Our church story merges with the city of Bend in the early 1900s. In 1905, Bend incorporated and was known at the time for its booming timber industry. When the railroad was finally completed in 1911, Bend became one of the largest lumber producers in the world. People from all over the country began migrating to Bend hoping to find work at the mills. In 1916, Bend was said to be the fastest growing area in the nation.
In 1919, the Foreign Missionary Society of the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene purchased 160 acres in Bend, Oregon as a precursor to their plans to plant a church in this growing area. At that time, the denomination itself was only 11 years old. Holiness groups from across the country merged at Pilot Point, Texas in 1908 to form the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. Even before the merge, these groups had been sending missionaries across the country and around the world.
As the City of Bend was experiencing its second population surge in 1923, Bend Church of the Nazarene was born. It began through a series of evangelistic tent meetings held by Rev. Mrs. Mae Budd in the spring of that year. In May 1923, Rev. Budd was recognized as the pastor for the newly organized Church of the Nazarene. For several years, meetings were held in the “Little Brown Methodist Church” located at Franklin and Sisemore. The building was later purchased by the Oddfellows and a second story was added. The structure is still standing and occupied by various businesses almost 100 years later.
Until 1928, a new pastor was assigned every year to serve the church in Bend. From 1928 until 1935, there is no mention of the Bend Church of the Nazarene in official documents or the local newspaper. The Great Depression hit the nation in 1929 and continued throughout the next decade. Despite the severe economic challenges, Rev. A. C. Mize reorganized the church in 1935. The church met at 1745 NE First Street until 1950 when they built a new facility at E Third and Lafayette under the leadership of Rev. Edward Haldy. This new building was able to seat 375 in the sanctuary.
By the mid-1970s, the congregation had outgrown the building on E Third and moved to the current location at 27th and Denser in 1978. Rev. Gordon Miller led the congregation through the building process.
Fourteen pastors have served the church since its reorganization in 1935. The longest serving pastor was Rev. Gordon Miller who pastored from 1967-1988. From that time on, the Bend Church of the Nazarene has proven to be a strong holiness presence in the Bend community, witnessing hundreds of lives transformed by the power of the Gospel.
Pastor Gordan Miller - Bend, Oregon 1970
Nazerene Church built on 27th Street - Bend, Oregon 1978
Many churches have been planted as a result of the faithfulness of the Bend Church of the Nazarene: Culver, Cloverdale, Lapine, Bend Mission, and Redmond Vision Church.
Under the leadership of the current co-pastors, RJ Strickland and Oscar Acosta, the Bend Church of the Nazarene is committed to immerse itself in God’s presence, God’s community and God’s mission, endeavoring to be known as the visible evidence of God’s love. Our desire is to see more and more people come into a relationship with Jesus Christ and to learn to live and love like Jesus.
