I. The Church of the Nazarene

Immanuel Church belongs to a denomination called "The Church of the Nazarene." The words themselves come from Jesus' birthplace of Nazareth. Therefore, the Nazarene church is proclaiming that it is a denomination that believes in Jesus, "THE Nazarene."

More specifically, the Church of the Nazarene has roots in the Early 18th century when the Evangelical Revival occurred in England, which was nurtured chiefly by the ministry of John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. Their emphasis was upon living a victorious life through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

In the last half of the 19th century there was a widespread holiness revival not only in Methodism itself, but also among most Protestant denominations. Out of this revival many "holiness associations" were formed. It was from these associations that the Church of the Nazarene was born.

II. Theology

The Church of the Nazarene is the largest denomination in the Wesleyan— holiness tradition. The doctrine that distinguishes the Church of the Nazarene and other Wesleyan denominations from some other Christian denominations is that of entire sanctification. Nazarenes believe that God calls Christians to a life of holy living that is marked by an act of God, cleansing the heart from original sin and filling the individual with love for God and humankind. This experience is marked by entire consecration of the believer to do God's will and is followed by a life of seeking to serve God through service to others. Like salvation, entire sanctification is an act of God's grace, not of works. Our service to God is an act of love whereby we show our appreciation for the grace that has been extended to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

III. A Tradition of Service
Nazarenes are a compassionate people and we believe in serving others! This is expressed locally through the services of members to their communities. Contributions from Nazarenes make possible the administration of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries in the U.S. and around the world. This ministry provides assistance to persons in communities hard hit by disaster or famine. Nazarenes have been instrumental in assisting hurting people in every part of the globe. From war and famine relief in Rwanda and Zaire, to health care training in India, to serving orphaned children in Guatemala, to rebuilding homes and churches in the Ohio River Valley—Nazarenes serve through more than 170 full—time compassionate ministry centers and various other special projects.

The worldwide network of Nazarene churches makes it possible for the denomination to serve as a conduit of assistance to hurting nations. Nazarenes provide money for food, medical supplies, clothing, and other items to persons in a number of countries where there are pressing needs. In addition, the denomination's missionary infrastructure is often used by World Relief and similar agencies when they need assistance in getting supplies to people of countries in remote or troubled areas.

Nazarenes also offer their time and services on volunteer Work and Witness and Youth In Mission teams to build churches, schools, clinics, and to reach others for Christ.

The denomination is now involved in reaching out to persons around the globe through the power of technology. Satellite, Internet, and radio broadcasts in 43 languages are produced regularly to educate people about the gospel of Jesus Christ and to inform constituents and interested parties about people, programs, news, and events of interest in the life of the church.

Please feel free to visit the official web site of the international Church of the Nazarene and the Nazarene World Missions web site.