There's a song that says “one is the loneliest number.”

For Eurasia Region Nazarenes, “one” means something else entirely. It's not just a digit in isolation. It's a numeral to be celebrated.

And celebrate they did. From October 12-16, 622 of them made the pilgrimage to a central location in Turkey where the Eurasia Conference 2011 drew them from 34 countries across 17 time zones to revel in the Power of One: Being one in Christ, sharing one legacy, united by one Lord, as one Church with one mission.  (The Eurasia Region encompasses 14 time zones but there were also participants from the United States who joined the Nazarene celebration).

The conference, which was last held in 2007, was a time for Nazarenes to fellowship, worship together and learn from one another in ministry workshops. Being able to come together, even if just for a few days, was rejuvenating for the Nazarenes who hail from a variety of Gospel-resistant cultures, ranging from postmodern Western Europe to post-Communist Eastern Europe, from the religiously heated Middle East to the vastly outnumbered believers of India and South Asia.

“This is always a reminder of how we will be in heaven,” said Raquel Pereira, from Lisbon, Portugal, who was one of the translators at the conference. “Our region has this diversity of nationalities and cultures and languages, but we all come together. It's amazing to me.”

Language was no barrier, as participants provided interpretation for eight different language groups that were represented. The low hum of the translators buzzed throughout the workshop rooms and main auditorium during the services and sessions, led by people from every field and by Dr. Gustavo Crocker, regional director, with the team of seven field strategy coordinators who reported, inspired, and mobilized their respective delegations.

Each service highlighted one of the region's seven fields. The field strategy coordinators combined their field reports with presentations ranging from filmed testimonies to worship choirs made up of the fields' attendees.

Workshops included topics from prayer and discipleship to compassionate ministries and media and technology.  In line with the “Power of One” regional emphasis, the four main workshop tracks focused on the four dimension of missional and holistic growth that this initiative promotes in the life of every congregation.

In addition to those workshops open to all the participants, the conference invited four key groups for specific developmental training: child development workers, NMI leaders, Leadership Development Initiative alumni, and district superintendents (DSs) from all districts in the region.

Praveen Pawar, a pastor of three churches in the India Eastern Maharashtra District, attended a workshop on child development.

“We heard three people reporting on various countries,” he said. “They have given us a glimpse of their ministry, and we can learn more from them – new things, how they are working with children – we can implement in our area.”

Shannon Vallee, wife of Didier, the pastor of Montpellier Church of the Nazarene in France, went through the child development workshop track, which met for several days.

“I find it very interesting – it's not just aimed at Sunday school, it's more about integrating the children in the church,” she said. She plans to take what she learned and implement it with the children in her home church.

Nizar Touma, a pastor in Nazareth, Israel, and district superintendent of the Holy Land District, participated in a special workshop track for DSs, which covered doctrine, church planting and the role of a DS.

“It was very helpful,” he said. “I think we should now broaden this. It's exciting. I hope through this some great things will be birthed out of these meetings.”

It was the first time the conference included activities planned especially for the children and youth of the attendees, providing them an opportunity to meet other people their age from across the region. The children were involved with games, singing, storytelling and crafts, while the teens interacted through sand volleyball, late night films and discussion times.

The conference also honored three leaders with special awards. During Thursday's celebration of “One Legacy,” three men were presented with the “Keeper of the Faith Award” for their commitment to making disciples and their legacy to the Church: Dr. Louie Bustle, director of Nazarene Global Mission, Dr. P.J. Meshramkar, a senior leader of the church in India and currently DS for Eastern Maharashtra, and Rev. Lindell Browning, field strategy coordinator of the Eastern Mediterranean Field. The award, designed as a crystal flame, bears a verse from 1 Thessalonians 1:3: “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The last day of the conference focused on celebrating One Mission. Dr. Gustavo Crocker, who also reported on the challenges, ministry and future of the Church of the Nazarene in Eurasia, closed the morning service with a sending message that set the atmosphere for a multicultural, multi-language communion service.“The last, the least, and the lost are not a distraction,” said Crocker.  “They are our mission.”  In closing the conference Crocker told the participants: “We have come from literally every corner of Eurasia.  We have come to celebrate the One who sends us and who goes with us.  Just like with the early church, it is very fitting to walk the aisles of this convention center as one, in one accord, with one passion, and with one mission.”

The conference concluded with an ordination service, as Dr. Jerry Porter, general superintendent in jurisdiction over Eurasia, laid his hands on each of five candidates, along with dozens of elders and deacons who overflowed the platform, commissioning the ordinands as preachers in the Church of the Nazarene.

Two of the candidates hailed from countries where they minister at risk to their personal security, and so their names and countries were not released. The other three candidates included Elke Kaci, Albania District, Gil Thibault, Kansas City District (currently serving as a Mission Corps missionary in the Central Europe Field) and Shahade Twal, Germany District.

As the commissioning concluded, nearly all the conference attendees formed a line to congratulate the newly ordained elders with hugs, kisses, handshakes and many smiles.

The participants will carry back the spirit of the conference to those who could not come.

“It’s beautiful,” said Rajiv Yangad, DS of the Central Maharashtra District in India. “It gives you the sense of God-size, once again. Under the power of One, with one goal in front of us: winning the world around us. It’s God’s investment, through God’s people for God’s world.”