A Nazarene is, first of all, a Christian.  Our essential beliefs (those in our Statement of Faith) are similar to many Christian churches.  The Nazarene Church emphasizes the idea of holiness.  We believe that after a person has become a Christian, and decided to believe in Jesus Christ, he or she must decide whether they want to become fully devoted to God.  This deeper level of commitment is called sanctification.  This is a personal decision between an individual and God.

     The Nazarene Church began in the late nineteenth century, as Americans who had been influenced by the Holiness Movement of the 1800's began to come together to form churches. The first Nazarene Church was founded in Los Angeles in 1895 by Phineas Bresee and the denomination was established in 1908. Today, there are nearly 12,000 Nazarene churches worldwide.