NAZARENE MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL

FAST FACTS 2020

  • The Church of the Nazarene ministers in 163 world areas. In February, the 2020 General Board approved official entrance into the following world area: Africa Region—Central African Republic.*

  • In 2019, there were 586 missionaries originating from 67 world areas. Of these missionaries, 360 served as global deployed and 226 were sponsored deployed. Last year, 86 new missionaries were added. Within the missionary families, there are 312 missionary kids.*

  • Churches numbered 30,875 churches (0.53 percent increase) with 2.61 million members (increase of 1.45 percent from last year).*

  • 487 districts have been established around the world in 2019 with 29,723 clergy.*

  • 5 graduate seminaries/theological colleges, 13 liberal arts colleges/universities, 30 undergraduate seminaries/theological/Bible colleges, 2 nurses training colleges, 1 teacher training college, and 1,411 education centers (extension) had a 2019 combined enrollment of 51,342 students globally.*

  • People were treated at community-based clinics and health care centers all over the world with concentrated efforts in India, Papua New Guinea, and Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland).*

  • 196 retired missionaries received pensions.*

  • NMI membership was 1,062,516 (an increase of 2.27 percent), and the number of organized local NMIs have risen by 1.78 percent to 18,764.

  • JESUS Film Harvest Partners (JFHP) reports that World Evangelism Fund (WEF) helped provide infrastructure for 773 JFHP teams to share God’s love. In 2018–2019, the teams reported 3 million evangelistic contacts. Of these contacts, 685,338 indicated decisions for Christ with 409,585 initial discipleship follow-ups. The teams started 8,770 preaching points in 2019.

  • NMI and others partnered with local churches to help raise US $37.6 million through the World Evangelism Fund during the 2019 fiscal year (FY).*

  • Churches globally gave US $25.98 million for Approved Mission Specials.

  • In 2019, 85 districts gave 5.5 percent of their income and beyond to the World Evangelism Fund. WEF giving beyond 5.5 percent helps open new work, sustains works opened in recent years, and helps send new missionaries that God calls.[1]

  • Missionary Health Care provided US $429,257 in medical assistance for Nazarene missionaries.

  • Nazarenes gave US $325,628 to World Mission Broadcast (WMB), providing radio, television, and Internet programs to share the gospel globally.

  • Nazarenes gave US $3.85 million in deputation offerings for missionaries, up 2.81 percent from FY 2018.

  • NMI has more than 205 districts worldwide participating in Links, creating personalized connections between local churches, districts, and missionaries around the world. Each connection is vital in continuing to share about the impact of missions.

  • Nazarenes gave US $2.54 million for Alabaster (up 1.55 percent) to fund construction projects in 2019. The Alabaster Offering is used in all six global regions. No Alabaster funds are used for administrative costs.

  • International Student Scholarship Fund (NMI 80th Anniversary project) provided 66 scholarships for students outside the USA/Canada to attend Nazarene theological institutions.

  • NMI partnered with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to give more than US $3.98 million for disaster response and compassion projects around the world and to support 11,750 children through Child Development Centers and Pastor’s Kid programs.

  • NMI assisted Work & Witness in raising approximately US $1.2 million to deploy 429 teams, an average of 8.25 teams per week. 6,409 people participated in Work & Witness in 2019, donating the equivalent of 342 years of labor.

  • Nazarene churches around the world operated 1,379 pre-school, primary, and secondary schools with a total enrollment of 153,328 students.

*Supported either directly or indirectly by World Evangelism Fund (WEF).

Denominational statistics for 2019

www.nazarene.org/nmi

[1]   “New work” refers to new world areas, a geographical area, or new entities such as institutions. Pioneer areas or Phase 1 districts are considered new work. When a district reaches Phase 2, it is no longer a “new work.”