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Written by Kelvin Mulenga for Nazarene Journal
“Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.”
—Galatians 6:6
When we speak of discipleship, education, and lasting faith in the Church of the Nazarene, we are walking on paths laid by people like Rev. E. P. Ellyson—a man whose dedication still shapes how we worship, learn, and lead today.
He wasn’t loud.
He didn’t chase titles.
But he taught truth, built systems, and poured his life into making the church stronger—not just in structure, but in spirit.
What Can We Learn from a Man Like Ellyson?
He reminded us that true leadership begins with teaching not controlling.
He showed us that a calling to serve is not limited to the pulpit, but can live in curriculum, in classrooms, and in campgrounds.
He believed in the transforming power of discipleship, and his life’s work still speaks to every teacher, every pastor, every volunteer, and every soul willing to serve quietly and faithfully.
Did You Know?
- E. P. Ellyson was elected as the third General Superintendent in 1908—the same year his wife Emily was ordained as an elder.
- He chose service over spotlight, declining re-election in 1911 and again in 1915—even when elected in absentia.
- He helped birth the Department of Church Schools, serving as its first Executive Secretary.
- He and Emily helped write Sunday School curriculum—shaping generations through words on pages.
- His name still lives on in buildings at Point Loma Nazarene University and MidAmerica Nazarene University—reminders that he built more than buildings—he built people.
A Gentle Reminder to Today’s Servants
You don’t have to be famous to be faithful.
You don’t have to be loud to be lasting.
You don’t have to hold a microphone to teach the Gospel.
Ellyson’s life tells us that legacy is not built by noise, but by consistency—in prayer, in service, in the classroom, in the background.
To every teacher, leader, curriculum writer, and quiet servant of the Church:
Keep going.
Keep teaching.
Keep discipling.
God sees. And so do we.
We Remember, We Honor, We Learn
E. P. Ellyson may have walked among the earliest architects of the Church of the Nazarene, but the foundation he helped lay still holds us today.
To him we say:
We remember your faith.
We honor your service.
And we walk in the wisdom you left behind.
