Creative Access Areas of the Church of the Nazarene

For the Church of the Nazarene, work in “Additional Areas” – sometimes known as “Creative Access Areas” – began in 1994 and continues to the present (2023 as of the publishing of this article). These “Additional Areas” are located on several of the regions where the Church of the Nazarene has works. These areas tend to be resistant to the gospel, which means that the open proclamation of the gospel can be restricted, requiring creative approaches for ministry and missions. They may also be areas where the Church of the Nazarene is officially registered with the government, but whose political, social, or religious environment may not always be conducive to Christian outreach and church development. Often, we connect specific languages with specific countries on which we are focused. However, in this instance, the language that matters most is the language of grace and love, sharing hope in Christ. Regardless of the political, economic, social, or religious circumstances, the Church of the Nazarene is present to demonstrate the unconditional love of God to persons of all ages, living in every kind of human condition.

• 15,603 Nazarene members are in “additional world areas.”
• 133 churches have been fully organized, and 116 are not yet organized.
• 16 ordained ministers and 106 district licensed ministers are serving in these areas.

Prayer Requests

• Pray that those who serve in these “Additional Areas” are kept safe from the actions of those who seek to intimidate or hamper the work.
• Pray for increased grace and wisdom for those who are regularly called to navigate sensitive situations.
• Pray that persons serving in these “Additional Areas” may be peacemakers in very stressful and often threatening environments.

Praise

• We praise God for His Spirit’s leadership into new areas, opening doors of opportunity to introduce the Good News of Jesus and the message of scriptural holiness in contexts where hope and wholeness are most needed.
• We praise God that He continues to call and equip those who, with unique gifts, can serve Him in these “Additional Areas.”
• We praise God in the midst of adversity, that He is ever present and giving guidance and peace to His children.

In the following article we will share the testimony of what an average day looks like for a missionary who is serving in one of our Creative Access Areas.