Who We Are
The Church of the Nazarene
The global Church of the Nazarene is a Wesleyan-Holiness denomination. The spiritual vision of early Nazarenes was derived from the doctrinal core of John Wesley's preaching. These affirmations include justification by grace through faith, sanctification likewise by grace through faith, entire sanctification as an inheritance available to every Christian, and the witness of the Spirit to God's work in human lives. The holiness movement arose in the 1830s to promote these doctrines, especially entire sanctification. By 1900, however, the movement had splintered.
In 1908, several independent holiness denominations joined together to form the Church of the Nazarene. Today, there are 2.6 million Nazarenes in 30,049 congregations in 162 world areas, worshiping in 212 languages.
What We Believe
Mission
We are a Great Commission church. As a global community of faith, we are commissioned to take the good news of life in Jesus Christ to people everywhere and to spread the message of scriptural holiness across the lands.
The Church of the Nazarene bonds together individuals who have made Jesus Christ Lord of their lives, sharing in Christian fellowship, and seeking to strengthen each other in faith development through worship, preaching, training, and service to others.
We strive to express the compassion of Jesus Christ to all persons along with our personal commitment to Christlike living. While the primary motive of the church is to glorify God, we also are called to actively participate in his mission: Reconciling the world to Himself.
The statement of mission contains historical essentials of our mission: Evangelism, Sanctification, Discipleship, Compassion. The essence of holiness is Christlikeness. Nazarenes are becoming a sent people-into homes, work places, communities, and villages as well as other cities and countries. Missionaries are now sent from all regions of the world. God continues calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things made possible by the person of the Holy Spirit.
Statement of Belief
We are a Great Commission church. As a global community of faith, we are
commissioned to take the Good News of life in Jesus Christ to people
everywhere and to spread the message of scriptural holiness across lands.
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 human beings are born with a fallen nature, and are, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually.
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.