“In the future your children will ask, “What do these stones mean?” then you tell them . . . so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:21, 24 (NLT)

The Centennial Medallion is comprised of three major circles, each one displaying specific symbols. The three-ring configuration represents the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as the past, present and future. The circular format, being and endless loop, was chosen for its historical representation of eternity. The colors and images play an important role in telling our story.

RED—Traditionally used to represent the blood and sacrifice of Christ.

BROWN—A reference to the land, particularly Oklahoma.

PURPLE—Royalty of Christ and the color related to Holy Communion.

BANNER—The red banner, symbolic of the blood of Christ, is printed with the scripture reference from Joshua 4 – a reminder to pass on to future generations the stories of God’s faithfulness, power and majesty.

LION-LAMB—This image described in Isaiah 11 was developed to signify Bethany First Church of the Nazarene as a Lion-Lamb community.

WORLD—From the beginning, Bethany First Church of the Nazarene has been missions oriented. This globe is a symbol of the call on Bethany First Church to reach outside of its walls. The presence of the globe in our Medallion speaks to all the missionaries, students, and short-term teams as well as financial support that has been sent out from this local church. It also stands for all the church planting and local compassionate ministry efforts that have taken place over the years. The world is turned so that Africa faces us, emphasizing our partnership with the Swaziland church.

KEYS—The keys remind us that although we are Nazarene the keys to our past, our roots, like all Protestant denominations, are found in the early church.

DOVE AND FLAME—This image has been used as a symbol for the Church of the Nazarene since the beginnings of the General Church. The dove and the fire represent the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church at Pentecost. The dove and flame symbolize the importance of the Nazarene holiness doctrine to our church.

DATES—The dates mark the first one hundred years of Bethany First Church of the Nazarene.

WHEAT—Historically, a shaft of wheat symbolized the “Bread of Life,” a direct reference to Christ. The wheat placed on either side of the acorn in the Medallion has a two-fold connection. When used for bread, wheat can refer to compassionate ministries and provision for those in need. The shafts of wheat also represent Oklahoma’s wheat industry.

ACORN—The original settlers to the area wrote that Bethany was the land of acorns in reference to all the oak trees they found here. The acorn’s presence in the Medallion is a direct link to the town and people of Bethany, past, present and future.

SWIRLS WITH GRAPES—This is a symbol used traditionally to represent eternity and communion with Christ. This also refers to our eternal bond as a church with those who have gone before and those who will come afterwards.