“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). This sentence may be the most vexing in all of scripture.

More Christians than ever are befriending advocates of other religious traditions. And many more Christians are learning about the beliefs in other religions. In light of this, Christians must reaffirm and clarify their claims about salvation.

The Church of the Nazarene, as a denomination, must find its way anew. It must seek unity without legislating uniformity. It must celebrate diversity within its membership without its core principles becoming diffuse.

The denomination in which I serve as an ordained minister, the Church of the Nazarene, celebrated its 100-year anniversary not long ago. Thriving in the next 100 years will require significant change.

Delegates to the 2009 Church of the Nazarene general assembly approved several changes to the denomination’s statement on entire sanctification. I am generally pleased with the changes. Almost all of them pertain to concerns that I and others have raised. In this essay, I note some of the changes I like. But I also list changes I think are still needed.