Church of the Nazarene Remembers Dr. Stan Toler, Author and Former General Superintendent

Dr. Stan Toler (1950-2017) was a pastor and General Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene, and he was best known as an author who published more than 100 books that combined his Christian faith with his knowledge of leadership. A tribute published by The Echo at Southern Nazarene University (SNU) described him as one of the most prominent voices in the denomination and said he influenced others through his faithfulness and devotion as well as through his words.

Toler was born in Welch, West Virginia, where he grew up surrounded by poverty. He shared in chapel at SNU that his father died when he was 11 years old and that this loss led him toward negativity. During his freshman year of college, he decided to surrender all to God, and the tribute says he never looked back from that moment.

Toler was called into ministry at a young age and preached approximately 15,000 sermons to more than 200 denominations in all 50 states and 80 countries. Throughout his career, he sought to mentor the next generation of Nazarene pastors, a commitment the tribute links to passing the faith on (Psalm 78:4). In his later years, he pursued non-profit ministry through his foundation, Toler Leadership International, which aimed to train young Christian leaders.

Jon Middendorf, head pastor at Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene, said that in 1990, when he did not know what he would do after graduating, Toler “saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself” and asked him to be his part-time youth pastor. Middendorf said he accepted because he needed a job, and that the position allowed him to work with Toler and get established at OKC First. He also said Toler remembered names and followed people’s stories, often sending cards at Christmas and on birthdays.

Blair Spindle, chaplain at SNU, said he first met Toler when Toler became interim pastor at Trinity Nazarene in 1996. Toler helped connect him with the church in Venice, Florida, where Spindle served, and later called him back to Trinity to join his pastoral team. Spindle said he had become disenchanted with the church and its leaders at one point, and that Toler’s investment in him and confidence in his ability to lead helped restore him.

Asked to describe Toler in one word, Middendorf chose “faithfulness,” while Spindle used “purposeful,” “generous” and “kind.” The tribute describes his ministry as a testament to the hope found in the Resurrection and says his books were written to affect readers as he affected people like Spindle and Middendorf. It also says that, although his presence will be greatly missed, his legacy will be carried on by those he mentored.

The tribute closed with a quotation from Toler: “A positive mental attitude without a positive faith will result in a positive failure.”

Source: Read the original report