History

it is true that the Church of the Nazarene is rooted in the teaching of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.  it is not true that the Church of the Nazarene is a split from the Methodist church.  The early leaders came from many denominations.  in the aftermath of the Civil War, a religious awareness became a spiritual awakening that infiltrated the sod houses of the prairie, the fine brick homes of New England, the plantations and shantytowns of the Deep South, and the religious heart of the nation.  The central thrust of this great revival was the fullness of God's powerful love.  By the turn of the century, tens of thousands of people had found this gift of heart purity.  Many denominations had grown and expanded under the influence of the revival.  The revival gave rise to new colleges, Bible schools, and other training centers.  It is also true that the revival gave birth to several denominations, the largest of which is the Church of the Nazarene.  The mission statement of the Church of the Nazarene is to make Christ-like disciples in the nations.  There are currently more than 18,000 congregations of 1.6 million Nazarenes in 151 world areas spanning 24 time zones.  For more detailed information like Articles of Faith, history of the Church of the Nazarene, purpose, values and other important topics visit the official site of the international Church of the Nazarene at http://www.nazarene.org/