The church honors Gregory of Nazianzus as a brilliant theologian, poet and preacher.

In 1938, Time magazine honored E. Stanley Jones with the distinction of "world's greatest missionary evangelist." Time's laudatory expression was not an isolated one. Christians and non-Christians celebrated the multi-faceted contributions of this visionary man. For instance, his missionary work in India coupled with his outspoken efforts for Indian self-determination in the early decades of the 20th century caused one Indian government official to say Jones was "the greatest interpreter of Indian affairs in our time."