First Church of the Nazarene

The doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene has its roots in the early Wesleyan revivals of the 18^th century, directed by John Wesley, his brother Charles, and George Whitefield. In the 19^th century, a renewed emphasis on Christian holiness began in the eastern United States. Timothy Merritt, a Methodist clergyman, was among the leaders of the holiness revival. In the 1890s a new wave of independent holiness entities came into being. Some of the people involved in thee organizations wanted to unite into a national holiness church. Out of that desire the present-day Church of the Nazarene was born. On October 13, 1908, in Pilot Point, Texas, the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene was officially organized. In 1919, the General Assembly officially changed the name to Church of the Nazarene.

Just as the Nazarene denomination was born from holiness revivals so was the Batesville Church of the Nazarene.

Holiness unto the Lord is our watchword and song, Holiness unto the Lord as we’re marching along. Sing it, shout it, loud and long, Holiness unto the Lord, now and forever.

This was the theme of the great revivals that were held at the Gray’s Spring Tabernacle starting around 1902. Gray’s Spring was located north of Batesville off Highway 167.

Mr. E. A. Mashburn, charter member of the Batesville Church of the Nazarene, wrote the following account of the camp meetings at Gray’s Spring and why the decision was made to move to Batesville.

Near the little town of Cave City, in a beautiful grove near the big spring, was the first Holiness camp meeting in the country known as the Gray Spring Holiness Camp Ground. Many sinners have been saved and believers sanctified at and around this camp. It gives me great pleasure to think of the great crowds of people who gathered there to sing and pray, and shout the praises of the Christ who saved them from sin; the early sunrise prayer meetings, prayer and praise meeting at 10:30 a.m. and preaching at 11:00 a.m., the grove meetings on the hillside near the camp, and the great service at the Tabernacle at night. Here is where the writer of these lines was saved and sanctified as a second definite work of grace – the blessing still holds good, praise His name. Some of the greatest evangelist in the Holiness movement have been at this camp; the doctrine of the early church was preached, including justification for the sinner and sanctification for the believer.

Hundreds of people have gone out from this camp to tell the sweet story of Jesus and His love. The camp at Gray Springs, we feel, has served its purpose, and Batesville being more centrally located, we will move it to Batesville. We want to make it a great camp. Our aim, purpose and motto, “Holiness unto the Lord.”

A tabernacle was erected on the Old Fair Ground in East Batesville, where camp meetings were continued for some time. It was under this Tabernacle that the Church of the Nazarene was organized on August 16, 1925.

This large tabernacle which Mr. Mashburn referred to was built on the property where the White River Medical Center is presently located. After the church was organized and a building obtained the tabernacle was used only for revivals until the early 1940s.

The Batesville Church of the Nazarene was officially organized by the Arkansas District Superintendent, Rev. John W. Oliver, on August 16, 1925. The organization followed an evangelistic revival held by the Rev. Agnes Diffee and Rev. Eupha Beasley. There were twenty-six members with three others admitted as charter members on Nov. 4, 1925. Miss Maria Stewart, was appointed as the first Pastor.

1001. Maria Stewart held worship in the Tabernacle on the county Fair Ground, then moved to a hall near the east end of Lawrence Street. The church continued to grow and soon outgrew the hall. A house on the corner of Bates and Fifteenth Streets was purchased. The members were most loyal, they were proud of their church, attending every service – come rain, shine, snow or flood. They were ‘full of the Holy Ghost and faith.’ They gave generously of their time, their substance, and of their service. The infant church grew in grace and in favor with God and man to become the strong church of today. Stewart was forced by ill health to resign as the pastor at the close of the 1926 church year. The church flourished under her leadership.

In October of 1926, Rev. J. W. Henry became the pastor. He and his wife provided leadership for the infant church in both church growth and church construction.

As the church continued to grow, it became evident they needed a larger church building. The Church Board made arrangements in 1928 to borrow money and purchase the property on the corner of Harrison and Sidney Streets. The Board of Trustees – Ernest Jobe, E. A. Mashburn, C. N. Wilson, Ollie Brewer, John Cochran, and Pearl Ortman – voted to borrow $6,000 to finance the new building. Construction of the new building began in the spring of 1928. In October 1928 the church was completed and the congregation moved into the new sanctuary. This building remained until year 2000 when a new Sanctuary and Family Life Center began construction. The first worship service in the new Sanctuary was October 28, 2001 followed by a dedication service on November 18, 2001.

Contents of this web page were taken from the book “Holiness Unto The Lord, ” written by Nona Floyd