenia.

Armenia was the second country of this tour where Dr. Diehl was privileged to be the first Nazarene general superintendent to visit. A “Day of Celebration” was held in Gumri, Armenia, where all six churches were represented by musical presentations and the building was filled to the back wall. The event climaxed with a service in which the first Armenian was ordained within the country of Armenia, with many visiting pastors present from other denominations.

Dr. Diehl with Rev. Vladimir Masyuk,  the leader of Nazarene work in Ukraine.

Visits to Ukraine, for a holiness summit in the Vinnitsa Nazarene rehabilitation center with a blessed anointing of the Holy Spirit, and to Russia, where the district reported a new church being planted in Belgorod, rounded out the tour. From the first visits by a general superintendent to new works in Poland and Armenia, to the mature districts of the Netherlands and British Isles South and North, to the challenges of faithful ministers in France, Denmark, Ukraine, and Russia, Dr. Diehl reported: “God is at work in every place. My heart goes out to these sacrificial, hard-working, faith-filled workers in the Kingdom. The bonds of friendship that have been made with hundreds of people across this region and warm memories will last a lifetime. There are miracles of God’s grace happening every single day across this vast Eurasia Region!”