Church of the Nazarene

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The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant denomination within the tradition of evangelical Methodism. It was founded through mergers in 1907 and 1908 that united three smaller regional Wesleyan-holiness churches that were located principally on America's East Coast, West Coast, and South.

Seal of the Church of the Nazarene

1 History
- 1.1 International growth
- 1.2 Origin of the name
2 Doctrine and beliefs
3 Worship and rituals
4 Organization
- 4.1 Officers and clergy
5 Education and publishing
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

The spiritual vision of early Nazarenes was derived from the doctrinal core of John Wesley's preaching and the holiness movement. The affirmations of the church include justification by grace through faith, sanctification 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, but had splintered by 1900.

Phineas Bresee, founder.

The Church of the Nazarene today was the product of a three-way merger that occurred at the First and Second General Assemblies, held respectively at Chicago, Illinois, and Pilot Point, Texas in 1907 and 1908. The First General Assembly brought together the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America, a denomination formed in 1896 through the merger of two older bodies, that lay principally along America's northeast coast and stretched from Nova Scotia to Iowa; and the Church of the Nazarene, founded in 1895 in Los Angeles, California by Phineas Bresee and J. P. Widney. Bresee, a former Methodist minister, sought to return to John Wesley's original goals of preaching to the poor and needy. The name of the united body adopted at the First General Assembly was Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. The following year, at the Second General Assembly, the Holiness Church of Christ, located in the southern United States, merged with the Pentecostal Nazarenes. The Holiness Church of Christ, like the eastern group, was also the result of an earlier merger between two slightly older denominations. Between the First and Second General Assemblies, there also occurred major accessions of members from the Holiness Association of Texas and the merger in September 1908 of the Pennsylvania Conference of the Holiness Christian Church.

The term "Pentecostal" in the church's original name soon proved to be problematic. In the Wesleyan-holiness movement, the word was used widely as a synonym simply for "holiness." But the rise of 20th century Pentecostalism, especially after 1906, gave new meanings and associations to the term--meanings that the Pentecostal Nazarenes rejected. In 1919, the name was shortened to avoid any confusion in the public mind about the church's place on the theological spectrum.

Other independent bodies joined at later dates, including the Pentecostal Church of Scotland and Pentecostal Mission, both in 1915. At this point, the Church of the Nazarene now embraced seven previous denominations and significant parts of two other groups. In time the Church of the Nazarene and the Wesleyan Church would emerge as the two major denominations to gather in the smaller bodies of the 19th century Wesleyan-holiness movement.

In subsequent decades, there were new accretions and merges. In the 1920s there were major accessions from the Laymen's Holiness Association located in the Dakotas. In the 1950s there were mergers with the International Holiness Mission and the Calvary Holiness Church, both located primarily in the United Kingdom; the Hephzibah Faith Missionary Association in Iowa; the Gospel Workers Church of Canada; and an indigenous Church of the Nazarene in Nigeria.

Today the church is present in over 151 areas of the world. Its global membership is nearly 1.6 million, distributed in 14,000 churches. It also supports 56 educational institutions of various types around the world.^[1] The church also participates in revivals and missionary work. It is currently a member of the World Methodist Council and the National Association of Evangelicals.

[edit] International growth

By 1908, there were churches in Canada and organized work in India, Cape Verde, and Japan, soon followed by work in central Africa, Mexico, and China. The 1915 mergers added congregations in the British Isles and work in Cuba, Central America, and South America. There were congregations in Syria and Palestine by 1922. General Superintendent Reynolds advocated "a mission to the world," and support for world evangelization became a distinguishing characteristic of Nazarene life. Taking advantage of new technologies, the church began producing the Showers of Blessing radio program in the 1940s, followed by the Spanish broadcast La Hora Nazarena and later by broadcasts in other languages. From the 1940s through the 1980s, other indigenous holiness churches in other countries continued to join the church. Current missionary work is both evangelical and takes place in areas of crisis.

As the church grew culturally and linguistically diverse, it committed itself in 1980 to internationalization -- a deliberate policy of being one church of congregations and districts worldwide, rather than splitting into national churches like earlier Protestant denominations. By the 2001 General Assembly, 42 percent of delegates present and voting were not native English speakers. Today over 60 percent of Nazarenes and 80 percent of the church's 425 districts are outside the United States. Since the Church of the Nazarene's general meeting, the quadrennial General Assembly, is based on district representation, it is probably the most racially and linguistically diverse general meeting of any religious body that originated on American soil.

An early system of colleges in North America and the British Isles has become a global network of institutions with 3 graduate seminaries, 11 liberal arts colleges, and 37 theological schools worldwide.

[edit] Origin of the name

The name of the denomination comes from the biblical description of the followers of Jesus as "Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5), a term perhaps used by Jesus himself.

Dr. J.P. Widney, a former president of the University of Southern California, was one of the two most influential men in the early days of the Church of the Nazarene on the west coast. It was Widney who recommended the name "Church of the Nazarene." He explained that the name had come to him one morning after spending the whole night in prayer. He said that the word "Nazarene" symbolized "the toiling, lowly mission of Christ. It was the name that Christ used of Himself, the name which was used in derision of Him by His enemies, the name which above all others linked Him to the great toiling, struggling, sorrowing heart of the world. It is Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth to whom the world in its misery and despair turns, that it may have hope" (Called Unto Holiness, Volume I).

The denomination started in a mission that ministered to the homeless and poor, and wanted to keep that attitude of ministering to "lower classes" of society.

[edit] Doctrine and beliefs

See also: Church of the Nazarene-Articles of Faith

The Church of the Nazarene remains committed to Christian holiness, although a deeper understanding of John Wesley and their own biblical scholarly research has refined their beliefs without much internal opposition. Nazarene beliefs include the following: one eternal self-existent God manifest in a three-fold nature; the divinity of Jesus; baptism by immersion, sprinkling, or pouring; the Lord's Supper for all believers; entire sanctification; and the return of Jesus Christ to raise the dead.

The Church of the Nazarene stands in the Arminian tradition of free grace for all and human freedom to choose that grace. The Church distinguishes itself from many other Protestant churches because of its belief that God's Holy Spirit empowers Christians to be constantly obedient to Him. The Church does not believe that a Christian must sin every day. Rather, the Church does teach that sin should be the rare exception in the life of a Christian. The Church also believes in the doctrine of entire sanctification, which states that a person can have a relationship of entire devotion to God in which they are no longer under the influence of original sin. This means that through the power of the Holy Spirit, people can be changed so as to be able to live a holy life for the glory of God. It is worthy of noting that this is interpreted on a variety of different levels as, within any denomination, certain believers interpret the theology more rigidly and others less so. Also, the concept of entire sanctification stems from John Wesley's concept of spiritual perfection. Both doctrines are usually interpreted in less rigid fashion by most church members, viewing spiritual perfection as something to strive toward, being already sanctified and forgiven for their sins under sacrifice of Christ. Hence, thinking in a circular and very Greek fashion, since one would be forgiven, one would be perfect, however, since Christ was completely human, and one is still entirely alive and living in the world -- one would still need to continue striving to live the best, or most "perfect" life possible -- since Christ was God and man. And so, the dilemma continues in theological interpretation.

In recent days, some in the denomination have understood the movement's distinctive theological doctrine -- entire sanctification -- as best understood in terms of love. Love is the core notion of the various understandings of holiness and sanctification found in the Bible. Christians are called to love when in relation to God and others (Oord and Lodahl, 2005).

The Church of the Nazarene has maintained a strong stance supporting total abstinence from alcohol and any other intoxicant, including cigarettes. Although this continues to be debated, the position remains a firm one in the church. While the church does not consider alcohol itself to be the cause of sin for all people, it recognizes that intoxication is a 'danger' to many people, both physically and spiritually. Thus a person who is meant to serve an example to others should avoid the use of them, in order to not cause others to stray from their 'walk with God,' as that is considered a sin for both parties.

Regarding human sexuality, the Church's Board of General Superintendents has issued this official statement:

Human Sexuality:
- The Church of the Nazarene believes that every man or woman should be treated with dignity, grace, and holy love, whatever their sexual orientation. However, we continue to firmly hold the position that the homosexual lifestyle is sinful and is contrary to the Scriptures.

- We further wish to reemphasize our call to Nazarenes around the globe to recommit themselves to a life of holiness, characterized by holy love and expressed through the most rigorous and consistent lifestyle of sexual purity. We stand firmly on the belief that the biblical concept of marriage, always between one man and one woman in a committed, lifelong relationship, is the only relationship within which the gift of sexual intimacy is properly expressed.[1]

[edit] Worship and rituals

Nazarene churches have typically had worship services three times a week: Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening. In recent years the Sunday and Wednesday evening services in many Nazarene churches have changed from worship services to discipleship training or other types of activities. Worship services typically contain these elements: singing of hymns or praise choruses, prayer, special music, reading of Scripture, sermon, and offering. If the sermon is evangelistic in nature, a service may end with "an altar call." Worship styles vary widely from more traditional Protestant services to services anchored in contemporary Christian music. Over the last ten years, an increasing number of Nazarene churches have utilized contemporary worship services as their predominant worship style. This involves using songs and choruses projected onto a video screen. More traditional Nazarene churches have a song leader who directs congregational hymns from the pulpit or platform.

In some worship services, particularly the traditional Wednesday night prayer meeting, members are often encouraged to "testify," that is, give an account of some aspect of their spiritual journey. A testimony may describe a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit or speak to a particular event of meaning in a person's recent Christian life.

Prayers offered during services are most often communal and led by a single person.

Nazarenes affirm the possibility of divine healing and pastors may "lay hands" upon the ill in prayer, either at the hospital or in a worship service. However, Nazarenes also believe that the ill should utilize all appropriate medical agencies; therefore, a prayer for divine healing is never understood as excluding medical services and agencies.

Annual revival meetings have been a traditional part of Nazarene life. A special evangelist is usually brought in to preach the revival services. The Church of the Nazarene credentials evangelists and song evangelists, many of whom earn their entire living through their ministry of evangelism. Most Nazarene districts also sponsor an annual camp meeting.

The Church of the Nazarene recognizes two sacraments: Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper. Every Nazarene church is required to administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper at least four times a year. An increasing number of congregations offer Communion at least once a month.

Nazarenes permit believer's baptism and infant baptism alike, although in recent times infant baptism has given way to more frequent infant dedication ceremonies -- thus reserving baptism until a time that the child makes a conscious choice to join the church. The Nazarene Manual also includes rituals for the reception of new church members, weddings, funerals, the installation of new officers, and church dedications.

The hymn "Holiness Unto the Lord" by Lelia N. Morris has long functioned as a church "anthem."

[edit] Organization

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

[edit] Officers and clergy

The Church of the Nazarene's has two orders of ordained ministry: the ordained elder and the ordained deacon. The ordained elder is a person, either male or female, who has been set apart for a ministry of "Word and Sacrament." Their primary assignment is to preach the Word, administer the sacraments, and lead the local church. The ordained deacon is a man or woman who has been set apart for full-time ministry in a role other than "Word and Sacrament." Those eligible to be ordained as deacons include those who are called to a full-time ministry of music, Christian social ministry, or director of Christian education, or another ministry that does not typically involve leading a congregation. The church also has district licensed ministers. Usually these are persons who are on the path toward ordination or who are strongly considering a call to ordained ministry. A licensed minister may, in some cases, be the pastor of a church.

The Church of the Nazarene also recognizes these specialized forms of Christian service and ministry:^[2]

Administrator - Most typically a General Superintendent or District Superintendent.
Chaplain - An ordained elder who specializes in ministry to a branch of the military, a hospital, a prison, or a workplace.
Deaconess - A lay order of consecrated ministry for women that was inherited from 19th century Protestantism. After the order of ordained deacon was instituted in 1985, the church discontinued the consecration of new deaconesses.
Educator - Can consist of an elder, deacon, licensed minister, or layperson who serves as an educator in some form of the church.
Evangelist - Elder or licensed minister who is "devoted to traveling and preaching the gospel." Can be registered, commissioned, or tenured.
Lay Minister - A lay member who completes Level I courses as assigned by the denomination's ministerial study and is recognized by a local church board.
Minister of Christian Education - A person who represents a ministerial capacity in a Christian education program of a local church.
Minister of Music - A layperson commissioned by the District Assembly to act in such a capacity for a one-year term; not necessarily a licensed or assigned minister.
Missionary - Anyone appointed by the General Board to work a ministerial position through the World Mission Department or Church Growth Department.
Pastor - A minister who holds oversight of a local church. Usually an ordained elder, though sometimes a district licensed minister.
Song Evangelist - Church member who emphasizes evangelism through music; if he/she obtains ministerial credentials, he/she can serve as an assigned minister.

[edit] Education and publishing

The Church's other interests include higher education and missions. As of 2003, they have eight universities in the United States and many more internationally and are ministering in 150 world areas. In 2003, the church had 1,435,780 members worldwide in 13,259 churches. Membership of 621,048 in the United States constitutes the largest for one country, although there are more total members outside the U.S. than in it. Headquarters are in Kansas City, Missouri, where the Nazarene Publishing House is also located. The headquarters complex will soon move across the state line to Lenexa, Kansas. The publishing house is the largest world publisher of "holiness" literature.

Some of the denomination's earlier theologians of note include H. Orton Wiley, A. M. Hills, S. S. White, Mildred Bangs Wynkoop, and J. Kenneth Grider. Some of its contemporary theologians include H. Ray Dunning, Rob L. Staples, Michael Lodahl, Thomas Jay Oord, Samuel Powell, T. A. Noble, Steve McCormick, Craig Keen, and John Wright. The church's earlier Biblical scholars of note include Olive Winchester, G. Frederick Owens and Ralph Earle. Its contemporary Biblical scholars of note include A.R.G. Deasley, Andy Johnson, and George Lyons. Notable church historians include the late Timothy L. Smith, Paul M. Bassett, Herbert McGonigle, and Floyd Cunningham.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Encyclopedia of Religion in the South, Samuel S. Hill, editor
Handbook of Denominations, Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, & Craig D. Atwood
Relational Holiness: Responding to the Call of Love. Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2005.
Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States, Glenmary Research Center
The Manual: Church of the Nazarene, 1995/2005, ISBN 0-8341-1944-7
A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology, J. Kenneth Grider, 1994. ISBN 0-8341-1512-3

[edit] External links

[edit] General denomination sites

[edit] Regional websites

[edit] Other

[edit] Local district and church sites

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