Did you know that the Church of the Nazarene emerged from the Wesleyan-Holiness movement? It formed in the early 1900s in Texas. Now, let’s delve into the story of the Houston District Church of the Nazarene.
The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination with Wesleyan-Holiness roots. Its mission is to make Christlike disciples. This is done through evangelism, education, compassion, justice, and bearing witness to God’s kingdom. The Houston District Church of the Nazarene is part of this global movement.
The denomination’s vision is to be a disciple-making church. It aims to be an international community of faith. This community adheres to the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. Core values of the Church of the Nazarene are Christian, Holiness, and Missional. These values guide their worship, theology, evangelicalism, discipleship, church development, leadership, and compassion.
The Church of the Nazarene has a detailed organizational structure. This structure is outlined in The Manual for the Church of the Nazarene. Updated every four years at the General Assembly, The Manual guides church operations. It includes historical statements, core beliefs, church policies, and lifestyle guidelines.
The formation of the Church of the Nazarene connects to Methodism’s history in the United States. It resulted from mergers of holiness churches in the 20th century. Churches in New England, California, and Texas united. These mergers formed the Church of the Nazarene. The first meetings were in Chicago and Pilot Point, Texas, in 1907 and 1908. These meetings led to a centralized denomination based in Kansas City, Missouri.
In October 1895, Dr Bresee and Dr Widney founded a church in Los Angeles. This church focused on serving the urban poor. It was named Church of the Nazarene. Groups with similar beliefs on the east coast merged. They retained the name and Manual of Hoople’s group. In 1907, the east and west coast churches merged in Chicago. They formed The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene.
In April 1908, Bresee accepted the Holiness Association of Texas into the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. In September 1908, the Holiness Christian Church merged. The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene then merged with the Holiness Church of Christ in the south. This happened on October 13, 1908. This date marks the official founding of the Church of the Nazarene. Bresee, Reynolds, and Ellyson were elected general superintendents. The merged church had 10,034 members, 228 congregations, 11 districts, and 19 missionaries.
The Church of the Nazarene’s name comes from Jesus Christ. He was raised in Nazareth and called a Nazarene in the Bible. Dr Joseph Pomeroy Widney suggested the name. He wanted to minister to the “lower classes” of society.
The Church of the Nazarene faced challenges with its original name. The term “Pentecostal” became associated with charismatic gifts. Some Pentecostal Nazarenes rejected these associations. In 1919, the church removed “Pentecostal” from its name. It returned to Church of the Nazarene.
By 1908, the church had expanded to Canada, India, Swaziland, Cape Verde, and Japan. The 1915 mergers added congregations in the British Isles, Cuba, Central America, and South America. By 2020, about 75% of Nazarene members lived outside the USA.
The Church of the Nazarene supports global evangelization. It uses technology like the Showers of Blessing radio program. Today, the Houston District Church of the Nazarene continues this tradition. It serves its community. It spreads its message of faith and compassion.