Introducing the Church of the Nazarene

The Name of the Church

Mathew 2:23 says "…and he (Jesus) went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets; "He will be called a Nazarene."

The name identifies the church with the title that was given to Jesus and to the people with him who, in Acts, are referred to as Nazarenes (Acts 24:5). Therefore, the name ‘The Church of the Nazarene’ signifies that we wish to be known as a church which is comprised of people who love and follow Jesus Christ, and wish to live in accordance with his teachings.

The History of the Church

The Church of the Nazarene is an international Church which began in Britain, Canada and the USA. Eleven small denominations, three of which were British, all sharing the Wesleyan heritage, came together in a series of unions between 1896 and 1958. One of these unions in 1908 is taken as the official beginning of the Church.

Since its beginning in 1908 with 228 churches and 10,500 members, the Church of the Nazarene is now working in over 110 countries and has over 1.1 million members. There are over 11,000 ordained ministers, 600 missionaries and 300 chaplains.

The Doctrine of the Church

The Wesleyan Revival that saved eighteenth century England from revolution reaffirmed the testimony and experience of the Early Church that God is able to forgive man’s sins and cleanse his heart from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

In keeping with this Wesleyan Evangelical heritage the Church of the Nazarene believes:

	That everyone can know forgiveness of sins and enjoy a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ,
	That every Christian may know the inner peace which comes from being whole-heartedly devoted to God,
	That the Church has a great privilege and responsibility to share this good news with others.

Statement of belief

We believe:

In one God – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
That the Old and New Testament Scriptures given by plenary inspiration, contain all truth necessary to faith and Christian living.
That man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually.
That the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost.
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.
That believers are to be sanctified wholly, subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That the Holy Spirit bears witness to the new birth and also to the entire sanctification of believers.
In the return of our Lord, in the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgement.

The Ministry of the Church

	To proclaim Christ as the only answer to the deep needs of the human heart.
	To share the love of God.
	To seek to meet the needs of the whole person by ministering to the Spiritual, Mental, Social and Physical.

The Church of the Nazarene in Britain

In the British Isles there are approximately 100 Nazarene churches. There is also the Nazarene Theological College (founded in 1943 in Scotland) which is located in Manchester. N.T.C. is an affiliated institution of the University of Manchester and is able to offer degree courses such as B.A., B.Th., M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. It is the training institution for those entering the ministry of the Church of the Nazarene in Britain, but also draws a large number of students from other denominational backgrounds. It has been described as ‘One of the leading evangelical Colleges in the North of England’. Please see our Links page to visit the college Web site.