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Young Volunteers

About Us

The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant Christian church in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. Organized in 1908, the Church is now home to more than 1.7 million members worshiping in almost 21,000 local congregations in 151 world areas.

Fog and Nature

What We Believe

  • We believe in one God; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
     

  • We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by plenary inspiration, contain all truth necessary to faith and Christian living.
     

  • We believe that man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil.
     

  • We believe that the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost.
     

  • We believe that the atonement through Jesus Christ is for the whole human race; and that whosoever repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin.
     

  • We believe that believers are to be sanctified wholly, subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
     

  • We believe that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the new birth, and also to the entire sanctification of believers.
     

  • We believe that our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place.

A Supportive Hug

What is a Nazarene?

Newport News Church of the Nazarene is part of a larger body of believers called The Church of the Nazarene.  While we get our name from Jesus of Nazareth, you might be asking what in the world is a modern-day Nazarene?

Well...

We are not Baptists, but like the Baptists, we believe in calling people to repentance and to witnessing to their new life in Christ through public baptism.

We are not Presbyterians, but like the Presbyterians, we believe in the power of the preaching of the Word of God to bring about change in people's lives.

We are not Lutherans, but like the Lutherans, we believe in salvation through Jesus Christ on the authority of Scripture alone, in salvation by faith alone, and in salvation as a gift of God's grace alone.

We are not Pentecostals, but like the Pentecostals, we believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit:  A second definite work of grace that gives people the power to live a Christ-like life for making a real difference in their world.

We are not Episcopalians, although John Wesley was a lifelong Angelican - but like the Episcopalians, we take worship seriously (we just choose to be a little less "formal" in our worship services).

We are not Quakers or Moravians, but like these devout groups, we believe in living a careful life that testifies to the watching world that we belong to the Family of God.

We are not United Methodists, although we have our roots in the Methodist tradition that grew out of John Wesley's revival movement in the 1700's.  We have good fellowship with our United Methodist "cousins," but we are organizationally separate for historical reasons.

 

We are a warm and friendly group of people who desire, with God's help, to live holy lives that bring honor and glory to Him.  In three words, our theology is "JESUS IS LORD!"  We look to the Bible as our primary source for direction in our worship and our lifestyles.

We are life-centered in our teaching and sensitive to the needs and concerns of others.

We give people opportunities to put their faith into action through various avenues of service.

We are honored to take our place among the many who are called Christians.

We laugh and cry together, rejoice and grieve together, grow together and walk in faith together.  We aim to be a family for all who love Jesus, the NAZARENE.

Meet the Staff

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Pastor Camelot Shuff
Vision Pastor

In 2015, Camelot became Pastor of Newport News Church of the Nazarene. Originally from Greenville, SC, she did not grow up religious, but rebellious. At the age of 20, the Lord Jesus gloriously rescued her from herself. Six days later, Camelot married Sam Shuff. They have one daughter, Emily, who lives in Suffolk. She and her husband live in Newport News along with their two Goldendoodles,  Charlie and Albi.

 

The goal of her heart,

“Glorify God, if He is glorified, then I am satisfied.”

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Pastor Kathleen (Kat) Grymes
Children's Pastor

Kathleen joined Newport News Nazarene in January of 2022 as the Children's Pastor. She graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor's in Family and Child Development. Kathleen loves spending time with her dog, Parker, and taking him on hikes. She also likes to bake, crochet, and bike.

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Kathleen's life verse is Ephesians 3:20-21:

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen."

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Eric Billet
NYI President

Eric leads our Teen Ministry. From Game Nights to Bible Study, his desire is to see the teens draw close to Jesus as they navigate these sometimes turbulent years.

Eric and his wife, Sarah have one teen, and 2 elementary age children, along with two rambunctious dogs and a rabbit. You will see them always with friends, playing soccer and going on adventures. 

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Their authentic relationships with those around them leads others to desire that "Christ be their all in all."

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John Ayers
NMI President

John and his wife Joyce have served the Church of the Nazarene both locally and throughout Virginia, especially in the area of missions. Their heart is compassionate care in the name of Jesus and their mission is to make Christlike disciples in the nations, especially the Peninsula.

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They live their lives in a way that encourages others to "Fix their eyes on Jesus."

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