They Love on People
I keep hearing it.
In conversations with district superintendents, church leaders, and denominational partners, a pattern has emerged. "Your graduates stand out. They really love on people."
That's not an accident. That represents a decision.
We Have Decided to Stand Out
At Nazarene Bible College, we have chosen to distinguish ourselves by committing to fostering a community marked by a deep love for God and genuine care for people. This commitment defines the NBC way.
When Jesus was asked which commandment was greatest, His reply was clear and compelling: Love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. This principle guides our institutional mission. It shapes the ministry culture we seek to form at NBC – developing pastors who are responsive to the Spirit and grounded in a sincere love for others.
In the Trenches
Our pastors don't keep a comfortable distance from human need. They get in the trenches.
People have real needs. Financial struggles. Loneliness or grief that won't lift. Families and children to provide and care for. Pressures at work. These are often the realities of life, and NBC pastors don't manage these complexities from a distance. They enter in.
An Easter People
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely a doctrine we affirm. It is the lens through which ministers must see every person they encounter. Because of what Jesus did on that cross, and because of the empty tomb, no life is beyond hope.
We are an Easter people. We are followers of the risen Christ. And Easter people love differently, with a boldness that comes from knowing that Jesus Christ has already won.
To every NBC pastor and graduate reading these words: the reputation you are building out there in the church is among the finest things I have witnessed in ministry. They say you love on people. Keep doing that. Do more of that. The world is starving for exactly what we have been called to give.
Focus Forward Together — Join Us on April 28
On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Nazarene Bible College will hold its very first Day of Giving, a 24-hour opportunity for our entire community to invest in the very ministry culture described above. The pastors and leaders being shaped by NBC today are the ones who will step into the trenches tomorrow, loving people with the compassion, courage, and hope of the risen Christ.
Yet many called students face financial barriers that stand between them and the preparation they need. This is why this Day of Giving matters. Every gift given on April 28 will directly support Ministerial Scholarships, helping equip men and women who will one day serve your churches, your communities, and your families.
This year, a generous anonymous donor has provided a $25,000 challenge grant, matching every dollar given – dollar for dollar – up to $25,000. Your gift will go twice as far, directly multiplying the number of ministers we can prepare for Spirit-led, love-rooted service.
I am asking our entire NBC family - alumni, friends, churches, and all who have experienced the ministry of an NBC pastor - to mark April 28 on your calendar. Pray about how you might participate. Then give generously, knowing that your support helps raise up pastors who will continue doing exactly what the church keeps telling us they do so well: they love on people.
Visit nbc.edu/DayofGiving to learn more and to give on April 28.
Focus forward. Together.
- Rev. Douglas R. Pierce, President, Nazarene Bible College