It's Sunday morning in Paramaribo, Suriname, and a group of girls dressed in their prettiest attire have gathered to sing a song for the congregation at New Charlesburg Church of the Nazarene. A fresh-faced girl with braids begins to fervently sing the words, and four others follow her lead. The song ends, people clap, and the five smile as they walk back to their seats.

The history of the Church of the Nazarene has not been without its challenges. Storms of economic dislocation, global war, and political instability have all been weathered by the church. Internal squabbles that moved beyond mere differences of opinion severely stretched the missional and theological fabric of the church. Providentially, the fabric of the church remained secure, preventing a sundering that could have marginalized the denomination to the sidelines of missional effectiveness.