Jon Vlassopoulos at the Philadelphia District Assembly.
NBC on the Road
Summer is Assembly season in the Church of the Nazarene! NBC has been sending representatives to District Assemblies across the region, plus NYC and the National Black Nazarene Conference. These are a couple of the stories we’ve gathered from those events.
A Student at District Assembly
Jon Vlassopoulos is a current student at NBC in the Ministry Preparation Program (MPP). This summer, he represented his Bible college at the Philadelphia District Assembly where he got to meet a variety of interesting people.
First, there were the well-established pastors who wanted to know more about his ministry preparation and theology. Why? Jon explains, “Since that event, I went to four different churches because the pastors asked me to fill in for them…. When I put myself out there to represent this place that teaches Christ and works with the Holy Spirit to hone the gifts that God gave me, God opens up all these opportunities!”
Next, he talked to a river of recently ordained NBC alumni, expressing their gratitude for the rigorous education they had received at NBC and the flexibility of the courses. “I’m not the teacher,” Jon said, “but I got to soak up the goodness” of their gratitude.
The final group of people Jon encountered were potential students. He was happy to explain the opportunity that NBC presents to anyone called into ministry. “NBC reminds me of the characteristics of what it is to be a Christian. We’re called to walk alongside others, to lead them by example, to show them the love and light of Christ, and to see where the Holy Spirit is already working. And that’s what NBC is doing for me!”
NBC Visits Nazarene Youth Conference 2026
More than 10,000 people gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah at the beginning of July for Nazarene Youth Conference 2026 (NYC 2026), and NBC was there to reach another generation.
NBC’s VP for Enrollment Will Mackey led a team of representatives that included President Douglas Pierce and his wife Becky and Director of the new pastoral center Dr. Robert Prince. They were flooded with opportunities to talk to people about training for ministry at NBC.
- Many teenagers were curious about the ministry training offerings at NBC and showed concern about the financial cost of a college degree. NBC’s low cost and available financial aid were popular discussion points.
- Dozens of youth workers and volunteers who attended NYC also wanted to make contact with NBC. These conversations were a great time to catch up on what is happening at the College, meet the new president, or talk about encouraging others who are hearing a call to ministry.
- Some conversations revealed an interest from people not called to the traditional pastoral ministry. NBC’s B.A. in Ministry with a Major in Leadership and Ethics offers a way to get a solid theological education alongside leadership and ethical training suitable for any Christian working in the world.
Every event has been further evidence that God is still calling people into ministry, as current and future generations of church leaders and workers gather at assemblies and conferences. These conversations have helped strengthen relationships across the region and reinforce the importance of NBC's mission of preparing people for Christian service.