By Mary Owen
Last month, Silverton Church of the Nazarene celebrated three major anniversaries: the denomination’s 100th, the church’s 35th and the pastor’s 10th.
On Oct. 5, the Silverton church joined with 18,000 other Nazarene churches in 151 world areas to commemorate the founding of the Church of the Nazarene.
“Our congregation was excited to celebrate this anniversary with all of our Nazarene family around the world,” said the Rev. Dominic Carlow, pastor of the Silverton church. “At the same time, we want to emphasize that the family never stops growing and there is plenty of room for all.”
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., the Church of the Nazarene has its roots in Methodism, drawn from the teachings of English evangelist John Wesley (1703-1791). The denomination was established in October 1908 in Pilot Point, Texas, the culmination of mergers of several like-minded groups. The mission of the Nazarenes is to make Christ-like disciples in the nations.
The Silverton Church of the Nazarene started as a home mission church in 1973.
“A small group from the community met in Ida Mackey’s home on Hobart Road,” Carlow said. “They began to plan and dream about starting a church of Nazarene in Silverton.”
A year later, the group formally organized and became a more traditional church, Carlow said.
“They’ve been gathering ever since,” he said.
Over 35 years, the congregation has grown from a handful of people to about 60 families represented today, Carlow said.
“The first church home was in a building at Park and Second Street,” he said. “Now a Hispanic Assembly of God congregation meets there. The building itself belonged to the Seventh-day Adventists.”
The Nazarene congregation moved to its current location, 1130 S. Water St., in 1966. The site was formerly owned by the Apostolic Church now on Howell Prairie.
“We needed the extra space to meet the needs of the families that were becoming a part of the worshipping community,” Carlow said. “To have extended family is important. We even have people who have moved here from other states and areas.”
At the core of the church is the desire to connect with God and with others. Small groups reach out to congregational members, offering a place where they can have fellowship with one another in addition to Sunday worship.
“We also want to impact the needs within the overall community,” Carlow said. “We help with local food drives, coat drives and other outreaches that go on in the community. We’re always looking for ways to be helpful and be a part of what our community is already doing.”
A current project was spurred by CERT spokesperson Jamie Baxter’s talk Oct. 25 on emergency response. The concern in Silverton is to be ready in case of flooding.
“If an earthquake hit, the dam above Silverton could fail or flood,” Carlow said. “We’re filling basic kits for families that might be met with crisis. Backpacks are filled with basic toiletries, Kleenex, toothpaste, a small flashlight … the kinds of things you take for granted until you face a loss. We’re helping to build up a backlog of these kits that can be kept in places throughout the community for such occurrences.
“We want to be people of God who connect with each other to do positive things within our community,” he added.
Carlow, who became pastor of the church in August 1998, considers the Silverton Area Community Aid food drive, the church’s Veteran’s Day event at Silverton High School in 2004 and two years later the opportunity to host a Fourth of July community gathering honoring the community’s civil servants, as highlights of his time here.
“Underneath it all, the first thing we do is strengthen the lives of our families who are part of our fellowship,” he said. “The highlights are connecting with those lives, and watching families grow… how a community comes around, connecting with love. Recognizing how God’s love can move in our lives.
“Just the day in, day out living, doing life together as a people, watching lives be the better for it – that’s what we’re all about,” he added.
