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THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE: CALLED TO THE NATIONS
A Story of Obedience to Christ’s Great Commission
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
— Matthew 28:19
A Journey Begins
It started with a call. One simple instruction from the mouth of Jesus—Go. The Church of the Nazarene heard this call and answered, not with hesitation, but with action. From city streets to remote villages, across oceans and over mountains, the journey began—not for fame, not for numbers, but for souls.
One Church, One Mission
From its early days, the Church of the Nazarene has moved forward with one heartbeat: to reach the world with the message of holiness and hope. What began as a small flame in the United States has since grown into a global wildfire of God’s love, reaching people in over 100 world areas.
Entering Nations, Touching Lives
Here are the first 100 nations where the Church of the Nazarene planted its flag—not for power, but for purpose:
1992 — Angola (Africa)
1992 — Bangladesh (Eurasia)
1992 — Cambodia (Asia-Pacific)
1992 — Ethiopia (Africa)
1992 — Romania (Eurasia)
1992 — Russia (Eurasia)
1992 — Solomon Islands (Asia-Pacific)
1992 — Ukraine (Eurasia)
1990 — Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa)
1990 — Ghana (Africa)
1990 — Liberia (Africa)
1990 — Rwanda (Africa)
1990 — Tanzania (Africa)
1989 — Thailand (Asia-Pacific)
1988 — French Guiana (Mesoamerica)
1988 — Senegal (Africa)
1988 — Uganda (Africa)
1987 — Côte d’Ivoire [Ivory Coast] (Africa)
1987 — Ireland (Eurasia)
1986 — Egypt (Eurasia)
1986 — Guadeloupe (Mesoamerica)
1985 — Cyprus (Eurasia)
1984 — Azores (Eurasia)
1984 — Botswana (Africa)
1984 — Kenya (Africa)
1984 — Myanmar (Asia-Pacific) — Entered when it was called Burma
1984 — Suriname (Mesoamerica)
1983 — Saint Kitts and Nevis (Mesoamerica)
1982 — Venezuela (South America)
1981 — Spain (Eurasia)
1980 — Paraguay (South America)
1978 — Switzerland (Eurasia)
1977 — France (Eurasia)
1977 — Grenada (Mesoamerica)
1977 — Nigeria (Africa)
1976 — Martinique (Mesoamerica)
1975 — Colombia (South America)
1975 — Saint Vincent (Mesoamerica)
1974 — Dominica (Mesoamerica)
1974 — Dominican Republic (Mesoamerica)
1974 — Hong Kong (Asia-Pacific)
1973 — Antigua (Mesoamerica)
1973 — Indonesia (Asia-Pacific)
1973 — Namibia (Africa)
1973 — Portugal (Eurasia)
1972 — Ecuador (South America)
1972 — Saint Lucia (Mesoamerica)
1971 — Guam (Asia-Pacific)
1971 — The Bahamas (Mesoamerica)
1970 — Bermuda (USA/Canada)
1970 — Honduras (Mesoamerica)
1967 — Netherlands (Eurasia)
1966 — Jamaica (Mesoamerica)
1964 — Costa Rica(Mesoamerica)
1964 — El Salvador (Mesoamerica)
1964 — Samoa (Asia-Pacific)
1963 — Zimbabwe (Africa) — Entered when it was called Southern Rhodesia
1962 — Chile (South America)
1961 — Zambia (Africa) — Entered when it was called Northern Rhodesia
1960 — Denmark (Eurasia)
1958 — American Samoa (Asia-Pacific)
1958 — Brazil (South America)
1958 — Germany (Eurasia) — Entered what was then called West Germany
1957 — Malawi (Africa) — Entered when it was called Nyasaland
1956 — Taiwan (Asia-Pacific)
1955 — Papua New Guinea (Asia-Pacific)
1953 — Panama (Mesoamerica)
1952 — New Zealand (Asia-Pacific)
1950 — Haiti (Mesoamerica)
1950 — Jordan (Eurasia)
1950 — Lebanon (Eurasia)
1949 — Uruguay (South America)
1948 — Italy (Eurasia)
1948 — Korea, South (Asia-Pacific)
1946 — Australia (Asia-Pacific)
1946 — Guyana (Mesoamerica) — Entered when it was called British Guiana
1946 — Philippines (Asia-Pacific)
1945 — Bolivia (South America)
1944 — Puerto Rico (Mesoamerica)
1944 — Virgin Islands (Mesoamerica)
1937 — Nicaragua (Mesoamerica)
1934 — Belize (Mesoamerica) — Entered when it was called British Honduras
1926 — Barbados (Mesoamerica)
1926 — Trinidad (Mesoamerica)
1922 — Mozambique (Africa) — Entered when it was called Portuguese East Africa
1921 — Israel (Eurasia) — Entered when it was called Palestine
1920 — Syria (Eurasia)
1919 — South Africa (Africa)
1914 — Peru (South America)
1910 — Eswatini (Africa) — Entered when it was called Swaziland
1909 — Argentina (South America)
1909 — United Kingdom (Eurasia)
1905 — Japan (Asia-Pacific)
1904 — Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
1903 — Mexico (Mesoamerica)
1902 — Canada (USA/Canada)
1902 — Cuba (Mesoamerica)
1901 — Cabo Verde (Africa) — Entered when it was called Cape Verde
1898 — India (Eurasia)
1887 — United States (USA/Canada)
A Testimony of Faithfulness
Over a century later, the call still echoes—Go and make disciples. What began in a few hearts has now touched millions of souls. Churches have been planted. Communities have been transformed. Lives have been saved.
The Church of the Nazarene is not just a denomination. It’s a movement. A response to the command of Christ. A story of courage, sacrifice, and surrender.
May the Flame Never Die
As we look at this long list of nations, we are reminded that this is only the beginning. The mission is not complete. The harvest is still plentiful. And by His grace, the Church will continue to go—until every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Praise be to God for the journey so far. And may His Word continue to go forth… never returning void.
Compiled by Howard Culbertson. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
