Who are the Nazarenes?

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 1.6 million members worshiping in over 18,000 local congregations in 151 world areas.

What do they believe?

The doctrine that distinguishes the Church of the Nazarene and other Wesleyan denominations from most other Christian denominations is that of entire sanctification. Nazarenes believe that God calls Christians to a life of holy living that is marked by an act of God, cleansing the heart from original sin and filling the individual with love for God and humankind. This experience is marked by entire consecration of the believer to do God's will and is followed by a life of seeking to serve God through service to others. Like salvation, entire sanctification is an act of God's grace, not of works. Our pursuant service to God is an act of love whereby we show our appreciation for the grace that has been extended to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Articles of Faith

  1. We believe in one God, the creator of all things, who reveals himself as Father, Son and Spirit.
  2. We believe in Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man at the same time, who became like us to bring about our salvation.
  3. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is active in the world, bringing us to salvation.
  4. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, giving us all we need to know about how to be saved.
  5. We believe that we are all sinners by both nature and act and need God’s forgiveness and cleansing.
  6. We believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross and that, by trusting in His death, we can be restored to a right relation to God.
  7. We believe that God has enabled us to turn to Him from sin but that He has not forced us to do so.
  8. We believe that each person must repent, turn away from his sins, and trust Christ to accept him.
  9. We believe that when we turn from sin and trust in Christ, the old record of sin is wiped clean, and we are born anew, thus becoming part of the family of God.
  10. We believe that after being born anew, we need the fullness of God’s spirit in our hearts. When we make a complete commitment to Him, He cleanses our spirit, fills us with His perfect love, and gives us the power to live victoriously.
  11. We believe that the Church is the Body of Christ, carrying on His mission through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  12. We believe in baptism and urge people to be baptized as Christians.
  13. We believe in the Lord’s Supper.
  14. We believe that God can heal. We pray for healing. We also believe that He can work through medical science.
  15. We believe that Jesus Christ is coming again.
  16. We believe that everyone will face the judgment of God with its rewards and punishments.

Where Can I Find Out More?

You can find out everything you need to know about the Church of the Nazarene by visiting the General Church's website at http://nazarene.org