BELIEFS & COMMUNITY
Church of the Nazarene: Wesleyan Holiness beliefs
Religious Values guide · Updated
The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination in the Wesleyan Holiness tradition. It emphasizes salvation through Christ and transformation in holy love through the Holy Spirit. Its history includes the union of several Holiness bodies, with the 1908 meeting at Pilot Point, Texas, serving as a key anniversary point.
Nazarene teaching belongs within the Wesleyan Holiness family. The denomination's earlier use of Pentecostal in its name should not be confused with modern Pentecostal teaching about tongues.
Grace and entire sanctification
The Articles of Faith describe God's grace, repentance, justification and regeneration, followed by growth in a sanctified life. Entire sanctification is understood as a work of grace that directs the believer toward wholehearted love for God. It is not a claim to perfect information or freedom from human limitations. The language is best understood within the denomination's wider teaching on Christian growth.[1]
Worship and Christian formation
Nazarene congregations gather for Scripture, preaching, prayer and singing, with baptism and Communion as sacraments. Discipleship, mission and care for others express the call to holy living. Styles of music and local programs can differ. Ask how the congregation teaches sanctification and how it supports ongoing formation, rather than assuming the word holiness refers only to a list of prohibited activities.[1]
A union of Holiness movements
The early general assemblies brought together groups from different US regions, including the 1908 union at Pilot Point. The church later removed Pentecostal from its name as that word became closely associated with tongues-speaking movements. This history helps explain why Nazarene and Pentecostal churches can both emphasize the Holy Spirit while understanding spiritual experience and sanctification differently.[2][3]
Common questions
Are Nazarenes Pentecostal in the Assemblies of God sense?
The church identifies with Wesleyan Holiness and has a different doctrinal account from classical Pentecostal teaching about tongues as initial evidence of Spirit baptism. Its historical name needs that context.[1][3]
What should I ask about membership?
Ask how the church distinguishes its Articles of Faith from its expectations for Christian conduct, and how newcomers learn both. A conversation about grace and growth will give more context than a checklist of outward habits alone.
Sources & further reading
The sources below explain the beliefs and practices discussed here. Where a guide describes a broad movement, a named organization illustrates its own approach.
- 1.Church of the Nazarene: What we believe
Articles of Faith, including entire sanctification and the sacraments.
- 2.Nazarene General Assembly: History
Documents the early assemblies and 1908 union.
- 3.Church of the Nazarene: Turning points
Explains mergers and the change to the denomination's name.