World Mission Literature: Making Disciples in a Needy World

The concept of holiness literature as a form of art had never occurred to me until the day I walked across Goree Island with a young Senegalese man named Daniel. I had been attempting to share my dreams for literature ministry in Africa when Daniel began telling of the change literature had made in his life. He said literature was like art. It wove together language, culture, worldview, and message into one package.The mission of World Mission Literature (WML) is to ensure that every local church has access to holiness literature in a language the people can understand. Literature provides the framework for making disciples, even in parts of the world where literacy rates are low. WML is the place where pastors, missionaries, and teachers come for resources.

Words are important whether spoken or written. The Church of the Nazarene must choose its words carefully for sound doctrine and teaching. The literature of the church helps mold the next generation of disciples, teachers, theologians, and pastors. WML works closely with the church around the world to create a strong foundation for a denomination that is expanding rapidly.

To remain a global denomination, the Church of the Nazarene needs a "common language" or "common frame of reference" that defines who we are and what we believe.

That "common language" then needs to be expressed in the 223 languages in which we worship every week. That is the responsibility of WML—one of the most diverse global entities within the general church organization.

Disciples and church leaders are not developed in a microwave, but in a slow cooker. No other ministry matches the way people develop in their spiritual walk as does literature. Who will make sure that words have meaning within culture? What does that person look like? It is a face that is as diverse as the world we live in. That person looks like Salatiel in South Africa, Santosh in India, Marcello in Argentina, or Ilde in Manila. The list goes on and on, names and faces too numerous to mention.

Perhaps the best way to tell the story is to let you look into Charlotte's life. Charlotte was a university graduate who faithfully adhered to a non-Christian religion in West Africa. Because she was fluent in both French and English, Charlotte was hired to translate Sunday School material. One day, Charlotte came into the office of the coordinator with questions about the material she was translating. Something was stirring in her heart. She asked the coordinator to explain the material and to tell her more about this man Jesus. She explained to the coordinator that she had dreamed of a man like this when she was young. Now she had found him while translating Nazarene Sunday School lessons. That day Charlotte gave her life to Christ. World Mission Literature is not just about words on a page. . . it is about making disciples of Jesus Christ in a world full of need.

Steve Doerr is the administrative director of World Mission Literature.

Holiness Today, March/April 2006

Please note: This article was originally published in 2006. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.