the nazarene family of churches
Introducing the Church of the Nazarene
Organized October 8, 1908, in Pilot Point, Texas, the Church of the Nazarene is both a local church and a global church. Our headquarters is in Lenexa, Kansas, but we are in 159 countries around the world.
The Nazarene International Center provides support services to more than 2.3 million members worshiping in more than 29,000 churches in the United States, Canada, and 157 other world areas. Services include maintaining ministerial credentials and church records, coordinating the support and sending of missionaries, developing Sunday School and discipleship curriculum, providing retirement support programs for pastors, encouraging the starting of new churches, developing satellite, Internet, and radio programs for outreach and education to all parts of the globe, and much more.
A People of Hope
The theme of the denomination for the next four years is āHoliness ā¦ The Message of Hope.ā This theme expresses the pressing desire of the denomination to share the good news that Jesus Christ is the source of hope for our lives.
Education
Nazarenes support 11 liberal arts institutions in the United States, Canada, Korea, and Kenya, as well as 2 graduate seminaries and over 40 undergraduate Bible/theological colleges worldwide. The church operates 2 hospitals, 38 medical clinics, 3 nurses training colleges, 1 teacher training college, 1 junior college, and more than 430 primary and secondary schools, serving 51,000 children, outside the United States and Canada.
World Outreach
Nazarenes are passionate about making a difference in the world. This means taking the good news of Jesus Christ around the globe. There are 738
missionaries & volunteers serving around the world (these missionaries and volunteers come from 31 world areas). This missionary enterprise is made possible by the contributions of the global Nazarene family through free will offerings. Nazarenes are also engaged in starting new churches and in making their communities better places in which to live.
Theology
The Church of the Nazarene is the largest denomination in the Wesleyan-Arminian theological tradition. 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 Godās will and is followed by a life of seeking to serve God through service to others. Like salvation, entire sanctification is an act of Godās grace, not of works. Our salvation is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A Tradition of Service
Nazarenes are a compassionate people. We believe in serving others! This is expressed locally through the services of members to their communities. Contributions from Nazarenes make possible the administration of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries in the U.S. and around the world. This ministry provides assistance to persons in communities hard hit by disaster or famine. In recent years,
Nazarenes have been instrumental in assisting hurting people in every part of the globe. From war and famine relief in Rwanda and Zaire, to health care training in India, to serving orphaned children in Guatemala, to rebuilding homes and churches in the Ohio River Valley-Nazarenes are there through 175 full-time compassionate ministry centers and various other special projects.
The worldwide network of Nazarene churches makes it possible for the denomination to serve as a conduit of assistance to hurting nations. Nazarenes provide money for food, medical supplies, clothing, and other items to persons in a number of countries where there are pressing needs. In addition, the denominationās missionary infrastructure is often used by World Relief and similar agencies when they need assistance in getting supplies to people of countries in remote or troubled areas.
Nazarenes also offer their time and services on volunteer Work and Witness teams and Youth In Mission teams to build churches, schools, clinics, and to reach others for Christ.
The denomination is now involved in reaching out to persons around the globe through the power of technology. Satellite, Internet, and radio broadcasts in 37 languages are produced regularly to educate people about the gospel of Jesus Christ and to inform constituents and interested parties about people, programs, news, and events of interest in the life of the church.
Note: All statistics were last updated February, 2014.